Questions & Answers about Wir halten im Bus Abstand, sofern es möglich ist.
Why is the verb split up as halten … Abstand instead of staying together?
Because Abstand halten is a common verb–noun expression (a “light verb” construction). In main clauses, the finite verb (halten) goes in position 2, and the rest of the predicate (here the noun Abstand) is placed later:
- Wir halten … Abstand. You can also put the noun right next to it (Wir halten Abstand …), but splitting it is very normal.
What exactly does Abstand halten mean grammatically—why is Abstand not with an article?
In Abstand halten, Abstand functions like a “bare” noun that forms a fixed expression with halten. That’s why you usually don’t say den Abstand here.
Compare:
- Abstand halten = keep your distance (general behavior)
- den Abstand halten can appear if a specific distance is meant (less common): Halten Sie den Abstand von 1,5 Metern ein.
What does im Bus mean, and why not in dem Bus?
im is the contraction of in dem. Both mean in the bus, but im is much more common in everyday German.
- im Bus = in the bus (normal)
- in dem Bus = in that particular bus (can sound more specific/emphatic)
Why is there a comma before sofern?