Breakdown of Der Egoismus denkt nur an das eigene Wohlergehen.
nur
only
denken an
to think about
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
eigen
own
Questions & Answers about Der Egoismus denkt nur an das eigene Wohlergehen.
Why does the German sentence use Der Egoismus when the English translation just says "Egoism" without an article?
In German, abstract nouns and general concepts like Egoismus (egoism), Liebe (love), or Freiheit (freedom) usually require a definite article. English typically leaves the article out in these broad, general statements.
Why is the preposition an used here instead of über to mean "about"?
The verb denken pairs with an (followed by the accusative case) when it means to simply have something or someone in your thoughts. If you want to say you are actively pondering or reflecting on something deeply, you would use the separable verb nachdenken über. Since egoism is just instinctively focused on itself rather than philosophizing, denken an is the correct choice.
What type of word is Wohlergehen and how is it formed?
Wohlergehen is a noun created by combining the adverb wohl (well) and the verb ergehen (to fare). When infinitive verbs are turned directly into nouns (a process called nominalization), they are always neuter, which is why it uses the article das.
Why does eigene end in -e in the phrase das eigene Wohlergehen?