Breakdown of Der Wassertank ist klein, dafür kann man ihn leicht auffüllen.
sein
to be
klein
small
ihn
him
können
can / to be able to
man
one / you (impersonal)
leicht
easily / easy (also: light in weight)
dafür
in return / on the other hand (as a trade-off)
der Wassertank
the water tank
auffüllen
to refill
Questions & Answers about Der Wassertank ist klein, dafür kann man ihn leicht auffüllen.
Why does dafür mean in return here instead of for it?
In this context, dafür acts as an adverbial connector of compensation. It links two main clauses to show a trade-off. The first clause presents a disadvantage (the tank is small), and the second introduces a balancing advantage (it is easy to refill).
Why is the conjugated verb kann immediately after dafür?
Because dafür acts as an adverbial connector, it takes up the first position (Position 1) in the second clause. In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must be in Position 2, so kann is forced to follow immediately.
Why do we use ihn instead of es or er?
The pronoun ihn refers back to der Wassertank, which is a masculine noun. It is in the accusative case here because the tank is the direct object being refilled by the subject man.
Why doesn't the separable verb auffüllen split into füllen ... auf here?
Because of the modal verb kann. When a modal verb is conjugated in Position 2, the main verb is pushed to the very end of the sentence in its full, unseparated infinitive form.
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