Hast du das Werkzeug? Ich brauche es für das Fenster.
Do you have the tool? I need it for the window.
Breakdown of Hast du das Werkzeug? Ich brauche es für das Fenster.
ich
I
du
you (informal singular)
es
it
haben
to have
brauchen
to need
für
for
das Fenster
the window
das Werkzeug
the tool
Questions & Answers about Hast du das Werkzeug? Ich brauche es für das Fenster.
This lesson is about da-compounds. How would I use one in this sentence if the window had already been mentioned?
You could replace the phrase für das Fenster (for the window) with the da-compound dafür (for it). The second sentence would then be: Ich brauche es dafür. (I need it for that.)
Why is the pronoun es used in Ich brauche es?
Here, es means "it" and replaces das Werkzeug (the tool). Because Werkzeug is a neuter noun, you must use the neuter pronoun es to refer back to it.
Does the preposition für change the case of das Fenster?
Yes, the preposition für always triggers the accusative case. Fenster is a neuter noun, and its accusative article happens to look exactly the same as the nominative one, so it stays das Fenster.
I see Zeug hidden inside das Werkzeug. What does it literally mean?
das Werkzeug is a compound noun made of das Werk (work or deed) and das Zeug (stuff or gear). So a tool is literally "work-stuff". The gender of a German compound noun always comes from the last word, which is why it takes das from das Zeug.
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