Reading · A1 · Text 11
Gewissen
Ganz kleine Kinder haben noch kein Gewissen.
Very young children do not yet have a conscience.
Sie müssen noch lernen, was Gut und Böse bedeutet und was am Bösen schlimm ist.
They still have to learn what good and evil mean and what is so bad about evil.
Allerdings gibt es Leute, die es nie lernen.
However, there are people who never learn this.
Sie kennen den Unterschied von Gut und Böse nicht oder es macht ihnen nichts aus, Schlechtes zu tun.
They do not know the difference between good and evil, or they do not mind doing bad things.
Es kann sein, dass das an ihrem Gehirn liegt, dass sie also krank sind.
It may be that this is due to their brain, and that they are therefore sick.
11 words above A1
Grammar in this text
Subordinate clauses with 'dass' (verb-final)
dass das an ihrem Gehirn liegt
In a 'dass' clause, the finite verb moves to the end of the clause.
Relative clauses with 'die'
die es nie lernen
The relative pronoun 'die' refers back to the plural noun 'Leute' and introduces a relative clause with verb-final order.
Infinitive with 'zu'
Schlechtes zu tun
The verb 'tun' is used in its infinitive form with 'zu' as a complement after the verb phrase 'es macht ihnen nichts aus'.
Keep going
Text from Gewissen — Klexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.
Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.