Breakdown of Wir suchen ein Shampoo mit angenehmem Duft.
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
suchen
to look for
mit
with
das Shampoo
the shampoo
angenehm
pleasant
der Duft
the scent / the fragrance
Questions & Answers about Wir suchen ein Shampoo mit angenehmem Duft.
Why is there no word for "for" after suchen?
In English, we say "look for", but the German verb suchen already means "to look for" or "to seek". You just follow it directly with the thing you are looking for (ein Shampoo).
Why does the adjective angenehm end in -em here (angenehmem)?
Because it comes directly before the noun Duft with no article (like "a" or "the") in front of it. The preposition mit forces the dative case, and Duft is masculine (der Duft). Without an article to show the case and gender, the adjective has to do the heavy lifting by taking the strong dative masculine ending -em.
Why are we using the dative case for "angenehmem Duft"?
The preposition mit (with) is a strict dative preposition. Any noun phrase that directly follows it must always be in the dative case.
Can I tell if Duft is masculine or neuter just from the -em ending?
No, you can't! In the dative case, strong adjectives for both masculine and neuter nouns take the exact same -em ending. You just have to learn the gender with the vocabulary word: der Duft (masculine).
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