Moving an Outdoor Event Indoors | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Die Wettervorhersage sagt, dass während der Veranstaltung draußen weiterhin starker Wind wehen wird.

   The forecast says strong winds will continue during the outdoor event.

   Wettervorhersage

   forecast

   sagt

   says

   dass

   that

   während

   during

   Veranstaltung

   event

   draußen

   outdoors

   weiterhin

   still

   starker

   strong

   Wind

   wind

   wehen

   blow

   wird

   will

   More detail

   Wettervorhersage means “weather forecast” here. It is a compound noun: Wetter (“weather”) + Vorhersage (“forecast”). German nouns are capitalized. The feminine article is die Wettervorhersage; the plural is die Wettervorhersagen. sagt is the third-person singular present form of sagen (“to say”). The present tense can describe what a source says now: Die Zeitung sagt das. — “The newspaper says that.” dass introduces a subordinate clause meaning “that.” In a German dass-clause, the finite verb normally moves to the end. The pattern here is sagt, dass ... wehen wird (“says that ... will blow”). während means “during” in this time expression. It introduces the event whose duration provides the time frame. With a feminine singular noun, während der Veranstaltung has the form der Veranstaltung; this form is compatible with genitive use, although the article form is also identical to the dative feminine form. Veranstaltung means “event” or “organized event.” It is feminine: die Veranstaltung. Its plural is die Veranstaltungen. Example: Die Veranstaltung beginnt um acht. — “The event begins at eight.” draußen means “outside” or “outdoors.” It is an adverb, so it does not change for gender or number. It describes the location of the blowing in this sentence, not the event itself. Example: Die Kinder spielen draußen. — “The children are playing outside.” weiterhin means “still” or “continuing to.” It presents the strong wind as continuing during the stated time period. Example: Der Regen fällt weiterhin. — “The rain is still falling.” starker is the adjective stark (“strong”) in an inflected form. It describes Wind, not Veranstaltung. Because Wind is masculine singular and is the subject of wehen, the phrase is nominative masculine; with no article before it, the adjective has the ending -er: starker Wind. Compare der starke Wind, where the article carries more of the case marking. Wind means “wind.” It is a masculine noun: der Wind; its plural is die Winde, although the singular is natural for the weather phenomenon described here. Example: Der Wind ist kalt. — “The wind is cold.” wehen is the infinitive of wehen, meaning “to blow,” used especially for wind, breezes, or flags. Example: Ein kalter Wind weht. — “A cold wind is blowing.” In this sentence, the infinitive is part of the future construction and comes before the finite auxiliary in the subordinate clause. wird is the third-person singular present form of werden. Together with the infinitive wehen, it forms the future: wird ... wehen means “will blow.” In this dass-clause, the finite auxiliary wird is at the end, while the infinitive wehen comes immediately before it in the clause-final verb group. The relevant form chain is werden → wird for third-person singular present. This is different from wird used as a main verb meaning “becomes” or “gets”; here the following infinitive makes it a future auxiliary. Whole utterance: Die Wettervorhersage sagt means “The forecast says,” and dass introduces the content of that statement. Inside the subordinate clause, während der Veranstaltung sets the time, draußen sets the location, weiterhin starker Wind describes continuing strong wind, and wehen wird expresses that it will blow. Together: “The forecast says strong winds will continue during the outdoor event.”

2. Das könnte mit den Zelten und der Tontechnik ein Problem sein.

   That could be a problem with tents and sound equipment.

   Das könnte

   That could

   Zelten

   tents

   Tontechnik

   sound equipment

   Problem

   problem

   sein

   be

   More detail

   Das könnte expresses a possibility: “That could …”. Here könnte is the Konjunktiv II form of können, used with an infinitive to say that something is possible rather than certain. Das is a neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that”; the sentence does not identify a more specific noun referent for it. Example: Das könnte stimmen. — “That could be true.” Zelten means “tents” here. Its base form is the neuter noun das Zelt; its plural is die Zelte. After mit, the plural has dative marking: mit den Zelten. Example: Wir schlafen in den Zelten. — “We are sleeping in the tents.” Tontechnik means “sound equipment” in this context. It is a feminine noun: die Tontechnik. Because mit requires the dative, the article is der: mit der Tontechnik. This noun normally refers to the equipment or technical setup used for sound, not simply to an individual sound. Problem is the neuter noun das Problem. In the sentence, ein Problem is the indefinite noun phrase “a problem.” The article ein does not by itself specify a numeric count; it introduces an indefinite problem. Example: Das ist ein Problem. — “That is a problem.” sein is the infinitive “to be.” With the modal form könnte, the infinitive comes at the end: könnte ... sein. The pattern Das könnte ein Problem sein means “That could be a problem.” The preposition mit links the possible problem to two associated things. It is used once before the coordinated dative phrases den Zelten and der Tontechnik: mit den Zelten und der Tontechnik. Putting the pieces together, Das könnte mit den Zelten und der Tontechnik ein Problem sein. means “That could be a problem with tents and sound equipment.”

