Breakdown of Das Auto steht dir immer zur Verfügung.
das Auto
the car
immer
always
zur Verfügung stehen
to be available
Questions & Answers about Das Auto steht dir immer zur Verfügung.
Why does this sentence use steht instead of ist for 'is'?
This is a Nomen-Verb-Verbindung (noun-verb construction). The fixed phrase zur Verfügung stehen means 'to be available' (literally: to stand at disposal). In these constructions, everyday verbs like stehen lose their literal meaning and act as support for the noun. You cannot replace steht with ist here.
Could I just use the adjective verfügbar (available) instead of this long phrase?
Yes! You could simply say Das Auto ist immer für dich verfügbar. However, noun-verb constructions like zur Verfügung stehen are extremely common in German, especially in polite, written, or slightly formal contexts. Recognizing and using them makes your German sound much more native.
Why is the pronoun dir in the dative case here?
The phrase zur Verfügung stehen requires a dative object to show who gets to use the item. dir is the dative form of du. It helps to think of the English translation: the car is available 'to you' or is standing at 'your' disposal.
What exactly does zur Verfügung mean word-for-word, and why is it zur?
die Verfügung means 'disposal' or 'availability'. The word zur is a contraction of the preposition zu (to/at) and the feminine dative article der. Because the preposition zu always requires the dative case, zu der Verfügung simply shortens to zur Verfügung.
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