Learn Hardcore German: Der Sand erwärmt sich schnell, obwohl er glatt aussieht. - The sand warms up quickly, although it looks smooth.

In German, some verbs are reflexive, meaning the subject performs the action on itself. erwärmen means “to warm (something),” but when you add the reflexive pronoun sich, sich erwärmen means “to warm up (oneself)” or “to become warm.” Here, the sand warms itself (or warms up) under the sun. In the present tense, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb: erwärmt sich.

Why is the adverb schnell placed after erwärmt sich and not elsewhere?

In German main clauses, the finite verb typically occupies the second position, and adverbs of manner (like schnell) follow the verb (or the verb plus reflexive pronoun). So you say erwärmt sich schnell (“warms up quickly”). You could reorder elements for emphasis (e.g., schnell erwärmt sich der Sand), but the standard word order is verb – reflexive pronoun – adverb.

How does obwohl affect word order in the subordinate clause?

obwohl is a subordinating conjunction (“although”). In German, subordinating conjunctions send the finite verb to the end of the clause. So after obwohl er glatt aussieht, aussieht (the conjugated verb) comes last. The structure is obwohl – subject (er) – other elements – verb (aussieht).

Do I always need a comma before obwohl?

Yes. In German, you must place a comma before any subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions like obwohl, weil, dass, etc. The comma separates the main clause from the subordinate clause.

Why is the pronoun er used instead of ihn when referring to der Sand?

der Sand is masculine and serves as the subject of the subordinate clause. In the nominative case, the masculine pronoun is er (“he/it”). ihn is the masculine accusative pronoun, used when the noun is a direct object. Since er is the subject of aussieht, you must use er.

What does glatt mean in this sentence?

glatt generally means “smooth,” “sleek,” or “slippery.” In glatt aussieht, it conveys that the sand appears flat and without roughness, suggesting it might stay cool—but the sentence points out that even smooth-looking sand heats up quickly.

Should obwohl be followed by the subjunctive mood since it introduces an unexpected result?

Not in this case. You use the subjunctive (Konjunktiv II) after obwohl only when you’re talking about something hypothetical or contrary to reality. Here, the speaker states a real fact, so they stick to the indicative: obwohl er glatt aussieht. If you wanted a purely hypothetical contrast, you could say obwohl er glatt aussähe, but that’s more formal and less common in everyday speech.