3. Wir können die Tische sichern, aber es könnte gefährlich sein, das Banner aufzuhängen.

   We can secure the tables, but putting up the banner might be dangerous.

   Wir können

   we can

   Tische

   tables

   sichern

   secure

   könnte

   might; could

   gefährlich

   dangerous

   sein

   be

   Banner

   banner

   aufzuhängen

   to put up

   More detail

   Wir können means “we can” here. wir is the first-person plural pronoun, and können is the present-tense form of können for wir. With a modal verb, the other verb normally goes to the end in its infinitive form: Wir können ... sichern = “We can secure ...”. Tische means “tables” here. It is the plural of der Tisch (“the table”). In this sentence it is the direct object of sichern, so the phrase is die Tische (“the tables”); the plural form Tische itself is the same in the nominative and accusative. Example: Wir tragen die Tische. — “We carry the tables.” sichern means “to secure” in this sentence. It is a regular verb; its infinitive and present-tense form for wir are both sichern: Wir sichern die Tische. — “We secure the tables.” könnte means “might” here. It is the third-person singular form of the modal verb können in the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) and expresses possibility rather than certainty. In this clause, es is the finite clause’s grammatical subject, while the postponed infinitive clause das Banner aufzuhängen states what might be dangerous. Compare kann (“can” or “may/could” in suitable contexts) with könnte (“might”): Das könnte gefährlich sein. — “That might be dangerous.” gefährlich means “dangerous”. It is a descriptive adjective. After sein, it appears as a predicate adjective and does not take an ending: Das ist gefährlich. — “That is dangerous.” sein means “be”. It is the infinitive required after the modal könnte: könnte ... sein = “might be”. The form sein does not itself show the subject’s person or number here; könnte is the finite verb. Banner means “banner”. The noun is das Banner, and das Banner is the accusative object of aufzuhängen. In this neuter noun phrase, the definite article is das in both nominative and accusative, so the article alone does not distinguish those cases. Example: Sie sehen das Banner. — “They see the banner.” aufzuhängen means “to put up” here. It is the zu-infinitive of the separable verb aufhängen: in a finite clause, Wir hängen das Banner auf. means “We put up the banner.” With zu, the particle and verb form produce aufzuhängen, not a separate ordinary verb meaning “hang” plus an independent word. The whole infinitive phrase das Banner aufzuhängen functions as the activity that might be dangerous. Together, Wir können die Tische sichern says “We can secure the tables.” aber introduces a contrast: es könnte gefährlich sein says “it might be dangerous,” and das Banner aufzuhängen identifies what the possible danger concerns. Thus the complete utterance means: “We can secure the tables, but putting up the banner might be dangerous.”

4. Sicherheit ist wichtiger, als den ursprünglichen Aufbau beizubehalten.

   Safety matters more than keeping the original setup.

