Resolving a Small Work Disagreement | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ich glaube, wir sind uns uneinig, weil wir von unterschiedlichen Annahmen ausgegangen sind.

   I think we disagree because we made different assumptions.

   Ich glaube

   I think

   sind uns uneinig

   disagree

   weil

   because

   unterschiedlichen

   different

   Annahmen

   assumptions

   ausgegangen sind

   assumed / started from

   More detail

   Ich glaube means “I think” here. glaube is the first-person singular present form of glauben; ich glaube is a useful way to present an opinion without stating it as absolute certainty. Example: Ich glaube, das ist richtig. — “I think that is correct.” wir sind uns uneinig expresses that the group represented by wir disagrees. The construction is sich uneinig sein; uns is the dative reflexive pronoun corresponding to wir, and uneinig describes the lack of agreement. Example: Wir sind uns über den Plan uneinig. — “We disagree about the plan.” weil introduces the reason for the preceding statement. In a clause introduced by weil, the finite verb normally comes at the end. The comma marks the boundary between the main clause and this subordinate clause. unterschiedlichen means “different” in this sentence and modifies Annahmen. Its base form is the adjective unterschiedlich. Here it has the ending -en because von governs the dative and the modified noun is plural: von unterschiedlichen Annahmen. Example: Sie arbeiten mit unterschiedlichen Methoden. — “They work with different methods.” Annahmen means “assumptions” here. It is the plural of Annahme; the singular is eine Annahme, and the plural is Annahmen. The word refers to ideas accepted as a starting point for reasoning, not necessarily to guesses that someone consciously invented. ausgegangen sind is the perfect-tense form of ausgehen in the construction von etwas ausgehen, meaning “to proceed from” or “to base one’s reasoning on” something. The participle is ausgegangen, and this verb forms the perfect with sein: for the plural subject wir, sind ausgegangen. In this subordinate clause, the participle appears before the finite auxiliary: ausgegangen sind. With von unterschiedlichen Annahmen, the complete construction means that the speakers started from different assumptions; the fixed English translation paraphrases this as “made different assumptions.” Example: Wir sind von einem anderen Ergebnis ausgegangen. — “We assumed a different result.” Together, Ich glaube introduces the speaker’s assessment: wir sind uns uneinig. The weil clause gives the reason, stating that the speakers disagree because their reasoning started from different assumptions. The complete meaning is: “I think we disagree because we made different assumptions.”

2. Ich dachte, der Kunde wollte zuerst eine einfache Version.

   I thought the client wanted a simple version first.

   dachte

   thought

   Kunde

   client

   wollte

   wanted

   zuerst

   first

   einfache

   simple

   Version

   version

   More detail

   dachte is the simple-past form of denken (“to think”) for ich. Ich dachte means “I thought,” describing the speaker’s earlier belief. The present form is ich denke; the simple-past form for ich is dachte. Kunde means “client” or “customer.” It is a masculine noun: der Kunde. It follows the weak-noun pattern, so its singular form gains -n outside the nominative: Ich sehe den Kunden means “I see the client.” Here, der Kunde is the subject of the subordinate clause. wollte is the simple-past form of wollen for the third-person singular: er/sie wollte (“he/she wanted”). Here it agrees with the singular subject der Kunde. The present form is er/sie will. In this sentence, wollen expresses the client’s desire or intention. zuerst means “first” in the sense of doing or wanting something before another thing. It is an adverb and does not change form. Example: Wir prüfen zuerst den Entwurf. — “We will check the draft first.” einfache is the attributive form of the adjective einfach, “simple” or “straightforward.” In eine einfache Version, the adjective has the -e ending because it is singular feminine accusative and follows the indefinite article eine. The adjective’s base form is einfach, not Version. A useful contrast is kompliziert: eine komplizierte Version means “a complicated version.” Version means “version.” It is a feminine noun: die Version. In eine einfache Version, it is the accusative object of wollte; the feminine indefinite article is eine in both the nominative and accusative. The sentence begins with Ich dachte (“I thought”). The following clause, der Kunde wollte zuerst eine einfache Version, gives the content of that earlier thought. It is a subordinate clause with an omitted conjunction, so the finite verb wollte appears at the end of its clause. The chunks combine as “I thought” + “the client wanted” + “first” + “a simple version.” The complete meaning is: “I thought the client wanted a simple version first.”

