Breakdown of Ich würde das Hemd spenden, aber es ist nicht waschbar.
ich
I
sein
to be
es
it
aber
but
nicht
not
das Hemd
the shirt
würde
would (conditional auxiliary)
spenden
to donate
waschbar
washable
Questions & Answers about Ich würde das Hemd spenden, aber es ist nicht waschbar.
How is the word waschbar formed, and what does it mean?
The suffix -bar is attached to the stem of the verb waschen (to wash) to create the adjective waschbar (washable). Just like the English suffix '-able', it expresses a passive possibility: the shirt is capable of being washed (though here, it is negated).
Why does the sentence use würde ... spenden instead of the normal present tense?
würde spenden is the conditional form (called Konjunktiv II), meaning 'would donate.' It is used here because the action is purely hypothetical—you aren't actually going to donate the shirt because of its condition.
Why doesn't the word aber push the verb ist to the end of the sentence?
aber (but) belongs to a group of coordinating conjunctions (often remembered by the acronym ADUSO: aber, denn, und, sondern, oder). These conjunctions occupy 'position zero' in a clause, meaning they do not change the word order. The subject es takes position one, and the verb ist stays in its normal second position.
Why does nicht come immediately before waschbar?
When you are negating a specific adjective that describes the subject with the verb sein (to be), the word nicht is placed directly in front of the adjective it negates.
Learn Ich würde das Hemd spenden, aber es ist nicht waschbar 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