Breakdown of Er hat sich auf altes Holz spezialisiert.
haben
to have
alt
old
das Holz
the wood
sich spezialisieren auf
to specialise in
Questions & Answers about Er hat sich auf altes Holz spezialisiert.
Why do we use auf here, and what case does it take?
The verb sich spezialisieren (to specialize) always pairs with the preposition auf to indicate the area of expertise. Here, auf takes the accusative case, which is common for abstract goals or focuses. This gives us altes Holz (accusative) rather than the dative.
Why does altes end in -es?
Holz is a neuter noun (das Holz) and it is in the accusative case here. Because there is no article (like das or ein) before it, the adjective has to do the heavy lifting to show the gender and case. This is called strong adjective declension. The adjective alt takes the neuter accusative ending -es, becoming altes.
Why is there a sich in this sentence?
The German verb for "to specialize" is always reflexive: sich spezialisieren. You literally say that someone specializes themselves in something. Because the subject is er (he), the matching reflexive pronoun is sich.
Could we use the simple past (spezialisierte) instead of the present perfect (hat ... spezialisiert)?
Yes, you could say Er spezialisierte sich auf altes Holz. However, the present perfect is the standard way to express past events in spoken German. The simple past sounds more formal, like something you would read in a printed biography or a historical article.
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