Breakdown of Braucht der Junge ein Hemd?
ein
a, an (eine)
brauchen
to need
der Junge
the boy
das Hemd
the shirt
Questions & Answers about Braucht der Junge ein Hemd?
Why is it ein Hemd and not einen Hemd if it is the direct object?
Because Hemd is a neuter noun (das Hemd). In the accusative case, the word for "a" only changes for masculine nouns, which become einen. For neuter nouns, the indefinite article stays exactly the same as it is in the nominative: ein.
Why is it der Junge instead of the accusative den Jungen?
der Junge is the subject of the sentence—he is the one doing the needing! The subject always takes the nominative case. The accusative case is only used for the direct object (the thing being acted upon), which in this case is ein Hemd.
Where is the word for "Does" in this sentence?
German doesn't use helper words like "does" or "do" to ask questions. To turn a statement like Der Junge braucht ein Hemd (The boy needs a shirt) into a yes/no question, you simply move the verb to the first position: Braucht der Junge ein Hemd? (Literally: "Needs the boy a shirt?").
Since Junge ends in "-e", shouldn't it be a feminine noun?
While it is a great rule of thumb that most German nouns ending in "-e" are feminine, der Junge (the boy) is a common exception. Because it refers to a male person, its biological gender makes it a masculine noun.
Learn Braucht der Junge ein Hemd and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free