Breakdown of Dafür, dass der Schrank bleischwer ist, haben wir ihn blitzschnell getragen.
sein
to be
haben
to have
wir
we
ihn
him
tragen
to carry, to wear
der Schrank
the cupboard / the closet
dass
that
dafür
for it
bleischwer
lead-heavy
blitzschnell
lightning-fast
Questions & Answers about Dafür, dass der Schrank bleischwer ist, haben wir ihn blitzschnell getragen.
How do the adjectives bleischwer and blitzschnell work in this sentence?
These are intensifying adjective compounds made by combining a noun and an adjective. Bleischwer combines das Blei (lead) and schwer (heavy) to mean "heavy as lead." Blitzschnell combines der Blitz (lightning) and schnell (fast) to mean "lightning fast." German frequently uses these vivid noun-adjective pairings to make descriptions more expressive than just saying sehr schwer or sehr schnell.
What is the function of Dafür, dass at the beginning of the sentence?
The phrase dafür, dass translates to "considering that" or "given that" when making a contrast or an evaluation. Structurally, dafür acts as a placeholder pointing forward to the dass clause, which explains exactly what is being considered. Since dass introduces a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb ist is pushed to the very end of that clause.
Why does the main clause start with haben wir instead of wir haben?
The entire first half of the sentence (Dafür, dass der Schrank bleischwer ist) occupies Position 1 of the main sentence. Because German enforces a strict "verb-second" rule in main clauses, the conjugated verb haben must take Position 2, immediately following the comma. The subject wir is then pushed to the other side of the verb.
Why do we use the pronoun ihn if we are talking about an inanimate object like a wardrobe?
Ihn is the masculine accusative pronoun. It refers back to der Schrank (the wardrobe), which is a masculine noun and the direct object being carried in this clause. While English uses "it" for objects, German pronouns must always match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace.
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