Breakdown of Hast du ein Seil? Wir brauchen noch eins für das Zelt.
ein
a, an (eine)
du
you (informal singular)
haben
to have
wir
we
brauchen
to need
für
for
noch
still / yet
das Zelt
the tent
einer
one (sister forms: eins, eine)
das Seil
the rope
Questions & Answers about Hast du ein Seil? Wir brauchen noch eins für das Zelt.
Why does the second sentence use eins instead of just ein?
ein is an indefinite article that must sit right in front of a noun, like in ein Seil. In the second sentence, the noun is left out. When you use "one" as a standalone pronoun to completely replace a neuter noun, it takes the ending -s and becomes eins.
Would the word eins change if we were talking about a masculine or feminine object?
Yes! The pronoun has to match the gender and case of the noun it replaces. We are replacing das Seil, which is neuter, and it is the direct object of brauchen (accusative case), so we use eins. If we were replacing a masculine noun like der Schlafsack (the sleeping bag), we would need the masculine accusative pronoun einen: Wir brauchen noch einen.
What does noch mean in this context?
While noch often means "still", in phrases with quantities it usually translates to "more" or "another". Wir brauchen noch eins is the most natural way in German to say "We need one more" or "We need another one".
Why is it das Zelt after für? Is that nominative or accusative?
It is accusative! The preposition für (for) always forces the noun that comes after it into the accusative case. Because das Zelt (the tent) is a neuter noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its basic nominative dictionary form.
Learn Hast du ein Seil? Wir brauchen noch eins für das Zelt 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