Word
Wir haben den Dienstplan nicht deinetwegen geändert.
Meaning
We did not change the roster because of you.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Wir haben den Dienstplan nicht deinetwegen geändert.
haben
to have
wir
we
nicht
not
ändern
to change (modify, alter)
Questions & Answers about Wir haben den Dienstplan nicht deinetwegen geändert.
How is deinetwegen formed, and what exactly does it mean?
It is a pronominal form combining wegen (because of) and the pronoun du (you). In standard German, instead of using the preposition with a separate pronoun, they fuse into one word: deinetwegen. It translates to "because of you" or "for your sake".
Why is nicht placed directly before deinetwegen rather than at the end of the sentence?
The position of nicht tells us exactly what is being negated. By placing it right before deinetwegen, the sentence negates the reason for the action, not the action itself. It implies the roster was changed, but you were not the reason for it.
Is it acceptable to say wegen dir instead of deinetwegen?
In casual, spoken German, you will often hear wegen dir (using the dative case). However, deinetwegen is the grammatically correct standard form. At the B2 level, especially in writing or formal contexts, you should always use deinetwegen.
Why is it den Dienstplan and not der Dienstplan?
Dienstplan is a masculine compound noun (made from der Dienst and der Plan). It is in the accusative case here because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb ändern (to change).