Breakdown of Der Drucker ist kaputt. Deshalb schreibe ich einen Brief.
ich
I
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
schreiben
to write
der Drucker
the printer
der Brief
the letter
kaputt
broken
deshalb
therefore / that is why
Questions & Answers about Der Drucker ist kaputt. Deshalb schreibe ich einen Brief.
Why does the second sentence say Deshalb schreibe ich instead of Deshalb ich schreibe?
In German, the conjugated verb must always be in the second position of a main clause. Here, the word deshalb (that's why / therefore) takes up the first position. So, the verb schreibe must come right after it in position two, pushing the subject ich to position three.
Could I use words like darum or deswegen instead of deshalb here?
Yes, absolutely! Deshalb, darum, and deswegen all mean "therefore" or "that's why." They are interchangeable, and whichever one you choose, the rule stays exactly the same: the connecting word takes Position 1, and the verb comes immediately after it.
Is it possible to put deshalb somewhere else in the second sentence?
Yes. While putting deshalb at the beginning is a great way to clearly link the two sentences, you can also start with the subject: Ich schreibe deshalb einen Brief. Notice that the verb schreibe is still strictly in position two!
Why is it einen Brief and not ein Brief?
Der Brief (the letter) is a masculine noun. In this sentence, it is the direct object—the thing being written. Therefore, it has to be in the accusative case, which changes the word for "a" from ein to einen.
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