Breakdown of Dieses Projekt ist illegal, bis wir die offizielle Erlaubnis haben.
sein
to be
haben
to have
wir
we
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
das Projekt
the project
bis
until / to (as far as)
die Erlaubnis
the permission
illegal
illegal
offiziell
official
Questions & Answers about Dieses Projekt ist illegal, bis wir die offizielle Erlaubnis haben.
How does using die Erlaubnis haben change the tone compared to using a modal verb?
It makes the sentence sound much more formal and bureaucratic. As a nominal alternative to the modal verb dürfen (to be allowed to), die Erlaubnis haben fits perfectly with official terms like Projekt and illegal.
The lesson mentions using zu + infinitive with die Erlaubnis haben, so why isn't there a zu in this sentence?
You only need the zu clause if you are explicitly specifying the action that is permitted. Here, the action (carrying out the project) is already obvious. If you wanted to include it, you could add it at the end: ..., bis wir die offizielle Erlaubnis haben, es zu tun.
Why does the verb haben get pushed to the very end of the sentence?
The word bis (until) is functioning as a subordinating conjunction here. That means it starts a subordinate clause and kicks the conjugated verb (haben) to the very end of that clause.
Is there a rule to help remember the gender of die Erlaubnis?
Nouns ending in the suffix -nis are typically neuter, like das Ergebnis (the result) or das Geheimnis (the secret). However, die Erlaubnis is one of a few very important feminine exceptions you should memorize, alongside die Kenntnis (the knowledge).
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