Focus particle 'sogar' (even)
Fokuspartikel 'sogar'
'sogar' (even) highlights something surprising or extreme.
Structure
sogar + fokussiertes Element (Steigerung)
sogar + focused element (intensification)
Details
- Part of Speech
- Particle
- Word Type
- Focus particle
- Register
- Standard
Explanation
What it is. sogar is a scalar focus particle meaning even. It marks the focused element as an extreme, unexpected on a scale - something one would least expect to be included.
How it works. It is stressed and stands directly before the element it focuses.
- Sogar der Chef war überrascht. - Even the boss was surprised.
- Sie spricht sogar Japanisch. - She even speaks Japanese.
- Er hat sogar am Wochenende gearbeitet. - He even worked on the weekend.
Common mistakes. Position is meaning: sogar must precede the constituent it stresses, so Sogar der Chef (it's surprising it includes the boss) differs from Der Chef war sogar überrascht (he went as far as being surprised). It is a near-synonym of focus selbst, but unlike selbst it is unambiguous - it can never mean "-self."
About Focus particle 'sogar' (even)
'sogar' (even) highlights something surprising or extreme.
Highlights a surprising/extreme ; stands before the focused element.
'sogar' hebt etwas Überraschendes/Extremes hervor.
Caution
'sogar' stands directly before the element it stresses: 'Sogar der Chef war überrascht'.