Breakdown of Das Gerät ist sowieso kaputt.
sein
to be
kaputt
broken
das Gerät
the machine / the equipment
sowieso
anyway, in any case
Questions & Answers about Das Gerät ist sowieso kaputt.
I always get confused translating 'anyway'. Why is it sowieso here and not trotzdem or jedenfalls?
Sowieso means that a situation is true regardless of anything else that was just said or done. Trotzdem means 'nevertheless' or 'despite that', which contradicts a previous statement. Jedenfalls means 'in any case' or 'at least', usually used to wrap up a thought or change the subject.
Could I use zerbrochen instead of kaputt here?
Usually no. For electronic or mechanical devices that have stopped working, you always use kaputt. Zerbrochen specifically means physically shattered into pieces, like a dropped glass. Unless someone literally smashed the device into fragments, stick with kaputt.
Does Gerät refer to any kind of machine?
Gerät usually refers to a tool, household appliance, or electronic device (like a phone or microwave). For larger, heavier, or more industrial mechanical systems, you would use Maschine.
Could I put sowieso at the very end of the sentence, like we do in English?
No, German generally places adverbs like sowieso right after the conjugated verb and before a predicate adjective like kaputt. Saying Das Gerät ist kaputt sowieso sounds unnatural in German.
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