Breakdown of Wir haben gestern einen Beschluss gefasst.
ein
a, an (eine)
haben
to have
wir
we
gestern
yesterday
Questions & Answers about Wir haben gestern einen Beschluss gefasst.
Why do we say einen Beschluss fassen instead of just using a single verb?
This is a Noun-Verb Support Construction (Nomen-Verb-Verbindung). In German, formal actions are often expressed with a specific noun and a support verb rather than a single verb. It sounds more professional and carries slightly more weight, much like saying to make a decision instead of to decide in English.
Doesn't fassen usually mean to catch or to grasp? Why is it translated as made here?
Yes, its literal meaning is to grasp or catch. But in fixed expressions like einen Beschluss fassen (to make a resolution), the verb loses its literal meaning and just supports the noun. You cannot swap fassen for machen here; these pairings must be learned as fixed vocabulary chunks.
What single verb could I use instead of this noun-verb construction?
The related single verb is beschließen (to decide or resolve). You could simply say Wir haben es gestern beschlossen (We resolved it yesterday). However, using einen Beschluss fassen sounds slightly more formal, like an official action taken by a committee or board.
Why does gestern come before einen Beschluss?
In German, time adverbs like gestern usually come as early as possible after the conjugated verb, and almost always before a noun direct object like einen Beschluss. This is a good reminder that time information comes early in the German sentence structure.