Breakdown of Nichts, was die Regel verbietet, werden wir tun.
wir
we
werden
will
die Regel
the rule
nichts
nothing
tun
to do
was
that
verbieten
to forbid
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Questions & Answers about Nichts, was die Regel verbietet, werden wir tun.
Why does the verb come before the subject (werden wir)? Isn’t that a question word order?
No. In German declaratives the finite verb must be in the second position. The entire fronted phrase Nichts, was die Regel verbietet counts as position 1, so the finite verb werden sits in position 2, followed by the subject wir. It’s a statement, not a question. A neutral word order would be Wir werden nichts tun, was die Regel verbietet.
Why is it was and not das after Nichts?
After neuter pronouns like nichts, etwas, alles, vieles, wenig and after superlatives like das Beste, German uses the relative pronoun was. So Nichts, was … is the standard pattern. Using das here is nonstandard or at least very marked; stick with was.
What case is was in here?
Accusative. Inside the relative clause was die Regel verbietet, the subject is die Regel and was is the object being forbidden. For was, nominative and accusative look the same, so there’s no visible change.
Why are there two commas around was die Regel verbietet?
Because it’s a relative clause. German requires a comma before and after a relative clause: Nichts, [was die Regel verbietet], werden wir tun. Both commas are mandatory.
Can I say the more “normal” Wir werden nichts tun, was die Regel verbietet?
Yes, that’s very natural and common. Fronting Nichts, was … to the beginning as in the original adds emphasis and a slightly formal, rhetorical tone.
Can I drop werden and just say Nichts, was die Regel verbietet, tun wir?
Yes. That’s grammatical. Using the present (tun wir) can express a general rule or future meaning from context. Using werden adds an explicit promise/commitment or future orientation: we will not do it.
Why is tun at the very end?
Because werden is the finite verb in second position and tun is the lexical verb, which goes to the end of the main clause in German verb-second sentences with an auxiliary: … werden wir tun. Similarly, in the relative clause the finite verb goes to the end: … was die Regel verbietet.
Can I use machen instead of tun?
Yes: Wir werden nichts machen, was die Regel verbietet. Both are fine here. Tun can sound a bit more formal or idiomatic with pronouns like nichts/etwas; machen is very common in everyday speech.
Is Nichts werden wir tun, was die Regel verbietet also correct?
Yes. That version extraposes (moves) the relative clause to the end. It’s grammatical, though many speakers prefer the smoother Wir werden nichts tun, was die Regel verbietet.
Can I omit the first comma: Nichts was die Regel verbietet, werden wir tun?
No. In Standard German, relative clauses must be set off by commas. You need both commas: Nichts, was die Regel verbietet, werden wir tun.
Does German allow double negatives here, like English slang?
Standard German avoids double negation for the same scope. Say Wir werden nichts tun, not Wir werden nicht nichts tun (which actually means “We won’t do nothing,” i.e., “We will do something” — a litotes). Avoid combinations like kein … nicht in Standard German.
What is the subject inside the relative clause?
Die Regel is the subject; verbietet agrees with it (3rd person singular). Was is the object of verbietet.
Why is it die Regel and not der Regel?
Because die Regel is nominative singular feminine as the subject of verbietet. Der Regel would be dative or genitive, which isn’t needed here.
What if there are multiple rules?
Then make the subject plural: Nichts, was die Regeln verbieten, werden wir tun. Note that was stays the same; verbieten becomes plural.
Why is Nichts capitalized?
Because it’s the first word of the sentence. Normally the pronoun is written nichts (lowercase). You would also capitalize das Nichts when you mean the noun “nothingness.”
Does was here mean “what” or “that”? Could I use dass?
Was is a relative pronoun meaning “that which/what” (as in “nothing that the rule forbids”). You cannot use dass here; dass introduces content clauses, not relative clauses modifying a noun/pronoun like nichts.
How can I add emphasis like “absolutely nothing”?
Common intensifiers:
- Gar nichts, was die Regel verbietet, werden wir tun.
- Wir werden überhaupt nichts tun, was die Regel verbietet.
Is … was die Regel nicht erlaubt equivalent to … was die Regel verbietet?
Close, but verbieten is stronger (“forbid/prohibit”), whereas nicht erlauben is “not allow,” which can be slightly weaker or more bureaucratic. Both are acceptable; choose based on nuance.
Is the original sentence formal? What’s a more everyday way to say it?
The original with fronting is emphatic and somewhat formal. Everyday neutral:
- Wir tun nichts, was die Regel verbietet.
- Wir werden nichts tun, was die Regel verbietet.
Could I say this in the passive?
Yes, for a policy-style statement: Nichts, was die Regel verbietet, wird von uns getan. This de-emphasizes the agent and sounds more formal.