Breakdown of Vor einem Jahr besaßen wir kaum Möbel.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
wir
we
das Jahr
the year
kaum
hardly
die Möbel
the furniture
vor
ago
besitzen
to own
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Vor einem Jahr besaßen wir kaum Möbel.
Why is einem used instead of ein before Jahr?
Because in the phrase vor einem Jahr, the preposition vor expresses a point in time and requires the dative case. Since Jahr is a neuter noun, the dative form of ein is einem.
Why does the verb besaßen come right after the time expression Vor einem Jahr?
German main clauses follow the Verb-Second (V2) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. When you place the time phrase Vor einem Jahr in the first position, besaßen automatically moves to the second.
Could we use hatten (the past of haben) instead of besaßen (the past of besitzen)?
Yes, you could say “Vor einem Jahr hatten wir kaum Möbel.” However, besitzen specifically means “to own,” so besaßen stresses actual ownership. haben is more general (“to have”), and might be preferred in casual speech.
What does kaum mean, and why is there no article before Möbel?
kaum is an adverb meaning “hardly” or “barely,” indicating a very small quantity. After kaum, you omit any article before a plural or mass noun. Thus kaum Möbel translates to “hardly any furniture.”
Why is Möbel in the plural, and is there a singular form?
Möbel is a plural-only noun in German used collectively (much like “furniture” in English). There’s no singular Möbel; if you need a single item, you say das Möbelstück (“piece of furniture”).
Why is besaßen spelled with ß instead of ss?
In German spelling, ß (Eszett) follows long vowels or diphthongs. The stem vowel in besaßen is a long a, so the correct preterite form uses ß.
Could I express this sentence in the present perfect (Perfekt) instead of the simple past (Präteritum)?
Yes. In spoken German, Perfekt is more common for past events. You could say “Vor einem Jahr haben wir kaum Möbel besessen.” In writing or formal narration, the Präteritum (besaßen) remains the norm.
Is it possible to place Vor einem Jahr later, like Wir besaßen vor einem Jahr kaum Möbel?
Absolutely. German allows time expressions in various positions. Starting with Vor einem Jahr emphasizes the time, but “Wir besaßen vor einem Jahr kaum Möbel” is equally correct. The finite verb still stays in second position relative to whatever comes first.
Why is Möbel capitalized?
In German, all nouns are capitalized without exception. Since Möbel is a noun, it must begin with a capital letter.
What function does vor have in this sentence—preposition or adverb?
Here vor is a preposition meaning “before” in the sense of “ago,” and it governs the dative case. English speakers often translate “vor einem Jahr” as “a year ago,” but it’s built in German with vor + dative.