Breakdown of Wir müssen den Termin verschieben, weil die Klinik heute geschlossen ist.
sein
to be
wir
we
heute
today
weil
because
müssen
must
den
the; (masculine, accusative)
die
the; (feminine, nominative)
der Termin
the appointment
verschieben
to postpone
die Klinik
the clinic
geschlossen
closed
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Questions & Answers about Wir müssen den Termin verschieben, weil die Klinik heute geschlossen ist.
What does verschieben mean and is it a separable verb?
verschieben translates as “to postpone” or “to reschedule.” It is not separable: the prefix ver- always stays attached, so you say verschieben, not schieben … ver.
Why are there two verbs müssen and verschieben?
müssen is a modal verb expressing necessity (“have to”). When you use a modal, the main action verb goes into the infinitive form and moves to the end of the clause—here verschieben.
Why is there a comma before weil?
In German, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like weil must be separated from the main clause by a comma.
Why is the verb ist at the end of the clause weil die Klinik heute geschlossen ist?
German subordinate clauses follow a verb-final word order. After weil, the conjugated verb (ist) moves to the end.
What case is den Termin, and why?
den Termin is in the accusative case because it functions as the direct object of verschieben.
Why do we say die Klinik for “the clinic”?
Klinik is a feminine noun in German. As the subject of the subordinate clause, it takes the nominative article die.
How do you pronounce verschieben?
It’s pronounced [fɛɐ̯ˈʃiːbn̩]. The v sounds like f, sch is the “sh” sound, ie is a long “ee,” and the final -en is a reduced syllable [n̩].
Could I replace weil with another word or phrase?
Yes. You can use da (“Wir müssen den Termin verschieben, da die Klinik heute geschlossen ist”). In more formal writing, you could also say aufgrund with a noun phrase (“aufgrund der heutigen Schließung der Klinik”).
What tense is Wir müssen … verschieben?
It’s the present tense (Präsens). In German, the present can express future actions, so this means “we have to postpone (the appointment).”
Can heute be moved to a different position in the clause?
Yes. Time adverbs are flexible. You could say weil heute die Klinik geschlossen ist or weil die Klinik geschlossen ist heute, though the most natural order is weil die Klinik heute geschlossen ist.