Breakdown of Nach dem Wettbewerb schafften wir es, die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
wir
we
es
it
nach
after
vergessen
to forget
der Wettbewerb
the competition
die Niederlage
the defeat
schaffen
to manage
das Vorjahr
the previous year
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Questions & Answers about Nach dem Wettbewerb schafften wir es, die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen.
Why is nach followed by dem Wettbewerb instead of another case?
Because nach is one of the German prepositions that always takes the dative case. In this construction Wettbewerb becomes dem Wettbewerb to reflect the dative.
Why does the verb schafften come before the subject wir?
German word order puts the conjugated verb in the second position. Since the time phrase Nach dem Wettbewerb occupies the first position, the verb schafften moves to the second, causing the subject wir to follow it.
What role does the pronoun es play in schafften wir es?
Here es is an anticipatory or placeholder object. It refers forward to the action described in the infinitive clause (die Niederlage … zu vergessen). Many German verbs that govern a zu-infinitive use es in the main clause.
Why is there a comma before die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen?
German grammar requires a comma before a postponed zu-infinitive clause when it is linked to a placeholder es (as in es schaffen, … zu + Infinitiv). The comma marks the start of that non-finite clause.
Why is schaffen followed by zu vergessen rather than just vergessen?
When schaffen means “to manage” or “to succeed,” it is regularly followed by zu + infinitive (e.g. es schaffen, etw. zu tun). You cannot drop the zu in this construction.
Why is the phrase die Niederlage des Vorjahres in the genitive, and could I say die Niederlage vom Vorjahr instead?
des Vorjahres is the genitive form of das Vorjahr, showing that the defeat belongs to last year. You can indeed use the dative alternative vom Vorjahr (short for von dem Vorjahr) with the same meaning: “the defeat from last year.”
Why does Vorjahr change to Vorjahres in des Vorjahres?
German masculine and neuter nouns form the genitive singular by adding -s or -es. The noun Vorjahr takes -es, so you get Vorjahres in the genitive.
Could this sentence be expressed in the perfect tense instead of simple past?
Yes. In spoken or informal written German you’d likely say:
Nach dem Wettbewerb haben wir es geschafft, die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen.
The meaning stays the same; only the tense changes to present perfect.
What’s the difference between nach dem Wettbewerb and a clause with nachdem?
- nach dem Wettbewerb is a prepositional phrase (preposition + noun in dative).
- nachdem is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause with its own subject and finite verb, e.g. Nachdem wir den Wettbewerb beendet hatten, …
Both mean “after,” but the structures differ.
Could I use gelingen instead of schaffen here?
Yes. You can say:
Nach dem Wettbewerb gelang es uns, die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen.
gelingen is an impersonal verb that takes a dative “subject” (uns) and also uses zu + infinitive.
What case is die Niederlage in die Niederlage des Vorjahres zu vergessen, and why?
die Niederlage is in the accusative case because vergessen is a transitive verb that takes a direct object. Even in an infinitive clause, the object retains the accusative form.