Topic: German

"They have to register their guests."

Translation:Ihre Gäste müssen sie registrieren.

January 9, 2013

8 Comments

https://www.duolingo.com/kwonnnn
  • 766

Can we flip the word order and say "Sie müssen registieren ihre Gäste"? Would that be correct too?

January 9, 2013
https://www.duolingo.com/Menschenkind

    That syntax is wrong. You might say 'Sie müssen ihre Gäste registrieren' though.

    January 9, 2013
    https://www.duolingo.com/kwonnnn
    • 766

    Right, verb last, object second last. Thanks.

    January 9, 2013
    https://www.duolingo.com/Menschenkind

      That's not completely true anyway. You've got a compound verb here, which is 'registrieren müssen'. As far as I'm aware, it's subject, verb, object or o-s-v, if you want to stress the object. For my translation it's Subject, auxiliary verb, object, verb.

      January 9, 2013
      https://www.duolingo.com/lacow

        I like your translation more than the official one. It sounds less formal :)

        January 9, 2013
        https://www.duolingo.com/SimMoor
        • 659

        Thats what I wrote and was marked as correct.

        February 10, 2014
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