Breakdown of Wir brauchen nichts außer der Mitgliedschaft.
wir
we
brauchen
to need
nichts
nothing
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Wir brauchen nichts außer der Mitgliedschaft.
Why is it der Mitgliedschaft instead of die Mitgliedschaft?
The preposition außer always requires the dative case. The word for membership is feminine (die Mitgliedschaft), and in the dative case, the feminine article die changes to der.
Why isn't there a word for "not" like nicht in the German sentence?
To say "not anything" in German, you use the single word nichts (nothing). So literally, the sentence translates to "We need nothing except the membership."
Does außer always mean "except"?
Mostly, yes! It translates to "except" or "besides" when talking about exclusions or additions. You will also see it in fixed expressions meaning "out of", such as außer Atem (out of breath) or außer Betrieb (out of order), where it also triggers the dative case.
Could I start the sentence with außer der Mitgliedschaft?
Yes! Moving that phrase to the front puts more emphasis on the exception: Außer der Mitgliedschaft brauchen wir nichts. Just remember that the conjugated verb brauchen must stay in the second position, so the subject wir moves right after it.