Breakdown of Kriegst du immer den Ansatz gefärbt?
du
you (informal singular)
immer
always
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
kriegen
to get (colloquial for bekommen)
färben
to dye
der Ansatz
the roots (of hair)
Questions & Answers about Kriegst du immer den Ansatz gefärbt?
Why is kriegst used here instead of a normal passive with wirst?
This is the Bekommen-Passiv (recipient passive). A standard passive focuses purely on the action (Wird dir der Ansatz gefärbt?). By using kriegen (or bekommen) as the auxiliary verb along with the past participle gefärbt, the person receiving the action becomes the subject (du). It translates perfectly to the English structure "to get [something] done".
Why is den Ansatz in the accusative case? Doesn't the object become nominative in a passive sentence?
In a standard passive sentence, yes (Der Ansatz wird gefärbt). But in the recipient passive, the person receiving the action becomes the nominative subject (du). The thing being acted upon (den Ansatz) stays in the accusative case, just as it would in an active sentence like Der Friseur färbt dir den Ansatz.
The English translation says "roots" (plural), but the German uses the singular den Ansatz. Is that always the case?
Yes, when talking about hair, German refers to the roots or the new growth near the scalp collectively as a singular noun: der Ansatz (literally "the starting point" or "base"). You wouldn't use a plural word for roots here in German.
Could I use bekommen instead of kriegen in this sentence?
Yes, Bekommst du immer den Ansatz gefärbt? is perfectly correct and means the exact same thing. Kriegen is simply the more colloquial, everyday choice for spoken German, whereas bekommen sounds a bit more neutral and standard.
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