3. Ich dachte, der Kunde erwartete eine vollständige Version mit allen Funktionen.

   I thought they expected a complete version with every feature.

   Ich dachte

   I thought

   der Kunde

   the customer

   erwartete

   expected

   vollständige

   complete

   Version

   version

   Funktionen

   features

   More detail

   Ich dachte means “I thought” here. dachte is the simple-past form of denken for ich; the present form is ich denke. The phrase presents the speaker’s earlier belief, not necessarily a belief that is still current. der Kunde means “the customer.” Kunde is a masculine noun, so its nominative singular article is der. The noun is the subject of the following clause. Its plural is Kunden, as in die Kunden (“the customers”). erwartete means “expected” here. It is the simple-past, third-person singular form of erwarten: erwartet (present) → erwartete (simple past). The singular subject is der Kunde; the English translation uses singular “they” for that customer. Erwarten takes the thing expected as its object, here eine vollständige Version. vollständige means “complete” and describes Version. Its base form is the adjective vollständig. In eine vollständige Version, the adjective has the ending -e because it follows the feminine accusative singular article eine. The ending belongs to vollständige, not to the noun. For example, eine vollständige Liste means “a complete list.” Version means “version.” It is a feminine noun: die Version; after the verb here, it appears as the accusative singular eine vollständige Version. The plural is Versionen, as in mehrere Versionen (“several versions”). Funktionen means “features” in this context. It is the plural of Funktion (“feature” or “function”). The phrase mit allen Funktionen uses mit, which requires the dative; the plural form is allen Funktionen. alle means “all/every” with a plural noun here. For example, mit allen Optionen means “with all the options.” The sentence begins with the speaker’s earlier thought: Ich dachte. The content of that thought is that der Kunde erwartete something. That expected item is eine vollständige Version, and mit allen Funktionen specifies that the version includes every feature. Together, the utterance means: “I thought the customer expected a complete version with every feature.”

4. Lass uns die Notizen prüfen, statt aus dem Gedächtnis zu diskutieren.

   Let's check the notes instead of arguing from memory.

   Lass uns

   let’s

   Notizen

   notes

   prüfen

   check

   statt … zu

   instead of …-ing

   aus dem Gedächtnis

   from memory

   diskutieren

   argue

   More detail

   Lass uns is a standard way to suggest doing something together: Lass uns + infinitive, using the informal singular imperative lass of lassen with uns (“us”). In this form, the addressee is one person addressed informally. When speaking informally to several people, German uses Lasst uns ...; in formal address, it uses Lassen Sie uns .... Notizen means “notes.” Its singular is die Notiz, and its plural is die Notizen. Here the plural form refers to the notes as a set; die marks the plural in this context. Example: Ich lese die Notizen. — “I am reading the notes.” prüfen means “to check” or “to examine.” It is an infinitive used after Lass uns: Lass uns die Notizen prüfen. — “Let’s check the notes.” It focuses on checking or examining something; anschauen more specifically focuses on looking at something. statt ... zu introduces an alternative: statt + zu-infinitive means “instead of doing something.” The two quoted parts are separated because aus dem Gedächtnis comes between them. A reusable pattern is statt X zu tun — “instead of doing X.” Example: Sie liest, statt zu schlafen. — “She reads instead of sleeping.” aus dem Gedächtnis means “from memory.” The noun is das Gedächtnis (“memory”); after aus, it has the dative form dem: aus dem Gedächtnis. The expression presents memory as the source of the information, without saying that every detail is remembered perfectly. Example: Er nennt die Nummer aus dem Gedächtnis. — “He gives the number from memory.” diskutieren means “to discuss” and, in this utterance, “to argue.” It is an infinitive governed by zu in zu diskutieren. The verb can be neutral when people discuss a topic, but the fixed translation supports the argumentative sense here. Example: Wir diskutieren über den Plan. — “We are discussing the plan.” Together, Lass uns die Notizen prüfen means “Let’s check the notes.” statt aus dem Gedächtnis zu diskutieren sets that action against the alternative of arguing from memory. The complete utterance is: “Let’s check the notes instead of arguing from memory.”

5. In den Notizen steht, dass Schnelligkeit am wichtigsten ist, aber eine fortgeschrittene Funktion trotzdem nötig ist.

   The notes say speed matters most, but one advanced feature is still required.

