Breakdown of Das Radio hat siebenundsechzig Minuten funktioniert.
und
and
haben
to have
funktionieren
to work (function)
sieben
seven
Questions & Answers about Das Radio hat siebenundsechzig Minuten funktioniert.
How is the number siebenundsechzig (67) built?
In German, two-digit numbers above 20 are formed "backwards" compared to English. You say the ones digit first, then "and", then the tens digit. So 67 is sieben (seven) + und (and) + sechzig (sixty). Notice that these compound numbers are always written together as one single word!
The English translation says "worked for sixty-seven minutes". Where is the word for "for" in the German sentence?
In German, you usually don't need a preposition like "for" when expressing a duration of time. Simply stating the length of time (siebenundsechzig Minuten) is perfectly enough to express how long the action lasted.
Why doesn't the past tense verb funktioniert start with "ge-"?
To talk about the past, most German verbs get a ge- added to the beginning (like gemacht or gespielt). However, verbs that end in -ieren (like funktionieren, studieren, or reparieren) are exceptions. They never take the ge- prefix in the past tense.
Why are hat and funktioniert at opposite ends of the sentence?