Breakdown of Wir sind gezwungen, hier auszuharren, obwohl alle außer mir Platzangst haben.
sein
to be
hier
here
haben
to have
wir
we
alle
all, everyone
mir
me / to me (dative)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
obwohl
although
außer
except
gezwungen
forced / compelled
ausharren
to hold out / persevere
die Platzangst
the claustrophobia
Questions & Answers about Wir sind gezwungen, hier auszuharren, obwohl alle außer mir Platzangst haben.
How does gezwungen sein work here, and what modal verb does it replace?
The phrase gezwungen sein means to be forced or to be compelled, acting as a formal alternative to the modal verb müssen. Because it is not a true modal verb itself, it requires a secondary clause with zu plus an infinitive verb. This is why we see the structure gezwungen, hier auszuharren.
Why is it auszuharren as one word instead of zu ausharren?
The verb ausharren (to hold out or endure) is a separable verb. When a separable verb needs to be in its zu infinitive form, the zu is sandwiched between the separable prefix aus and the root verb harren, combining into the single word auszuharren.
Doesn't Platzangst literally mean fear of open squares? Why is it translated as claustrophobia?
You are right about the literal translation! Clinically, fear of open spaces is agoraphobia, and fear of confined spaces is Klaustrophobie. However, in everyday spoken German, people almost universally use the word Platzangst to mean claustrophobia (a fear of lacking space). It is a widespread colloquial habit that has become entirely standard.
Why does the sentence use mir instead of mich in the phrase außer mir?
The word außer (except or besides) is a preposition that always triggers the dative case. Because of this strict grammar rule, the first-person pronoun ich must change to its dative form, mir.
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