   Sicherheit

   safety

   ist

   is

   wichtiger

   more important

   als

   than

   ursprünglichen

   original

   Aufbau

   setup

   beizubehalten

   to keep

   More detail

   Sicherheit means “safety” here. It is a feminine noun: die Sicherheit. The related adjective is sicher (“safe” or “secure”), but the noun names the condition or priority itself. ist is the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”). Here it links Sicherheit with the comparison: “safety is …”. wichtiger is the comparative form of the adjective wichtig (“important”): wichtig → wichtiger (“more important”) → am wichtigsten (“most important”). Because it follows ist and describes the subject, it appears here as a predicate adjective without an adjective ending. als introduces the second side of a comparison after a comparative: X ist wichtiger als Y means “X is more important than Y.” This is different from wie, which is used in an equality comparison such as so wichtig wie (“as important as”). ursprünglichen means “original” in this sentence. Its base form is ursprünglich. The ending -en is carried by the adjective, not by the noun: den ursprünglichen Aufbau. The adjective has this ending because it comes after the masculine accusative article den and describes Aufbau. Aufbau is a masculine noun: der Aufbau. Depending on context, it can mean a setup, structure, or arrangement. In this sentence, the fixed translation supports “the original setup.” beizubehalten means “to keep” or “to retain” in the sense of leaving something as it is. Its base verb is beibehalten, a separable-prefix verb: bei|behalten. In the infinitive with zu, the zu is inserted into the verb: beizubehalten. For example: Wir versuchen, den Plan beizubehalten. — “We are trying to keep the plan.” The comparison has the pattern X ist wichtiger, als ... zu ...: Sicherheit ist wichtiger (“Safety is more important”) is compared with den ursprünglichen Aufbau beizubehalten (“keeping the original setup”). The infinitive phrase expresses the action being weighed, and den marks Aufbau as the object of beibehalten. Together, the utterance means: “Safety matters more than keeping the original setup.”

5. Sollen wir absagen oder alles ins Gemeindezentrum verlegen?

   Should we cancel, or move everything to the community hall?

   Sollen wir

   shall we

   absagen

   cancel

   alles

   everything

   ins

   into the

   Gemeindezentrum

   community hall

   verlegen

   move

   More detail

   Sollen wir is a reusable way to ask for a joint action: “Shall we …?” sollen is the present-tense form of sollen with wir; in this question it presents a suggestion or option for the group. Compare Sollen wir anfangen? — “Shall we start?” absagen means “to cancel,” especially a planned event or arrangement. It is an infinitive here because it depends on the modal verb sollen. The verb is separable in finite clauses: Wir sagen die Veranstaltung ab — “We cancel the event.” With a modal verb, the infinitive remains together: Wir sollen die Veranstaltung absagen — “We are supposed to cancel the event.” alles is the pronoun “everything” or “all of it.” It is used here as the object of verlegen, so the proposed action is to move everything under discussion. Example: Wir nehmen alles mit. — “We take everything with us.” ins is the contraction of in das. Here in expresses movement toward a destination, so das is in the accusative: in das Gemeindezentrum becomes ins Gemeindezentrum. This contraction is common in both questions and statements, for example Wir gehen ins Gebäude. — “We are going into the building.” Gemeindezentrum is the neuter noun “community center” or, in this context, “community hall.” Its plural is Gemeindezentren. The compound combines Gemeinde (“community”) with Zentrum (“center”), but the observed noun is the complete word Gemeindezentrum. verlegen means “to move” or “relocate” something to another place. It is a transitive verb, so alles is the thing being moved and ins Gemeindezentrum gives its destination. Example: Wir verlegen das Treffen ins Freie. — “We move the meeting outdoors.” The sentence offers two alternatives governed by Sollen wir: absagen (“cancel”) or alles ... verlegen (“move everything ...”). In the second alternative, alles is the object, and ins Gemeindezentrum specifies the destination. Because verlegen is the second infinitive under sollen, it appears at the end of the question. Together, the utterance means: “Should we cancel, or move everything to the community hall?”

6. Wenn der Saal verfügbar ist, ist es besser, die Veranstaltung nach drinnen zu verlegen.

   Moving indoors is better if the hall is available.

   Wenn

   if

   Saal

   hall

   verfügbar

   available

   besser

   better

   Veranstaltung

   event

   nach drinnen

   indoors

   verlegen

   move

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition: “if/when.” In a subordinate clause introduced by Wenn, the finite verb goes to the end. Here, Wenn der Saal verfügbar ist means “if the hall is available.” The form ist is the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”), agreeing with the singular subject der Saal. Saal means “hall” here. The noun is masculine: der Saal; its plural is Säle (“halls”). The article and noun together appear as the nominative subject of ist in this clause. verfügbar means “available.” It is a predicative adjective after sein, so it has no adjective ending here: Der Saal ist verfügbar means “The hall is available.” besser means “better.” It is the comparative form of gut (“good”): gut – besser – am besten (“good – better – best”). Here it says that the proposed action is preferable; the alternative is supplied by the surrounding context of choosing whether to move the event. Veranstaltung means “event.” It is a feminine noun: die Veranstaltung; its plural is Veranstaltungen. In die Veranstaltung, the noun phrase is the direct object of verlegen, so it has accusative function. With a feminine singular definite noun phrase, die has the same form in nominative and accusative. nach drinnen means “indoors” with movement toward an interior. German can use drinnen alone for location: Die Veranstaltung ist drinnen means “The event is indoors.” verlegen means “to move” or “relocate” something. It is an infinitive here, and die Veranstaltung is the thing being moved. In this meaning, verlegen is a non-separable verb; it does not split in this construction. Do not confuse it with legen (“lay” or “put down”), which has a different meaning. Together, die Veranstaltung nach drinnen zu verlegen is an infinitive construction meaning “to move the event indoors.” The pattern Es ist besser, ... zu + infinitive expresses that doing something is preferable. Because the conditional clause comes first, the main clause has the order ist es besser: Wenn ..., ist es besser, .... The whole utterance means, “Moving indoors is better if the hall is available.”

