Breakdown of Wir haben mit der Firma ein gutes Geschäft gemacht.
machen
to make, to do
gut
good / well
haben
to have
wir
we
mit
with
die Firma
the company
das Geschäft
the shop; the deal
Questions & Answers about Wir haben mit der Firma ein gutes Geschäft gemacht.
Why does Geschäft mean 'deal' here instead of 'shop' or 'store'?
The noun das Geschäft can mean a physical store, but it also translates to 'business', 'deal', or 'transaction'. The phrase ein Geschäft machen is a set expression meaning to make a deal or to do business, which fits perfectly with the context of working mit der Firma.
Could we use getan instead of gemacht since the English translation says 'did'?
No, you need to use the past participle of machen here. While both verbs can translate to 'do', German strongly prefers machen for creating, producing, or completing specific actions, including set expressions like ein Geschäft machen. The verb tun is mostly used for abstract, vague actions or specific idioms.
Why is the ending on the adjective gutes rather than just gute?
The word Geschäft is a neuter noun (das Geschäft) acting as the accusative direct object. Because the indefinite article ein doesn't show the neuter gender on its own, the adjective has to step up and take the strong ending -es to indicate it, making it ein gutes Geschäft.
Why does the prepositional phrase mit der Firma come before ein gutes Geschäft?
In standard German word order, prepositional objects like mit der Firma typically come before the direct object if that direct object is indefinite (introduced by ein). Indefinite direct objects are usually pushed toward the end of the clause, resting right before the past participle at the end (gemacht).
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