Breakdown of Es bleibt abzuwarten, ob die Forscher die Wirksamkeit dieses neuen Heilmittels beweisen.
es
it
neu
new
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
bleiben
to stay
zu
to (infinitive marker)
ob
whether / if
beweisen
to prove
der Forscher
the researcher
abwarten
to wait and see
die Wirksamkeit
the efficacy
das Heilmittel
the cure
Questions & Answers about Es bleibt abzuwarten, ob die Forscher die Wirksamkeit dieses neuen Heilmittels beweisen.
How does the es bleibt ... zu + infinitive structure work here?
This structure expresses that something still needs to be done or will happen in the future, similar to 'it remains to be [done]' in English. Because the verb here is abwarten (a separable verb), the word zu is squeezed between the prefix ab and the root warten, forming a single word: abzuwarten.
Why is abzuwarten translated as 'to be seen' instead of 'to be waited'?
While warten means 'to wait,' the separable verb abwarten specifically means 'to wait and see' or 'to await an outcome.' When used in the impersonal phrase es bleibt abzuwarten, the most natural and equivalent English idiom is 'it remains to be seen.'
Why does the phrase dieses neuen Heilmittels have those specific endings?
This phrase is in the genitive case, showing possession or relationship ('of this new cure'). Because das Heilmittel is a neuter noun, the demonstrative article takes the -es ending (dieses). After a strong 'der-word' like dieses, the adjective takes the weak ending -en (neuen), and the neuter noun itself gets an -s added to the end (Heilmittels).
Why is the verb beweisen at the very end of the sentence?
The word ob (whether/if) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which acts as a rule to push the conjugated verb (beweisen) all the way to the end of that specific clause.
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