Alarm zu geben, wenn's so wär
To raise the alarm if that were the case
Language note: Using commas in German helps separate clauses, similar to conditional sentences in English.
Culture note: Preparedness for potential threats was ingrained in Cold War culture.
Context: They finish the story with, ‘So the troops were to prepare for a possible alert, but only under specific circumstances.’
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Alarm
[ah-lahm]
alarm
A warning of danger.
Der Alarm ertönt.
The alarm sounds.
zu
[tsoo]
to
Used to indicate direction or purpose.
Zu sehen gibt es viel.
There is much to see.
geben
[geh-ben]
give
To hand over or provide.
Ich möchte helfen geben.
I want to provide help.
wenn's
[vens]
if it's
Contraction of 'wenn es'; a conditional expression.
Wenn's passiert, muss man reagieren.
If it happens, one must react.
so
[zo]
so
Used to refer to something just mentioned; like that.
So habe ich das gemacht.
That's how I did it.
wär
[vear]
were
Past tense of the verb 'to be'.
Als ob es so wär.
As if it were so.
Phrase Parts
Alarm zu geben
Wenn's so wär
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