Word
Wir wurden unzufrieden, weil das System unbrauchbar ist.
Meaning
We became dissatisfied because the system is unusable.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wir wurden unzufrieden, weil das System unbrauchbar ist.
sein
to be
wir
we
werden
to become / to get (change of state)
weil
because (subordinating)
Questions & Answers about Wir wurden unzufrieden, weil das System unbrauchbar ist.
How does the prefix un- work in unzufrieden and unbrauchbar?
Just like in English, adding the prefix un- to a German adjective creates its exact opposite. The word zufrieden means satisfied, so unzufrieden means dissatisfied. Similarly, brauchbar (usable) becomes unbrauchbar (unusable). It is a very common and direct way to reverse a word's meaning.
What is the base word for unbrauchbar and how is it built?
It is built from the verb brauchen (to need or use). First, we add the suffix -bar, which works like the English suffix -able, to get brauchbar (usable). Then, we add the negative prefix un- to reverse it, giving us unbrauchbar (unusable).
Why does the sentence use wurden instead of worden?
The word wurden is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the verb werden (to become), so wir wurden means we became. Learners often mix this up with worden, which is a past participle used to build passive sentences. Here, we just need the simple past tense.
Why is the verb ist at the very end of the sentence?
The word weil (because) is a subordinating conjunction. In German, these conjunctions introduce dependent clauses and kick the conjugated verb all the way to the end. That is why we say weil das System unbrauchbar ist instead of keeping ist right after the subject.