Breakdown of Ich kaufe den weichen Stoff für das Sofa.
ich
I
kaufen
to buy
das Sofa
the sofa
für
for
weich
soft
der Stoff
the fabric / the material
Questions & Answers about Ich kaufe den weichen Stoff für das Sofa.
Why does the adjective weich get the ending -en here to become weichen?
Stoff (fabric) is a masculine noun, and because it is the direct object being bought, it is in the accusative case (den Stoff). When you have a definite article like den in the accusative masculine, the adjective following it must take the -en ending.
Why is it das Sofa instead of using the dative case?
The preposition für (for) is a strict accusative preposition. It always forces the noun that follows it into the accusative case, no matter what is happening in the rest of the sentence. Since Sofa is neuter, the accusative definite article remains das.
Is the word Stoff only used for clothing and furniture fabric?
It means fabric or cloth here, but der Stoff is a very versatile word. It can also mean physical material, chemical substance, or even the subject matter you study in a class.
If I wanted to emphasize what the fabric is for, could I start the sentence with für das Sofa?
Yes, you can say Für das Sofa kaufe ich den weichen Stoff. Just remember the golden rule of German word order: the conjugated verb (kaufe) must stay in the second position. Because Für das Sofa takes up the first spot, the subject (ich) has to slide right after the verb.
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