7. Ich kann den Organisator anrufen und nach der Möglichkeit drinnen fragen.

   I can call the organizer and ask about the indoor option.

   Ich kann

   I can

   Organisator

   organizer

   anrufen

   call

   Möglichkeit

   possibility; option

   drinnen

   indoors

   fragen

   ask

   More detail

   Ich kann combines the pronoun ich (“I”) with the modal verb können (“can; be able to”). Here kann is the first-person singular present form. A modal verb normally sends the other verb to the end of the clause in its infinitive form: Ich kann heute anrufen. — “I can call today.” Organisator means “organizer,” the person being called here. Its base form is masculine: der Organisator; after the verb anrufen, it appears as the direct object with the masculine accusative article den: den Organisator. The plural is die Organisatoren. anrufen means “to call” someone by phone. It is a separable verb: without a modal, Ich rufe den Organisator an. — “I am calling the organizer.” After kann, however, the infinitive stays together at the end: Ich kann den Organisator anrufen. Möglichkeit means “possibility” or, in this context, “option.” The noun is feminine: die Möglichkeit; its plural is die Möglichkeiten. In nach der Möglichkeit, the preposition nach takes the dative, so the feminine article is der. The noun phrase identifies what the speaker wants to ask about. drinnen is an adverb meaning “indoors” or “inside.” It does not change for gender, number, or case. It specifies that the option concerns being inside; compare Die Veranstaltung ist drinnen. — “The event is indoors.” fragen means “to ask.” The pattern nach etwas fragen means “to ask about something” or “to inquire about something,” with nach plus the dative: Ich frage nach der Möglichkeit. — “I ask about the possibility.” Together, Ich kann den Organisator anrufen means “I can call the organizer,” and und nach der Möglichkeit drinnen fragen adds a second action: “and ask about the indoor option.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can call the organizer and ask about the indoor option.”

8. Sag den Teilnehmenden auch Bescheid, bevor sie sich auf den Weg machen.

   Tell participants before they start traveling, too.

   Sag … Bescheid

   let someone know

   den Teilnehmenden

   the participants

   auch

   also; too

   bevor

   before

   sich auf den Weg machen

   set off; start traveling

   More detail

   Sag ... Bescheid is a fixed way to tell someone or notify them. Sag is the singular informal imperative of sagen (“to say”): sagen → du sagst → Sag!. Bescheid sagen is used for giving someone information, so the two separated parts work together as one reusable construction. Example: Sag mir Bescheid. — “Let me know.” den Teilnehmenden names the people receiving the information: “the participants.” Teilnehmenden is a nominalized present participle related to teilnehmen (“to participate”); here it is plural and appears in the dative after the information-giving construction. The dative marks the recipients, while den is the definite article for this dative-plural phrase. The form does not identify the participants’ gender. auch adds “also” or “too.” Here it adds this notification to the other action being discussed, so the instruction includes notifying the participants as well. bevor introduces a time clause meaning “before.” It places the event in its clause before the event in the main clause. A clause introduced by bevor has the finite verb at the end in standard German. Example: Ruf mich an, bevor du gehst. — “Call me before you leave.” sich auf den Weg machen is a fixed expression meaning “to set off” or “to start traveling.” sich is the reflexive pronoun required by this expression, and machen is the verb machen (“to make/do”) in the plural present form here. The phrase is not simply a literal instruction to make a path. Example: Wir machen uns auf den Weg. — “We set off.” The reflexive form agrees with the subject: ich mache mich, du machst dich, sie machen sich. The main clause is the informal singular instruction Sag den Teilnehmenden auch Bescheid: “Tell the participants too.” The temporal clause bevor sie sich auf den Weg machen says this should happen before they set off. Together, the utterance means: “Tell the participants too before they start traveling.”

