Learn Hardcore German: Die Technikerin erklärte mir alles ruhig, und danach funktionierte das WLAN zuverlässig. - The female technician explained everything to me calmly, and afterwards the Wi‑Fi worked reliably.

Mir is dative. The verb erklären takes a dative for the person receiving the explanation and an accusative for the thing being explained: jemandem etwas erklären. So: Die Technikerin (subject, nominative) erklärte (verb) mir (indirect object, dative) alles (direct object, accusative).

Why is it alles and not alle?

Alles means everything (neuter singular, indefinite pronoun). Alle means all and is used with plural nouns (e.g., alle Geräte, all devices) or people (e.g., alle, everyone, colloquially). Here, the idea is “explained everything,” so alles is correct.

What does ruhig mean here? Does it mean “quietly” or “calmly”?

Here ruhig functions as an adverb meaning “calmly, unhurriedly.” It describes the manner of explaining. For “quietly” (low volume), German would more likely use leise; for “in silence,” still. Note: ruhig can also be a modal particle meaning “feel free to” (Das kannst du ruhig machen), but that’s not the usage here.

Is the word order erklärte mir alles ruhig normal? Could I say erklärte mir ruhig alles?

Both Die Technikerin erklärte mir alles ruhig and … erklärte mir ruhig alles are acceptable. Manner adverbs like ruhig often go near the end, but they can also appear earlier for nuance. Keep the pronoun mir early: … erklärte mir … is more natural than … erklärte … mir when the other object isn’t a personal pronoun.

Could alles ruhig be misunderstood as “everything (is) quiet”?

In isolation, Alles ruhig. can mean “Everything’s quiet.” In this sentence, though, alles is clearly the direct object of erklärte, and ruhig modifies how she explained it. If you want to avoid even a fleeting ambiguity, you can say Die Technikerin erklärte mir ruhig alles.

What tense is erklärte and funktionierte, and would Germans say this in the Perfekt instead?

They’re in the Präteritum (simple past), which is common in written narration. In everyday speech, you’d more often hear the Perfekt: Die Technikerin hat mir alles ruhig erklärt, und danach hat das WLAN zuverlässig funktioniert. Both are correct.

Why is there a comma before und? Is it required?

It’s optional here. German allows a comma between two main clauses linked by und/oder: … ruhig, und danach … or … ruhig und danach … are both correct. The comma can make the clause boundary clearer.

Why does the verb come right after danach in und danach funktionierte das WLAN?

German main clauses are verb-second (V2). Danach sits in first position, so the finite verb funktionierte must come next, and the subject das WLAN follows: Danach funktionierte das WLAN ….

What’s the difference between danach, dann, and nachher?

danach = after that (explicitly refers back to a prior event; slightly more formal/written).
dann = then/next (very general, very common in speech).
nachher = afterwards/later (colloquial, often “a bit later”).
All three would work here; danach ties the second clause neatly to the first.

Could I say daraufhin instead of danach?

Yes, but with a nuance: daraufhin means “as a result of that,” adding a causal link, not just temporal sequence. Danach is primarily temporal (“after that”). If you want to imply the explanation caused the fix, daraufhin funktionierte das WLAN zuverlässig is a good choice.

Why is it Die Technikerin and not Der Techniker?

Technikerin is the explicitly feminine form, marked by -in, so the nominative article is die. The masculine is der Techniker; plurals are die Techniker (mixed or male) and die Technikerinnen (female).

How do the objects work with erklären? Do I need a preposition?

No preposition. The pattern is: jemandem (Dat.) etwas (Akk.) erklären. Examples: Sie erklärt mir den Plan. Sie erklärt mir alles. Sie erklärt mir, wie das geht.

Why is zuverlässig not changed for an adverb, like English “reliably”?

German uses the base adjective form as an adverb. So zuverlässig works both as an adjective (ein zuverlässiges WLAN) and an adverb (Das WLAN funktionierte zuverlässig). Don’t add an extra ending like -lich here; zuverlässlich is incorrect.

What gender is WLAN, and how do you pronounce it?

It’s neuter: das WLAN. Pronunciation is roughly like German [ˈveːlaːn]—think “VAY-lahn” (German W sounds like English V). It’s usually written in all caps.

Is there any reason to keep or drop und before danach?

Both are fine. With und you get a smoother coordination: …, und danach …. Without it, you get a slightly sharper transition: …, danach …. Style choice.

What’s the rule for object pronoun order with mir and alles? Would Sie erklärte es mir change anything?

General tendencies:

If one object is a (personal) pronoun and the other is a noun, the pronoun comes first: Er gab mir das Buch.
With two personal pronouns, accusative usually precedes dative: Sie erklärte es mir, not … mir es.
In our sentence, alles is an indefinite pronoun (not a personal one), and mir alles is the natural order: Sie erklärte mir alles (ruhig).