2

You'll eventually accept our offer at any rate – if for no other reason than we're willing to pay you a great deal more.

We use this English expression when, short of enumerating other possible reasons, we think one in particular is enough to justify the said action.

I just translated the sentence into German as below. I wonder if these three variations are all acceptable, and if so, how they are nuanced in meaning, depending on whether or not you include "deswegen/deshalb" and "nur".

Ihr werdet auf jeden Fall zustimmen. Und sei es nur deswegen/deshalb, weil wir Euch sehr viel besser bezahlen werden.

Ihr werdet auf jeden Fall zustimmen. Und sei es nur, weil wir Euch sehr viel besser bezahlen werden.

Ihr werdet auf jeden Fall zustimmen. Und sei es, weil wir Euch sehr viel besser bezahlen werden.

1 Answer 1

5

Your translation attempts are all correct and the difference between them is too subtle to be of importance. It's more a matter of style than meaning.

The typical way to say something like this is however:

If for no other reason than …

Und sei es auch nur, weil/um …

Auch nur means just as little/few/unimportant, so a more literal translation would be

And be it just as unimportant as …

You may also hear:

Und sei es ja nur, weil/um …

which is a drop-in replacement.


While it's perfect to use weil in your example, an um-zu phrase is preferred for simpler cases:

Und sei es auch nur, um ihm ein Beispiel zu geben.

If for no other reason than to give him an example.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.