Er möchte auch sein altes Auto verkaufen, weil er nicht mehr fahren kann.

(He also wants to sell his old car because he can no longer drive.)

Breakdown of Er möchte auch sein altes Auto verkaufen, weil er nicht mehr fahren kann.

• das Auto: the car
• nicht: not
• alt: old
• er: he
• mehr: more
• auch: also
• weil: because
• fahren: to drive
• können: can
• möchten: would like to
• verkaufen: to sell
• sein: his

Questions & Answers about Er möchte auch sein altes Auto verkaufen, weil er nicht mehr fahren kann.

Why is möchte used here instead of something like will?

Möchte is the polite subjunctive form of mögen, signaling a wish or desire in a softer tone. While will can sound more direct, möchte tends to imply a polite or slightly cautious approach: “He would like…” rather than “He wants…”

What’s the role of auch in this sentence?

Auch means “also” or “too.” It indicates that selling the car is an additional action or point, in addition to other things he might be doing or considering.

Why do we say sein altes Auto and not sein alter Auto?

In German, adjective endings match the case, gender, and number of the noun. Here, altes is in the accusative case (since “Auto” is the direct object), and “Auto” is neuter (das Auto). The correct accusative neuter ending is -es, so “altes Auto” is used.

Could the sentence work without weil?

Without weil, the sentence might have a different structure or a different connector. Weil introduces a subordinate clause that explains the reason (he can’t drive anymore). You could use something like denn or da, but you’d have to adjust word order differently if you remove weil.

Why is fahren in the infinitive and why does kann appear at the end of the clause?

Fahren is the main verb governed by the modal verb kann, so it appears in its infinitive form. In a subordinate clause introduced by weil, the conjugated verb (kann) typically moves to the end of that clause.