Breakdown of Du wirst sicher einen Grund finden, warum du heute nicht lernen willst, aber ich hoffe, du machst es trotzdem.
ich
I
heute
today
du
you
nicht
not
aber
but
es
it
finden
to find
einen
a
hoffen
to hope
werden
will
wollen
to want
der Grund
the reason
warum
why
machen
to do
sicher
surely
lernen
to study
trotzdem
anyway
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Questions & Answers about Du wirst sicher einen Grund finden, warum du heute nicht lernen willst, aber ich hoffe, du machst es trotzdem.
What does the word sicher mean in this sentence?
In this context, sicher translates to “surely” or “certainly.” It emphasizes the speaker's confidence that the listener is bound to find a reason for not studying today.
Why is the modal verb willst placed at the end of the subordinate clause warum du heute nicht lernen willst?
In German subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is positioned at the end. Since warum introduces the clause, the modal verb willst comes at the very end, as per the standard word order rule in subordinate clauses.
How does the word order differ between the main clause and the subordinate clause in the sentence?
In the main clause (Du wirst sicher einen Grund finden), the finite verb (wirst) occupies the second position. In contrast, the subordinate clause (warum du heute nicht lernen willst) pushes the conjugated verb (willst) to the end. This shift in verb placement is a typical feature of German subordinate clauses.
What role does trotzdem play in the sentence?
Trotzdem functions as an adverb meaning “anyway” or “nevertheless.” It signals that even though the listener will find reasons not to study, the expectation is that they will study regardless.
What is the purpose of the conjunction aber in this sentence?
The conjunction aber means “but” and connects the two parts of the sentence. It contrasts the idea that you will credibly find reasons not to study with the speaker’s hope that you will study anyway.
Which tense is used in Du wirst sicher einen Grund finden, and how is it constructed?
The phrase is in the future tense. In German, the future is formed using the auxiliary verb werden (here, wirst for “du”) together with the infinitive form of the main verb (finden). This construction expresses an expectation or prediction about the future.
Why is the noun Grund preceded by einen instead of ein?
The noun Grund is the direct object of the verb finden, and in German, direct objects take the accusative case. Since Grund is masculine, the indefinite article changes from ein in the nominative to einen in the accusative.
Why is there a comma before warum in the sentence?
German punctuation rules require a comma to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause introduced by subordinating conjunctions like warum. This comma marks the boundary between the two parts of the sentence, helping to clarify its structure.