Breakdown of Wir sollten das Gehäuse vorsichtig justieren.
wir
we
vorsichtig
careful / carefully
sollen
should / ought to
das Gehäuse
the case (housing, casing)
Questions & Answers about Wir sollten das Gehäuse vorsichtig justieren.
Is sollten in the past tense here, or is it Konjunktiv II?
It is Konjunktiv II. While sollten is also the simple past (Präteritum) form of sollen (meaning "we were supposed to"), the context here makes it translate to "we should". At the B2 level, you will often rely on context to tell whether sollten expresses "we should" (advice or recommendation) or "we were supposed to" (a past obligation).
Why use justieren instead of einstellen or anpassen?
justieren is a more technical, precise term used in engineering, mechanics, or optics for fine-tuning or calibrating something (like a lens or mechanical parts of a case). einstellen is more general (like adjusting the volume or a car seat), and anpassen means to adapt something to fit a completely new situation.
How can I easily remember the gender and meaning of Gehäuse?
It is a collective noun derived from Haus (house). Nouns starting with the prefix Ge- that describe a structure or collective group are overwhelmingly neuter (like das Gebirge or das Gemüse). A Gehäuse is literally the "housing" or "case" that surrounds and protects machinery or electronics.
How is the first letter in justieren pronounced?
Because it is a loanword from French, the "j" is pronounced like the "s" in the English word "measure" or the French "j", rather than the typical German "j" (which usually sounds like an English "y").