   Notizen

   notes

   steht

   says; is stated in writing

   Schnelligkeit

   speed

   am wichtigsten

   most important

   fortgeschrittene

   advanced

   Funktion

   feature; function

   trotzdem

   still; nevertheless

   nötig

   necessary; required

   More detail

   Notizen is the plural of Notiz (“note”). In in den Notizen, den marks the plural dative after in when the phrase describes a location or source of written information. Example: Das steht in den Notizen. — “That is written in the notes.” steht is the third-person singular present form of stehen (“stand; be”). Here, it is used for information that is written or stated in a document, so In den Notizen steht ... means “The notes say ...” or literally “In the notes there stands ...”. The following dass clause gives the content. In a German dass clause, the finite verb normally goes to the end: dass ... ist. Schnelligkeit is a feminine noun meaning “speed” or “quickness”, formed from the idea of being schnell (“fast”). The sentence treats speed as the thing being evaluated, so it is the subject of ist in the subordinate clause. Example: Schnelligkeit ist wichtig. — “Speed is important.” am wichtigsten is the superlative form of wichtig (“important”): wichtig → wichtiger → am wichtigsten. The form am wichtigsten is used here predicatively, after ist, to say that speed matters more than the relevant alternatives: “is the most important.” The article-like am belongs to this superlative pattern; it does not mean that wichtigsten modifies a noun here. fortgeschrittene means “advanced” and modifies Funktion. Its ending is -e because it is an adjective before a feminine singular noun with the indefinite article eine in the nominative: eine fortgeschrittene Funktion. The adjective’s base form is fortgeschritten, not Funktion. Example: Das ist eine fortgeschrittene Funktion. — “That is an advanced feature.” Funktion is a feminine noun meaning “function” or, in a software or product context such as this one, “feature”. Its plural is Funktionen. The fixed sentence uses the singular form: eine fortgeschrittene Funktion. The indefinite article eine identifies an unspecified feature; by itself, it does not assert a numerical count such as “one.” trotzdem means “nevertheless” or “still” and marks a contrast with the preceding point. Here, speed is said to be most important, but the advanced feature remains necessary despite that priority. Example: Es ist teuer, aber trotzdem nützlich. — “It is expensive, but still useful.” nötig means “necessary” or “required”. In eine fortgeschrittene Funktion trotzdem nötig ist, it is a predicative adjective after ist; it does not take an ending because it is not directly before the noun. Compare the attributive form eine nötige Funktion (“a necessary feature”) with the predicative form Die Funktion ist nötig (“The feature is necessary”). The first part, In den Notizen steht, dass, introduces information recorded in the notes. Inside the dass clause, Schnelligkeit am wichtigsten ist says that speed is the highest priority. aber then contrasts this with eine fortgeschrittene Funktion trotzdem nötig ist: despite speed being most important, an advanced feature is still required. Together, the utterance means: “The notes say speed matters most, but one advanced feature is still required.” This is a useful reusable pattern: In [source] steht, dass [statement] — “It says in [source] that [statement].”

6. Eine einfachere Version mit dieser Funktion klingt nach dem richtigen Kompromiss.

   A simpler version that includes that feature sounds like the right compromise.

