Breakdown of Wofür brauchst du die Schere?
du
you (informal singular)
brauchen
to need
die Schere
the scissors
wofür
what for (with verbs taking für)
Questions & Answers about Wofür brauchst du die Schere?
Why do we use wofür instead of asking für was?
When asking "for what" about an object or a concept, standard German combines the word wo (which normally means "where") with the preposition für to create a single word: wofür. This type of word is called a "wo-compound". While you might hear für was in casual street slang, wofür is the correct standard way to ask this question!
The English translation separates "what" and "for". Can I separate wo and für in German?
No, standard German requires them to stay together! In English, we often put "What" at the start and "for" at the very end of the sentence ("What do you need this for?"). In German, the wo-compound must remain a single, unbroken word at the beginning of the question: Wofür brauchst du...?
Is die Schere singular or plural here?
Is die Schere in the accusative case here?