Breakdown of Worauf wartest du? Auf deinen neuen Stoff?
du
you (informal singular)
neu
new
dein
your (informal)
der Stoff
the fabric / the material
Questions & Answers about Worauf wartest du? Auf deinen neuen Stoff?
Why do we use worauf here instead of auf was to mean "for what"?
In German, when you ask a question using a preposition (like auf) and an inanimate object or concept (like "what"), you generally don't say auf was. Instead, you combine wo + the preposition to make a "wo-compound." So, "for what" becomes worauf. If you were waiting for a person, you would use auf wen instead.
Why is there an r in worauf?
When forming a wo-compound, if the preposition starts with a vowel, we add an r in the middle so it is easier to pronounce. Since auf starts with an "a", wo + auf becomes worauf instead of woauf.
Doesn't auf usually mean "on"? Why is it translating to "for" here?
Prepositions often don't translate word-for-word between English and German. The verb warten (to wait) specifically pairs with the preposition auf to mean "to wait for." It helps to memorize warten auf together as a fixed phrase!
Why is it deinen neuen Stoff instead of dein neuer Stoff?