Reading · A2 · Text 27

Gewissen

62 words1 min read79% known at A2

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.

8 words above A2

böse

evil, bad in 'Gut und Böse' used as a noun: good and evil

allerdings

however, though at the beginning of a sentence it causes subject-verb inversion but, however; indeed! B2/ˈʔalɐdɪŋs/

Unterschied

difference plural: die Unterschiede; in the text: 'den Unterschied' (accusative) B1/ˈʔʊntɐˌʃiːt/

Gehirn← das Gehirn

brain plural: die Gehirne

Gewissen

conscience no common plural conscience (moral sense or faculty) B2/ɡəˈvɪsən/

liegt← liegen

to be due to (with 'an + dative') irregular: liegt, lag, hat gelegen; here: 'an ihrem Gehirn liegt' = is caused by their brain

am← an dem

at the / on the (contraction of 'an dem') in 'am Bösen' = 'in evil' / 'about evil'

bösen← böse

evil (declined form) dative singular masculine/neuter after the contraction 'am'

Grammar in this text

Subordinate clause with 'dass' (that)

dass das an ihrem Gehirn liegt

The conjunction 'dass' introduces a dependent clause. The finite verb (liegt) moves to the end of the clause. This is a basic German subordinating structure.

Relative clause with relative pronoun 'die'

Leute, die es nie lernen

The relative pronoun 'die' (who/that) refers to plural 'Leute' and is in the nominative case. In the relative clause, the finite verb (lernen) goes to the end.

Infinitive clause with 'zu'

Schlechtes zu tun

The particle 'zu' is placed before the infinitive verb (tun). This infinitive phrase acts as a complement to the expression 'es macht ihnen nichts aus' (it doesn't matter to them).

Relative clause with 'was' (free relative)

was Gut und Böse bedeutet

The word 'was' introduces a relative clause that has no explicit antecedent. It means 'that which' or 'what'. The finite verb (bedeutet) is placed at the end of the clause. This clause serves as the object of 'lernen'.

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Same text, graded forA1 version

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.