Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.

As far as the course is concerned, I am satisfied.

Breakdown of Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.

• sein: to be
• ich: I
• der Kurs: the course
• zufrieden: satisfied
• was ... angeht: regarding

Questions & Answers about Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.

What does Was den Kurs angeht actually mean, and how is it used?

Was den Kurs angeht is a very common way to introduce a topic. It corresponds to English expressions like:

• As far as the course is concerned
• Regarding the course
• As for the course

So the whole sentence Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden. means roughly:

• As far as the course is concerned, I’m satisfied.

You often use Was … angeht to contrast different aspects:

• Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden, aber was die Organisation angeht, gibt es Probleme.
  As for the course, I’m satisfied, but as for the organization, there are problems.

Why is it den Kurs and not der Kurs?

Because den Kurs is in the accusative case, and the verb angehen takes an accusative object.

The basic pattern of angehen (in this meaning) is:

• etwas geht jemanden an – something concerns someone

Example:

• Das geht dich nichts an. – That’s none of your business.
  (dich is accusative.)

In Was den Kurs angeht:

• angeht is the verb.
• den Kurs (masculine singular) is accusative → den, not der.

So the form is driven by the verb’s requirement: the thing/person that is “concerned” appears in the accusative.

What exactly is angeht here? What is the infinitive and the basic meaning?

Angeht is the 3rd‑person singular present form of the verb angehen (infinitive).

Angehen is a separable-prefix verb: an + gehen. In this context it means:

• to concern, to have to do with, to be about

Examples:

• Das geht mich nichts an. – That doesn’t concern me.
• Was mich angeht, bleibe ich hier. – As far as I’m concerned, I’m staying here.

So in Was den Kurs angeht, angeht has the meaning concerns:

• literally: What concerns the course …
  idiomatically: As far as the course is concerned …

Why is the verb angeht at the end of Was den Kurs angeht?

Because Was den Kurs angeht is a type of subordinate clause (it behaves like a relative clause), and in German subordinate clauses the conjugated verb goes to the end.

Compare:

• Main clause: Das geht mich an. – verb in 2nd position.
• Subordinate clause: … was mich angeht – verb at the end.

So:

• Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.
  literally: What the course concerns, I am satisfied.

The was at the beginning makes it a subordinate clause, which pushes angeht to the end.

Is Was den Kurs angeht a complete sentence on its own?

Grammatically, no. On its own, Was den Kurs angeht is an incomplete clause that needs a main clause:

• Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.
• Was den Kurs angeht, habe ich keine Beschwerden.

In casual spoken language, people might say just Was den Kurs angeht … and then trail off or finish the thought later, but in standard grammar it’s not a full sentence by itself.

Can I change the word order and put was den Kurs angeht after the main clause?

Yes. Both of these are correct:

1. Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.
2. Ich bin zufrieden, was den Kurs angeht.

The meaning is the same. Differences:

• Version 1 puts stronger emphasis on the topic (the course) right at the start.
• Version 2 first states I’m satisfied, and then adds in terms of the course as a kind of clarification.

You can also insert it in the middle as a parenthetical:

• Ich bin, was den Kurs angeht, zufrieden.

All versions are grammatical; choice is mostly about rhythm and emphasis.

Can I leave out the comma in Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden?

In standard written German, no. The comma is required because Was den Kurs angeht is a subordinate clause.

Likewise, when the clause comes second, you still need the comma:

• Ich bin zufrieden, was den Kurs angeht.

In informal texting some native speakers may skip commas, but according to the rules this is incorrect.

How else could I say the same thing in German?

Common alternatives with very similar meaning:

1. Ich bin mit dem Kurs zufrieden.
   – Very straightforward and common: I’m satisfied with the course.

2. Bezüglich des Kurses bin ich zufrieden.
   – More formal / written: With regard to the course, I’m satisfied.

3. In Bezug auf den Kurs bin ich zufrieden.
   – Also relatively formal: In relation to the course, I’m satisfied.

4. Was den Kurs betrifft, bin ich zufrieden.
   – Was … betrifft is a near-synonym of was … angeht.

5. Wenn es um den Kurs geht, bin ich zufrieden.
   – Very natural in spoken German: When it comes to the course, I’m satisfied.

Was den Kurs angeht sits somewhere in the middle: neutral and idiomatic, usable in both spoken and written language.

Is was den Kurs angeht formal, informal, or neutral? Is it common in speech?

Was den Kurs angeht is stylistically neutral:

• Common in everyday spoken German.
• Also fine in written German (emails, essays, reports).

It doesn’t sound slangy or overly formal. It’s a handy, natural phrase to introduce a topic you want to comment on, especially when you might want to contrast it with other topics:

• Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden; was die Prüfung angeht, habe ich Bedenken.

What is the difference between was den Kurs angeht, was den Kurs betrifft, and wenn es um den Kurs geht?

All three can often be translated as as far as the course is concerned / when it comes to the course, and they overlap heavily in meaning.

Nuances:

• Was den Kurs angeht
  – Very common, neutral, works in speech and writing.
  – Slightly compact and idiomatic.

• Was den Kurs betrifft
  – Very close in meaning, maybe a tiny bit more formal or “written-sounding,” but still normal in speech.

• Wenn es um den Kurs geht
  – Sounds especially natural in spoken German.
  – Literally: when it’s about the course.

In most everyday contexts, you can freely swap one for another without changing the core meaning:

• Was den Kurs angeht, bin ich zufrieden.
• Was den Kurs betrifft, bin ich zufrieden.
• Wenn es um den Kurs geht, bin ich zufrieden.

All three are fine and mean practically the same thing.