Reading · A1 · Text 4

Computerspiel

13 words1 min read100% known at A1

Die Spiele waren aber sehr einfach und noch nicht so gut wie heute.

The games were, however, very simple and not yet as good as they are today.

1 words above A1

Spiele← das Spiel

games plural: die Spiele a game (instance or way of playing); gameplay, the experience or act of playing; backlash, lash, play, slack (certain looseness of components, often… A1/ʃpiːl/

Grammar in this text

Simple past of 'sein' (to be)

Die Spiele waren aber sehr einfach

The verb 'sein' is irregular; in the simple past, 'waren' is used for plural subjects (sie/Sie). It indicates a past state.

Comparison with 'so ... wie'

noch nicht so gut wie heute

This structure expresses equality or inequality in comparisons: 'so + adjective + wie' means 'as ... as'. Here it is negated with 'nicht' to say 'not as good as'.

Negation with 'nicht'

noch nicht so gut wie heute

'nicht' negates the adjective or the whole clause. It comes before the element it negates, here before 'so gut'.

Adverb 'noch'

noch nicht so gut wie heute

'noch' means 'still' or 'yet'. Combined with 'nicht' it means 'not yet'. It modifies the negation.

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Text from Computerspiel — MiniKlexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.