9. Späte Änderungen sind frustrierend, aber gefährliche Bedingungen sind schlimmer.

   Late changes are frustrating, but dangerous conditions are worse.

   Späte

   late

   Änderungen

   changes

   frustrierend

   frustrating

   gefährliche

   dangerous

   Bedingungen

   conditions

   schlimmer

   worse

   More detail

   Späte means “late” here and describes the plural noun Änderungen. Its base adjective is spät; before a plural noun with no article, the adjective takes the ending -e: späte Änderungen. Compare späte Änderungen (“late changes”) with eine späte Änderung (“a late change”). Both forms happen to have the ending -e, but the surrounding noun phrase has different article and number marking; other adjective endings can change with those conditions. Änderungen is the plural of Änderung, “change.” The verb ändern means “to change,” while the noun refers to a change as a thing or event. Example: Eine Änderung ist nötig. — “A change is necessary.” Frustrierend means “frustrating” in this sentence. It is the adjectival present participle of frustrieren, “to frustrate,” and describes the changes as frustrating. As a predicate adjective it has no ending here: Änderungen sind frustrierend — “Changes are frustrating.” Before a noun, it would be inflected: frustrierende Änderungen — “frustrating changes.” Gefährliche means “dangerous” and describes the plural noun Bedingungen. Its base adjective is gefährlich; the -e ending is the same plural, no-article adjective ending seen in späte Änderungen: gefährliche Bedingungen. Bedingungen is the plural of Bedingung, “condition.” Depending on context, this noun can describe circumstances or requirements; here it means conditions, as in the fixed translation. Example: Die Bedingungen sind schwierig. — “The conditions are difficult.” Schlimmer means “worse.” It is the comparative form of schlimm, “bad” or “severe”: schlimm → schlimmer → am schlimmsten (“bad” → “worse” → “worst”). Here schlimmer is a predicate adjective after sind, so it does not take a noun-ending: Bedingungen sind schlimmer — “conditions are worse.” The comparison is understood from the contrast with the late changes in the first clause. The first clause, Späte Änderungen sind frustrierend, states that late changes are frustrating. Aber means “but” and connects it to the second clause, gefährliche Bedingungen sind schlimmer, which compares the dangerous conditions with the late changes mentioned in the first clause. Together, the utterance means: “Late changes are frustrating, but dangerous conditions are worse.”

10. Klare Kommunikation ist wichtig, wenn das Wetter den Plan ändert.

    Clear communication matters when weather changes the plan.

    Klare

    clear

    Kommunikation

    communication

    wichtig

    important

    wenn

    when

    Wetter

    weather

    Plan

    plan

    ändert

    changes

    More detail

    Klare comes from klar (“clear”). Here it describes Kommunikation in a noun phrase without an article, so the adjective takes the ending -e: klare Kommunikation. The ending reflects the noun phrase’s grammatical form; it is not part of the base form. Example: klare Anweisungen — “clear instructions.” Kommunikation means “communication.” It is a feminine German noun and is capitalized. The adjective before it agrees with this noun phrase: klare Kommunikation. wichtig means “important” or, in this sentence, “matters.” As a predicate adjective after ist, it has no adjective ending: Kommunikation ist wichtig. Example: Der Termin ist wichtig. — “The appointment is important.” wenn introduces a condition or time-related subordinate clause, here meaning “when.” In a German wenn clause, the finite verb normally goes to the end. Example: Wenn es regnet, bleiben wir zu Hause. — “When it rains, we stay at home.” Wetter means “weather.” In das Wetter, it is the subject of the subordinate clause; das marks the neuter singular noun phrase here. German nouns are capitalized. Plan means “plan.” In den Plan, it is the direct object: the plan is the thing being changed. Plan is masculine, and the masculine accusative article is den. ändert is the third-person singular present form of ändern, “to change.” The subject here is das Wetter, so the verb has the singular ending: Das Wetter ändert .... The present tense can describe a current or generally relevant change. Example: Der Wind ändert den Kurs. — “The wind changes the course.” Together, Klare Kommunikation ist wichtig states that clear communication matters. wenn das Wetter den Plan ändert adds the condition or time: this is so when the weather changes the plan. The complete meaning is “Clear communication matters when weather changes the plan.”