   einfachere

   simpler

   Version

   version

   dieser

   that

   Funktion

   feature; function

   klingt nach

   sounds like

   richtigen

   right; correct

   Kompromiss

   compromise

   More detail

   einfachere describes Version here: “simpler.” Its base form is einfach; the comparative is einfacher (“simpler”), and einfachste is the superlative (“simplest”). In Eine einfachere Version, the adjective has the ending -e because it is before a feminine singular noun in the nominative: die Version and eine ... Version. The article eine does not by itself state a numerical count. Version means “version.” It is a feminine noun: die Version, plural die Versionen. The phrase therefore means a simpler version, not a different grammatical form of the adjective. dieser identifies the feature as “that” feature in the fixed translation; German dieser can correspond to “this” or “that” depending on context. In mit dieser Funktion, it is the feminine singular dative form required after mit: die Funktion becomes dieser Funktion. Its form here is determined by the preposition and noun phrase, not by a change in the feature itself. Funktion means “feature” in this technical context; its other common sense is “function.” It is feminine: die Funktion, plural die Funktionen. The chunk mit dieser Funktion means “with that feature” and, in the fixed translation, describes a version that includes that feature. klingt nach is the third-person singular present form of nach etwas klingen, literally “to sound like something.” The base verb is klingen; klingt agrees with the singular subject Eine einfachere Version. In this use, nach is followed by the dative: nach dem ... Kompromiss. It expresses an impression or assessment, not absolute certainty. Example: Das klingt nach einem guten Plan. — “That sounds like a good plan.” richtigen means “right” or “correct” here. Its base form is richtig. In dem richtigen Kompromiss, the adjective has the ending -en because it follows the definite article dem in the masculine singular dative. The adjective modifies Kompromiss; it is not a form of the noun. Kompromiss means “compromise.” It is a masculine noun: der Kompromiss, plural die Kompromisse. The prepositional phrase nach dem richtigen Kompromiss means “like the right compromise.” Together, Eine einfachere Version is “a simpler version,” mit dieser Funktion adds “with that feature,” and klingt nach dem richtigen Kompromiss says that this option sounds like the right compromise. The complete meaning is: “A simpler version that includes that feature sounds like the right compromise.”

7. Damit kann ich leben, wenn wir diesen Kompromiss klar erklären.

   I can accept that if we explain the trade-off clearly.

   Damit kann ich leben

   I can accept that

   Kompromiss

   compromise

   klar

   clearly

   erklären

   explain

   More detail

   Damit kann ich leben is a fixed German expression meaning “I can accept that” or “I can live with that.” Here damit refers to the proposal or situation already under discussion; the translation confirms this accepting meaning. Literally, damit means “with that,” kann is the present-tense form of können for ich, and leben is the infinitive “to live.” The pattern Damit kann ich leben. is reusable when you consider something acceptable, even if it is not ideal. Kompromiss means “compromise.” Its plural is Kompromisse. In this sentence, diesen Kompromiss is the object of erklären: “this compromise.” The demonstrative form diesen marks a masculine singular noun in this object position; the noun itself is Kompromiss, not diesen. klar means “clear” here and describes how the explaining is done: “clearly.” German adjectives can function adverbially without an ending in this use. Compare eine klare Erklärung (“a clear explanation”), where klar takes the adjective ending -e because it modifies the noun Erklärung. erklären means “to explain.” It is the infinitive form. The clause wenn wir diesen Kompromiss klar erklären uses wenn for a condition, and wir supplies the subject “we.” In a subordinate clause introduced by wenn, the finite verb appears at the end: wenn wir ... erklären. The present form erklären can describe a future or general conditional action when the context makes that timing clear. Together, Damit kann ich leben states acceptance of the matter under discussion. wenn wir diesen Kompromiss klar erklären gives the condition: acceptance applies if “we” explain “this compromise” clearly. The complete meaning is: “I can accept that if we explain the trade-off clearly.”

8. Wir können es an den Prioritäten des Kunden ausrichten.

   We can frame it around the client's priorities.

   Wir können

   we can

   es

   it

   an

   with/to, in the alignment construction

   Prioritäten

   priorities

   Kunden

   client

   ausrichten

   align; shape

   More detail

   Wir können: wir is the first-person plural pronoun, “we.” können is the present-tense form of können for wir; the infinitive is also können. In this sentence, it expresses that the proposed action is possible or feasible, not physical ability. With a modal verb, the other verb stays in the infinitive at the end: Wir können das ändern. — “We can change that.” es: This is the neuter accusative pronoun “it.” Its specific referent is not identified by the supplied sentence, but it is the thing being framed or aligned. German object pronouns can precede a longer prepositional phrase: Wir können es erklären. — “We can explain it.” an: In etwas an etwas ausrichten, an introduces the standard or reference point to which something is aligned. Here it is not the ordinary spatial meaning “at/on.” This construction uses the dative after an: an den Prioritäten. Prioritäten: This is the plural of die Priorität, “priority.” The plural form is Priorität → Prioritäten, with the plural ending -en; it does not involve an umlaut change. In this sentence, the priorities are the reference points used to shape or frame the unspecified es. Example: Wir richten den Plan an den Zielen aus. — “We align the plan with the goals.” Kunden: This is the singular genitive form of der Kunde, “client.” The ending marks possession or association: die Prioritäten des Kunden means “the client’s priorities.” The genitive phrase modifies Prioritäten; it does not mean that Kunden is plural here. Example: Die Wünsche des Kunden sind wichtig. — “The client’s wishes are important.” ausrichten: This is the infinitive of ausrichten, meaning “to align” or, in this context, “to frame or shape around.” The form is at the end because it follows the modal können. The transitive pattern here is etwas an etwas ausrichten: align or orient one thing according to a reference point. A related but structurally different pattern is reflexive sich an etwas ausrichten, “to orient oneself around something.” Together, es an den Prioritäten des Kunden ausrichten means “frame it around the client’s priorities”: es is the thing being shaped, an den Prioritäten gives the reference point, and des Kunden identifies whose priorities they are. The modal frame Wir können ... ausrichten makes the whole utterance “We can frame it around the client’s priorities.”

