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Ich finde es schön, dass unsere Verwandtschaft trotz vieler Termine Zeit füreinander findet.

Ich finde es schön, dass unsere Verwandtschaft trotz vieler Termine Zeit füreinander findet.
I think it is nice that our relatives find time for one another despite many appointments.
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Questions & Answers about Ich finde es schön, dass unsere Verwandtschaft trotz vieler Termine Zeit füreinander findet.

Does finden really mean to find here?

Not literally. In Ich finde es schön, finden means to find / consider / think in the sense of giving an opinion.

So:

  • Ich finde es schön = I think it’s nice
  • Ich finde das interessant = I find that interesting

German uses finden this way very often.

Why is there an es in Ich finde es schön?

This es is a kind of placeholder or anticipatory object. It points forward to the dass clause:

  • Ich finde es schön, dass ...
  • literally: I find it nice that ...

This is very similar to English I think it’s nice that ...

You often need this es when the real content comes afterward in a clause.

Compare:

  • Ich finde es schön, dass unsere Verwandtschaft Zeit findet.
  • Dass unsere Verwandtschaft Zeit findet, finde ich schön.

In the second version, the dass clause comes first, so the extra es is no longer needed.

Why is there a comma before dass?

Because dass introduces a subordinate clause, and in German, subordinate clauses are separated from the main clause with a comma.

So:

  • Ich finde es schön, dass ...

This comma is required in standard German.

Why does findet come at the very end?

Because dass sends the verb to the end of the subordinate clause.

German word order rule:

  • In a main clause, the finite verb is usually in second position.
  • In a subordinate clause introduced by dass, the finite verb usually goes to the end.

So:

  • Main clause: Ich finde es schön
  • Subordinate clause: dass unsere Verwandtschaft ... Zeit füreinander findet

That final findet is completely normal after dass.

Why is it unsere Verwandtschaft and not unsere Verwandten?

Verwandtschaft and Verwandte are related, but they are not the same word.

  • die Verwandtschaft = the relatives / extended family as a group, or kinship
  • die Verwandten = the relatives as individual people

In this sentence, unsere Verwandtschaft treats the family network as a collective whole.

Also notice the verb:

  • unsere Verwandtschaft findet → singular
  • unsere Verwandten finden → plural

So the sentence could also be written with Verwandten, but it would feel slightly different:

  • ..., dass unsere Verwandten trotz vieler Termine Zeit füreinander finden.

That version focuses more on the people individually.

What case is unsere Verwandtschaft?

It is nominative, because it is the subject of the subordinate clause.

You can tell because it is the thing doing the action of findet:

  • unsere Verwandtschaft findet Zeit

Also, Verwandtschaft is a feminine singular noun:

  • die Verwandtschaft
  • unsere Verwandtschaft
Why is it trotz vieler Termine and not trotz viele Termine?

Because trotz normally takes the genitive in standard German.

So:

  • trotz vieler Termine = despite many appointments/commitments

Here is the breakdown:

  • trotz
    • genitive
  • viele becomes vieler in the plural genitive when there is no article
  • Termine is the plural noun

So:

  • nominative/accusative plural: viele Termine
  • genitive plural: vieler Termine

You may hear trotz vielen Terminen in everyday speech, but trotz vieler Termine is the standard written form.

What does Termine mean here exactly?

Here Termine means something like:

  • appointments
  • scheduled commitments
  • things on the calendar

It is broader than just doctor’s appointments. It can include meetings, plans, obligations, and other scheduled events.

So trotz vieler Termine means even though they have a lot going on / despite a busy schedule.

Why is there no article before Zeit?

Because Zeit finden is an idiomatic expression meaning to find time.

German often uses Zeit without an article when speaking in a general sense:

  • Ich habe Zeit.
  • Wir brauchen Zeit.
  • Sie findet Zeit.

If you use an article, it usually sounds more specific:

  • die Zeit = a particular amount or period of time

Here the general meaning is intended, so Zeit without an article is natural.

What does füreinander mean?

Füreinander means for each other or for one another.

It expresses a mutual relationship between the people involved.

So:

  • Zeit füreinander finden = to find time for each other

This is very common in German when talking about mutual support, care, or attention:

  • Wir sind füreinander da. = We are there for each other.
Why is it füreinander and not just einander?

Because the idea here requires the preposition für.

The basic pattern is:

  • Zeit für jemanden finden = to find time for someone

If the action is mutual, German often uses:

  • füreinander = for each other

So:

  • Zeit für die Familie finden = find time for the family
  • Zeit füreinander finden = find time for each other

Just einander by itself would not work here, because the preposition für is part of the expression.

Why is it schön and not schöne or some other ending?

Because schön is a predicate adjective here, not an adjective directly in front of a noun.

After verbs like:

  • sein
  • werden
  • bleiben
  • finden

German predicate adjectives do not take endings.

So:

  • Ich finde es schön.
  • Das ist schön.

But:

  • ein schöner Tag
  • eine schöne Idee

Those have endings because the adjective comes before a noun.

Could the word order inside the dass clause be different?

Yes, to some extent. German has some flexibility in the middle of the clause, as long as the finite verb stays at the end.

The original:

  • ..., dass unsere Verwandtschaft trotz vieler Termine Zeit füreinander findet.

You could also hear:

  • ..., dass unsere Verwandtschaft trotz vieler Termine füreinander Zeit findet.

Both are natural. The original version keeps Zeit füreinander finden together as a very common phrase, which is probably why it sounds especially smooth.

The most important fixed point is still:

  • findet at the end