Questions & Answers about Ich bin dafür, dass wir heute früher beginnen.
What does the word dafür contribute in this sentence?
- dafür sein is a set phrase meaning to be in favor or in support of something.
- Here, dafür points forward to the content of the dass-clause (the proposal that we start earlier today).
- Grammatically, it stands in for something like for that idea/proposal.
Why is there a comma and the conjunction dass?
- dass introduces a subordinate content clause (what you are in favor of).
- In German, a comma before dass is mandatory.
- The dass-clause has the finite verb at the end, which is why you see the word order you do.
Why is beginnen at the very end of the clause?
- In subordinate clauses introduced by dass, the finite verb goes to the end.
- With wir, the finite form is wir beginnen, which happens to look identical to the infinitive, but it is a finite verb here, placed clause-finally because of dass.
Can I use a zu-infinitive instead of the dass-clause?