Das schwerste Möbelstück tragen wir zu zweit, obwohl die Spedition helfen will.

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Questions & Answers about Das schwerste Möbelstück tragen wir zu zweit, obwohl die Spedition helfen will.

Why does das schwerste end with -e?

Because Möbelstück is neuter (das Möbelstück) and the adjective is in the nominative neuter singular with the definite article (das). With definite articles, adjectives take the “weak” ending, so you get das schwerste Möbelstück.

  • das schwerste Möbelstück = the heaviest piece of furniture

How is the superlative formed in schwerste?

The base adjective is schwer (heavy). The attributive superlative is usually formed with -st- plus adjective endings:

  • schwer → schwerst- → schwerste (because it’s followed by a noun and needs an ending)
    Compare:
  • Predicative: Das Möbelstück ist am schwersten.
  • Attributive: das schwerste Möbelstück

Why is it Möbelstück and not Möbel?

Möbel is a collective noun meaning “furniture” (often treated like plural-only in everyday use). Möbelstück means “piece of furniture,” which is countable and can be compared easily:

  • das Möbelstück = the piece of furniture
  • das schwerste Möbelstück = the heaviest piece of furniture

Why is the verb tragen in position 2, and why is wir after it?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here tragen) is in the second position. The first position can be occupied by many things (not necessarily the subject). Here the object is placed first for emphasis/topic:

  • Das schwerste Möbelstück (position 1)
  • tragen (position 2)
  • wir (subject comes after the verb)

Could I also say Wir tragen das schwerste Möbelstück zu zweit?

Yes. That’s the neutral word order with the subject first. The given sentence front-loads das schwerste Möbelstück to highlight it (topic/emphasis), but both are correct.


What exactly does zu zweit mean, and why use zu?

zu zweit is an idiomatic adverbial phrase meaning “as a pair / the two of us / two people together.”
You can also get:

  • zu dritt = three people together
  • zu viert = four people together
    It’s a fixed expression; you generally don’t translate the zu literally.

How do I know that zu zweit refers to “we (two people)” and not “two people in general”?

Context plus grammar. The subject is wir, so zu zweit naturally describes how we carry it: “we carry it, the two of us.” If you wanted to be explicit, you could add something like wir beide (we both), but it’s often unnecessary.


Why does the clause after obwohl have the verb at the end?

obwohl introduces a subordinate clause, and in subordinate clauses the finite verb goes to the end (verb-final order):

  • ..., obwohl die Spedition helfen will.
    Here will is the finite verb, so it comes last; helfen is an infinitive placed right before it.

What’s the difference between obwohl and trotzdem?

Both express contrast (“although / nevertheless”), but the grammar differs:

  • obwohl starts a subordinate clause: ..., obwohl die Spedition helfen will.
  • trotzdem is an adverb in a main clause and follows V2 rules: Die Spedition will helfen; trotzdem tragen wir es zu zweit.

Why is it helfen will and not will helfen?

In subordinate clauses, the finite verb (will) goes to the end, and the infinitive (helfen) stays directly before it. In a main clause you’d say:

  • Die Spedition will helfen. (V2: will in second position)

What does die Spedition mean here?

die Spedition refers to a shipping company / moving company / freight forwarding company—basically the professional company handling transport. In a moving context, it’s the movers.


Why is Spedition feminine (die)?

It’s simply the grammatical gender of the noun: die Spedition. Many nouns ending in -ion are feminine in German (e.g., die Situation, die Information), and Spedition follows that pattern.


Why is it helfen (dative verb) but there is no object shown?

helfen normally takes a dative object (help someone):

  • Die Spedition will uns helfen.
    In your sentence, the object (uns) is understood from context and can be omitted because it’s obvious who would be helped.

Could the sentence mean that the shipping company wants to help carry it, but “we” still carry it alone?

No—zu zweit explicitly means two people together, not alone. The contrast is: “We carry it as two people, although the moving company wants to help (too).” If it were “alone,” you’d use allein or zu zweit ohne Hilfe would be contradictory.


Is obwohl expressing reason or concession?

It expresses concession (a “despite the fact that…” idea), not a reason. The meaning is: even though help is offered, we still do it as two people.


Why is there a comma before obwohl?

German requires a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like obwohl, weil, dass, etc. So the comma before obwohl is mandatory in standard writing.


Can I replace Möbelstück with a plural like Möbel and still use schwerste?

Not in the same way. schwerste here is singular and attached to a singular noun. If you used a plural noun, you’d need plural agreement:

  • die schwersten Möbelstücke = the heaviest pieces of furniture
    Using Möbel is trickier because it’s collective; you’d more naturally say das schwerste Möbelstück when comparing items.