Breakdown of Mangels einer Lösung brauchen wir die Mediation.
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
brauchen
to need
die Lösung
the solution
mangels
for lack of
die Mediation
the mediation
Questions & Answers about Mangels einer Lösung brauchen wir die Mediation.
Why is it einer Lösung and not eine Lösung?
The preposition mangels (meaning "for lack of" or "due to a lack of") requires the genitive case. Since Lösung is a feminine noun, the indefinite article eine changes to einer in the genitive.
Can mangels be used without an article?
Yes. The preposition mangels is very often used with a bare noun (without an article), especially for uncountable concepts like mangels Zeit (for lack of time) or mangels Beweisen (for lack of evidence). Here, the article is included to specifically mean "a" solution.
Why does the verb brauchen come before the subject wir here?
The prepositional phrase Mangels einer Lösung takes up the first position in the sentence. Because German requires the conjugated verb to be in the second position (the V2 rule), the subject wir is pushed to the third position.
Why doesn't brauchen require a zu in this sentence?
You might be thinking of brauchen when it's used like a modal verb alongside another verb (e.g., Du brauchst das nicht zu tun - You don't need to do that). In this sentence, brauchen is just a regular main verb meaning "to need" a thing or concept, so it simply takes a direct object (die Mediation) in the accusative case.
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