Breakdown of Welchen Napf muss ich kaufen?
ich
I
kaufen
to buy
müssen
to have to, must
welcher
which (question word)
der Napf
the bowl
Questions & Answers about Welchen Napf muss ich kaufen?
Why does the question word end in -en (Welchen)?
The word welch- (which) takes endings just like the definite articles (der, die, das). Here, the bowl is the direct object of the verb kaufen (to buy), so it is in the accusative case. Because Napf is a masculine noun (der Napf), the accusative ending is -en, giving us welchen.
Would I use Napf for a soup bowl?
No, Napf specifically means an animal's food or water bowl (like a dog bowl). If you are buying a bowl for a person to eat soup or cereal from, you would use the word die Schüssel.
Why is the main verb kaufen pushed all the way to the end?
This is a rule for modal verbs. The conjugated modal verb muss (have to) sits in the standard verb position right after the question phrase. It then kicks the main action verb (kaufen) to the very end of the sentence in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive).
Why is the verb form muss and not müsse?
muss is the correct present tense form of müssen (to have to) for the subject ich (I). Modal verbs are slightly irregular: the ich and er/sie/es forms do not take the standard verb endings, and they often change their stem vowel (here, the ü becomes a u).
Learn Welchen Napf muss ich kaufen and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free