Breakdown of Mein Alter ist kein Problem, seit ich dieses Hobby habe.
ich
I
sein
to be
haben
to have
kein
no, not any
das Problem
the problem
mein
my
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
seit
since (conjunction)
das Hobby
the hobby
das Alter
the old age / the age
Questions & Answers about Mein Alter ist kein Problem, seit ich dieses Hobby habe.
Why is the verb habe at the very end of the sentence?
The word seit (since) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (habe) to the very end of that clause.
The English translation says "has not been" and "I've had," but the German sentence uses present tense words (ist, habe). Why?
In German, if a situation started in the past and is still continuing right now, you use the present tense. English uses the present perfect ("has been"), but German literally says "My age is no problem, since I have this hobby." Whenever you use seit for an ongoing state, you should stick to the present tense!
Why use kein Problem instead of nicht ein Problem?
In German, when you want to say "not a" or negate a noun that would normally use "a/an" (ein or eine), you always use a form of kein. Since you would say ein Problem (a problem), the negative is simply kein Problem (not a problem).
Why does the word for "this" have an -es ending here (dieses Hobby)?
Hobby is a neuter noun (das Hobby), and in this sentence it is the direct object (the thing being had), which puts it in the accusative case. The word for "this" (dies-) needs to match this gender and case, so it takes the neuter accusative ending -es to become dieses.
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