Breakdown of Bei der Schlüsselübergabe fragen wir, ob die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist.
Questions & Answers about Bei der Schlüsselübergabe fragen wir, ob die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist.
What does Bei der Schlüsselübergabe mean in natural English?
It means at the key handover or when the keys are handed over.
More literally:
- bei = at / during
- der Schlüsselübergabe = the key handover
So the phrase sets the time or situation: At the key handover, we ask...
In contexts like buying or renting property, Schlüsselübergabe is the moment when the keys are officially given to the new owner or tenant.
Why is it bei der Schlüsselübergabe? Why is der used here?
Because bei always takes the dative case.
The noun is:
- die Schlüsselübergabe = the key handover
feminine noun
Its dative singular form is:
- der Schlüsselübergabe
So:
- die Schlüsselübergabe → nominative
- bei der Schlüsselübergabe → dative after bei
What kind of word is Schlüsselübergabe?
It is a compound noun, which is very common in German.
It is made of:
- der Schlüssel = key
- die Übergabe = handover / transfer
Together:
- die Schlüsselübergabe = key handover
The gender of a German compound noun is determined by the last part, so because Übergabe is feminine, Schlüsselübergabe is also feminine.
Why is the sentence word order fragen wir and not wir fragen?
Because German main clauses follow the verb-second rule.
The sentence begins with a time phrase:
- Bei der Schlüsselübergabe
That element takes the first position. The conjugated verb must then come second:
- Bei der Schlüsselübergabe fragen wir ...
This is completely normal German word order.
Compare:
- Wir fragen bei der Schlüsselübergabe ...
- Bei der Schlüsselübergabe fragen wir ...
Both are correct, but the second one emphasizes the time/situation first.
What does ob mean here?
Here ob means whether or if.
So:
- wir fragen, ob ... = we ask whether ... / we ask if ...
This ob introduces an indirect yes/no question.
Examples:
- Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. = I don’t know if/whether he is coming.
- Sie fragt, ob das teuer ist. = She asks whether that is expensive.
Why is there a comma before ob?
Because in German, a subordinate clause introduced by a word like ob, dass, weil, etc. is separated from the main clause by a comma.
So:
- Bei der Schlüsselübergabe fragen wir, ob ...
The comma marks the beginning of the subordinate clause.
Why does the verb go to the end in ob die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist?
Because ob introduces a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses the conjugated verb usually goes to the end.
- Wir fragen ...
Subordinate clause:
- ob die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist
The finite verb is ist, so it moves to the end of that clause.
This is one of the most important word-order patterns in German.
What does die Einbauküche mean exactly?
Einbauküche usually means a fitted kitchen or built-in kitchen.
It refers to a kitchen with installed units and often built-in appliances, not just a loose table and a few movable items.
In property contexts, whether the Einbauküche is included in the sale price or rent can be an important question.
Why is it im Preis and not in dem Preis?
Im is just the common contraction of in dem.
So:
- im Preis = in dem Preis
German often contracts certain preposition + article combinations:
- in dem → im
- an dem → am
- zu dem → zum
- zu der → zur
Here, im Preis enthalten is a fixed and very common expression meaning included in the price.
What does enthalten ist mean?
It means is included.
The core expression is:
- im Preis enthalten sein = to be included in the price
Here:
- enthalten = included / contained
- ist = is
So:
- die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist = the fitted kitchen really is included in the price
Although enthalten looks like a past participle, in this expression it functions like a predicate adjective with sein.
Why is wirklich placed before im Preis enthalten?
Wirklich means really and it emphasizes the statement.
In this sentence it modifies the idea of being included:
- ob die Einbauküche wirklich im Preis enthalten ist
- whether the fitted kitchen really is included in the price
Its position is natural because it comes before the part it emphasizes. German adverb placement can vary somewhat, but this version sounds very normal.
Why is the sentence in the present tense? Could it refer to the future?
Yes. German often uses the present tense for future situations when the context already makes the timing clear.
So this sentence can mean:
- At the key handover, we ask whether the fitted kitchen is really included in the price.
Even if the handover has not happened yet, the present tense is normal because Bei der Schlüsselübergabe already tells you when this will happen.
English does something similar:
- Tomorrow we ask about it.
Could ob be translated as both if and whether here?
Yes. In English, both can work:
- we ask if the fitted kitchen is really included in the price
- we ask whether the fitted kitchen is really included in the price
But in German, ob is specifically used for this kind of indirect yes/no question.
A useful tip:
- ob = whether / if
- wenn = if / when for conditions or repeated events
So here only ob works.
Why are words like Schlüsselübergabe and Einbauküche capitalized?
Because all nouns are capitalized in German.
So in this sentence:
- Schlüsselübergabe = noun
- Einbauküche = noun
- Preis = noun
That is a standard rule in German spelling and one of the easiest ways to spot nouns in a sentence.
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