Breakdown of Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
Questions & Answers about Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
In German, the preposition mit always takes the dative case.
- Problem is a neuter noun: das Problem.
- The dative singular of neuter das is dem, and the matching form of dies- is diesem.
So you get:
- Nom. das Problem – dieses Problem
- Dat. dem Problem – diesem Problem
Therefore mit diesem Problem = with this problem (dative, neuter).
mit dieses Problem or mit dieses Problems are ungrammatical here because dieses is not the dative form; it is nominative/accusative.
Ruhig does literally mean quiet / calm, but in everyday speech it often has an extra, idiomatic meaning:
- ruhig as an adverb here ≈ without worry / without hesitation / feel free to
So:
- Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
≈ “We can deal with this problem without any worries / it’s no problem for us.”
It does not mean “deal with the problem quietly (not loudly)” here.
It expresses an attitude: There is no need to be anxious or hesitant; we’re able to handle it.
Two things are happening at once:
- German main-clause word order (V2 rule):
- The finite verb (conjugated verb) must be in second position: können.
- Modal + infinitive construction:
- With a modal verb (können), the main verb (umgehen) is in infinitive form at the end of the clause.
So the structure is:
- Mit diesem Problem (1st position: prepositional phrase)
- können (2nd position: finite verb)
- wir (rest of the “middle field”)
- ruhig umgehen (end of the clause: adverb + infinitive)
That’s why you see können early and umgehen at the end.
Here, the core verb is mit etwas umgehen (to deal with / handle something).
- In the dictionary you’ll usually find it as mit etwas umgehen (inseparable in meaning).
- In word order, umgehen is the infinitive and mit diesem Problem is the prepositional phrase it connects to.
So in this sentence:
- mit diesem Problem … umgehen = to deal with this problem / handle this problem.
Important: there is also another umgehen (without mit) meaning to bypass / evade / circumvent (a rule, a law).
For example:
- Wir können dieses Problem umgehen.
= “We can circumvent / avoid this problem.”
That is different from:
- Wir können mit diesem Problem umgehen.
= “We can handle / manage this problem.”
Yes, you can absolutely say:
- Wir können mit diesem Problem ruhig umgehen.
Starting with Mit diesem Problem is a stylistic choice allowed by German word order:
- German main clauses require the finite verb in second position, but the first position can be many different things (subject, object, adverbial, prepositional phrase…).
So:
Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
– Emphasis is more on this problem as the topic.Wir können mit diesem Problem ruhig umgehen.
– More neutral / subject-focused; typical default sentence.
Both are grammatically correct. The meaning is essentially the same; the difference is nuance and emphasis.
Yes, ruhig is pretty flexible as an adverb here. Common variants:
- Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
- Wir können ruhig mit diesem Problem umgehen.
- Wir können mit diesem Problem ruhig umgehen.
All three are natural. Differences are small:
- Putting ruhig earlier (option 2) slightly emphasizes the “don’t worry / feel free” mood.
- Putting ruhig right before umgehen (options 1 and 3) keeps it tightly connected to the verb phrase ruhig umgehen (“to handle calmly / without worries”).
Something like:
- Ruhig können wir mit diesem Problem umgehen.
is also grammatically possible but sounds more marked, like you’re stressing ruhig for contrast (e.g., in response to someone who is worried).
Ruhig is simply an adverb modifying the verb umgehen; it is not a rigid idiom.
You could replace it with other adverbs:
- Mit diesem Problem können wir leicht umgehen.
(we can deal with this problem easily) - Mit diesem Problem können wir professionell umgehen.
(we can deal with this problem professionally)
Or you can combine:
- Wir können ganz ruhig mit diesem Problem umgehen.
(we can deal with this problem completely calmly / without any worry)
So ruhig umgehen is a natural combination, but not a fixed, idiomatic expression that must always appear together.
- Problem is a neuter noun: das Problem.
It follows a regular pattern:
- Nominative: das Problem
- Accusative: das Problem
- Dative: dem Problem
- Genitive: des Problems
diesem is the dative singular form of dieser / dieses / dieses (this).
So:
- mit + dative → mit diesem Problem.
You recognize the case mainly from the preposition:
- mit always uses the dative, so you know you need diesem and Problem must be in dative form (here it is the same shape as nominative/accusative but the article/pronoun changes).
They are related but not identical:
Wir können dieses Problem lösen.
= “We can solve this problem.”
→ Focus: achieving a solution, getting rid of the problem.Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen.
≈ “We can deal with this problem calmly / without worry.”
→ Focus: we are able to handle or manage the problem in an appropriate way; it does not necessarily say it will be solved completely, just that it is manageable and not a big issue.
So umgehen mit is about handling / coping with; lösen is about solving.
The sentence is neutral in register; it can be used in both informal and fairly formal contexts.
Possible contexts:
- A team lead speaking to their team about a technical issue:
Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen. (Don’t worry, we can handle it.) - A therapist talking about a psychological issue:
Mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen. (We can work with this problem without fear.) - Friends discussing a minor complication:
Ach, mit diesem Problem können wir ruhig umgehen. (We can deal with it, it’s fine.)
It sounds calm and reassuring rather than casual slang or stiffly formal language.