Breakdown of Sofern das Wetter gut ist, hat der Gründer die Absicht, das Gewächshaus zu bauen.
sein
to be
gut
good / well
haben
to have
das Wetter
the weather
bauen
to build
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Gründer
the founder
die Absicht
the intention
sofern
provided that
das Gewächshaus
the greenhouse
Questions & Answers about Sofern das Wetter gut ist, hat der Gründer die Absicht, das Gewächshaus zu bauen.
How does die Absicht haben act as an alternative to a modal verb here?
die Absicht haben (to have the intention) is a formal, noun-based alternative to the modal verb wollen (to want). Instead of using a modal verb like in ... will der Gründer das Gewächshaus bauen, we use the noun phrase die Absicht haben followed by a zu + infinitive clause.
Is sofern just a formal synonym for wenn?
They are very similar, but sofern is more specific. While wenn is a general 'if', sofern translates to 'provided that' or 'as long as'. It emphasizes that the weather being good is a strict, exclusive condition for building the greenhouse.
Why does the main clause start with the verb hat right after the comma?
This is the standard 'V2' (verb-second) rule in action. The entire dependent clause (Sofern das Wetter gut ist) acts as the first block of information (position one). Therefore, the conjugated verb of the main clause (hat) must immediately follow in position two.
Why is there a comma before das Gewächshaus zu bauen?
This is an extended infinitive clause because it contains an object (das Gewächshaus) along with the zu + infinitive. In German, when an extended infinitive clause depends on a noun (like die Absicht in the main clause), you must separate it with a comma to make the sentence structure clear.
Learn Sofern das Wetter gut ist, hat der Gründer die Absicht, das Gewächshaus zu bauen and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free