9. Ich aktualisiere die Aufgabenbeschreibung entsprechend unserer Entscheidung.

   I'll update the task description to match the decision.

   aktualisiere

   update

   Aufgabenbeschreibung

   task description

   entsprechend

   accordingly; to match

   Entscheidung

   decision

   More detail

   aktualisiere means “I update” here. It is the first-person singular present form of aktualisieren (“to update”): ich aktualisiere, du aktualisierst, sie aktualisiert. The form expresses a present action that is understood as the speaker’s intended update in the fixed translation. Example: Ich aktualisiere den Plan. — “I’m updating the plan.” Aufgabenbeschreibung means “task description.” It is a compound noun: Aufgabe (“task”) + Beschreibung (“description”). German compounds are written as one word, and the final component determines the noun’s grammatical gender; because Beschreibung is feminine, the noun is feminine: die Aufgabenbeschreibung. Its plural is die Aufgabenbeschreibungen. entsprechend means “in accordance with” or “to match” in this sentence. Here it introduces unserer Entscheidung, so the meaning is that the update will conform to the decision. In this preposed use, entsprechend takes the dative: entsprechend unserer Entscheidung (“in accordance with our decision”). Compare: Wir handeln entsprechend dem Plan. — “We act in accordance with the plan.” Entscheidung means “decision.” Its plural is Entscheidungen. The phrase unserer Entscheidung means “our decision”: unserer is the dative feminine singular form of the possessive determiner unser, required here by entsprechend. Together, Ich aktualisiere die Aufgabenbeschreibung entsprechend unserer Entscheidung. means “I’ll update the task description to match the decision.” Ich aktualisiere supplies the speaker as the actor, die Aufgabenbeschreibung is what will be updated, and entsprechend unserer Entscheidung states the standard it will follow.

10. Dann sollte die Meinungsverschiedenheit das Projekt nicht verlangsamen.

    Then the disagreement should not slow the project down.

    Dann

    then

    sollte

    should

    die Meinungsverschiedenheit

    the disagreement

    das Projekt

    the project

    nicht

    not

    verlangsamen

    slow down

    More detail

    Dann means “then” here and links this statement to the preceding situation. It is an adverb and does not change form. sollte is the form of sollen used here for “should.” The useful pattern is sollte + infinitive: Das sollte funktionieren. — “That should work.” With a modal verb such as sollen, the other verb stays in the infinitive and moves to the end of the clause. Here, sollte expresses the expected or intended result, while verlangsamen supplies the action. die Meinungsverschiedenheit means “the disagreement.” Meinungsverschiedenheit is a feminine singular noun, so it takes die in the nominative here because it is the subject: the disagreement is the thing that would do the slowing. Its plural is die Meinungsverschiedenheiten. das Projekt means “the project.” It is a neuter singular noun. The form das is used here for the accusative object, and for this noun the nominative and accusative articles look the same: das Projekt. Example: Wir planen das Projekt. — “We are planning the project.” nicht negates the expected action in this sentence. Its position before the final infinitive makes the combination nicht verlangsamen mean “not slow down.” verlangsamen means “to slow down” or “to make slower.” It is the infinitive, and its base form is also verlangsamen; the verb does not split into a separate particle in this use. Example: Der Fehler verlangsamt den Prozess. — “The error slows down the process.” Together, die Meinungsverschiedenheit is the subject, sollte ... nicht verlangsamen says that it should not slow something down, and das Projekt is the object being affected. The full utterance therefore means: “Then the disagreement should not slow the project down.”