Breakdown of Das Auto ist alt, aber es funktioniert gut.
sein
to be
es
it
gut
good / well
das Auto
the car
aber
but
funktionieren
to work (function)
alt
old
Questions & Answers about Das Auto ist alt, aber es funktioniert gut.
Why do we use es in the second part of the sentence?
In German, pronouns have to match the grammatical gender of the noun they refer back to. Because Auto is a neuter noun (das Auto), we use the neuter pronoun es (it).
Since this lesson is about negation, how would I say the car does not work well?
You would say es funktioniert nicht gut. When you use nicht to negate an adverb like gut (well), you place nicht directly before the word it is negating.
Does the word aber change the word order?
No. aber (but) is a connecting word that leaves the normal word order exactly as it is. In the second half, the subject es comes first, followed normally by the verb funktioniert in the second position.
Could I use funktioniert to say a person works hard?
No, funktionieren is only used for machines, systems, or plans to mean they operate or function. If you want to talk about a person working a job or working hard, you must use the verb arbeiten.
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