Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause; darauf vertraue ich.

Some ideas come only after a break; I rely on that.

Breakdown of Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause; darauf vertraue ich.

• kommen: to come
• ich: I
• nach: after
• die Pause: the break
• die Idee: the idea
• erst: only
• darauf: on that
• manche: some
• vertrauen auf: to rely on

Questions & Answers about Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause; darauf vertraue ich.

What does erst mean here? Is it the same as only, nur, or zuerst?

Here erst means “not until.” So: “Some ideas don’t come until after a break.”

• nur = “only” in the sense of exclusivity: Nur nach einer Pause would imply “only after a break (and at no other time).”
• zuerst = “first/at first” in a sequence: zuerst doesn’t fit the “not until” meaning here.

Examples:

• Er kommt erst um neun. = He won’t come until nine.
• Er kommt nur um neun. = He comes only at nine (and not at other times).
• Er kommt zuerst um neun, dann um zehn. = He comes first at nine, then at ten.

Why is it nach einer Pause and not nach eine Pause?

Because nach always takes the dative case. Pause is feminine (die Pause), and the feminine dative singular of the indefinite article is einer. Hence: nach einer Pause.

What is the role of the semicolon? Could I use other punctuation?

The semicolon links two closely related main clauses. Alternatives:

• Period: Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause. Darauf vertraue ich.
• Comma (allowed in German between main clauses): Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause, darauf vertraue ich.
• Conjunction: …, und darauf vertraue ich. / …, denn darauf vertraue ich.
• Colon is also possible for explanation: …: darauf vertraue ich.

Why does the second clause start with darauf, and why is ich after the verb?

German main clauses are verb-second (V2). When you front darauf for emphasis/topic, the finite verb vertraue must be in second position, and the subject ich comes after it: Darauf (1) vertraue (2) ich (3). You could also say the neutral Ich vertraue darauf.

What exactly does darauf refer to?

darauf is a pronominal adverb (da + preposition) meaning “on that.” It refers to the entire preceding idea/proposition: the fact that ideas come only after a break. It’s not spatial here; it’s referring back to the statement.

What’s the difference between jemandem/etwas vertrauen and auf etwas vertrauen?

• jemandem/etwas vertrauen (dative) = to trust someone/something in general. Example: Ich vertraue dir.
• auf etwas vertrauen (accusative) = to rely/count on something happening or being dependable. Example: Ich vertraue darauf, dass eine Pause hilft. In the sentence, the idea is “I rely on that,” hence darauf vertrauen fits best.

What case does auf take with vertrauen? If I replace darauf with a noun, what happens?

With vertrauen, auf takes the accusative:

• Ich vertraue auf das System.
• Ich vertraue darauf, dass … (with darauf as the pronominal adverb for auf + Akk.) By contrast, plain vertrauen without auf takes a dative object: Ich vertraue dem Arzt.

Could I expand this into a dass-clause?

Yes: Ich vertraue darauf, dass manche Ideen erst nach einer Pause kommen. This is very natural when you want to spell out the content of what you rely on.

Is Manche the same as einige? How is it different from manchmal?

• manche and einige both mean “some.” einige is more neutral; manche can feel a bit more like “certain (ones),” sometimes with a slight flavor of generalization.
• manchmal means “sometimes” (an adverb of frequency), not “some.” So: Manche Ideen = “Some ideas,” while Manchmal kommen Ideen … = “Sometimes ideas come …”

Why not say Manchmal kommen Ideen erst nach einer Pause?

That changes the meaning:

• Manche Ideen … focuses on a subset of ideas (some ideas).
• Manchmal … focuses on time/frequency (sometimes). Both are grammatical, but they say different things.

Is Ideen kommen idiomatic, or should it be Ideen fallen mir ein?

Both are idiomatic, with different focuses:

• Ideen kommen (erst nach …) is a general statement about the timing of ideas.
• Ideen fallen mir ein puts the experiencer in focus: “Ideas occur to me.” Example: Gute Ideen fallen mir oft erst nach einer Pause ein.

Why is Ideen plural? Could I say Manche Idee?

Plural is the usual, natural way to say “some ideas.” Manche Idee (singular) exists but is literary/poetic (“many a(n) idea”) and sounds marked in everyday speech. Stick with Manche Ideen for normal style.

Can I drop the article and say nach Pause?

No. Countable nouns in German usually need an article or a plural for a generic meaning. You can say:

• nach einer Pause (singular with article), or
• nach Pausen (plural, but this is less idiomatic here). The set phrase is nach einer Pause = “after a break.”

Where can I put erst in the sentence?

Common, natural placements:

• Manche Ideen kommen erst nach einer Pause. (default)
• Erst nach einer Pause kommen manche Ideen. (fronted for emphasis)
• Manche Ideen kommen nach einer Pause erst. (possible, with emphasis after the time phrase) All keep the verb in second position in main clauses.

Should it be darauf, darüber, or daran?

Use darauf because the verb is (sich) verlassen auf / vertrauen auf. The pronominal adverb must match the preposition:

• darauf ↔ auf
• darüber ↔ über
• daran ↔ an So with vertrauen auf, you need darauf.

Are there natural alternatives to the second clause?

Yes, near-synonyms include:

• Darauf verlasse ich mich. (I rely on that.)
• Darauf zähle ich. (I count on that.)
• Ich setze darauf. (I’m banking on that.) All are idiomatic; darauf vertraue ich is slightly more about trust, darauf verlasse ich mich/zähle ich more about dependable expectation.