…
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.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Er möchte auch sein altes Auto verkaufen, weil er nicht mehr fahren kann to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions