Questions & Answers about Ich habe ein kaputtes Rohr gefunden.
How would I change this sentence to use dürfte and express high probability ('I probably found a broken pipe')?
You would say Ich dürfte ein kaputtes Rohr gefunden haben. When you use dürfte (the Konjunktiv II form of dürfen) to express a strong assumption, the main action goes to the end of the sentence. Because the finding happened in the past, you use the past infinitive structure: gefunden haben.
Why does kaputt get the ending -es here?
Rohr is a neuter noun (das Rohr), and it is the direct object (accusative) of the sentence. Because the indefinite article ein does not clearly show the neuter accusative gender on its own, the adjective has to do the heavy lifting to show the case and gender. Therefore, kaputt takes the strong ending -es to become kaputtes.
What is the difference between Rohr and Leitung when talking about pipes?
Das Rohr usually refers to a physical, rigid tube or pipe (like metal or thick plastic). Die Leitung is a broader term for a conduit, utility, or line, which could be a water pipe (Wasserleitung) or even an electrical wire (Stromleitung). Here, the speaker is talking about the physical object they found.
Would it be better to say Ich fand ein kaputtes Rohr?