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Ich habe meinen Ausweis vergessen, deshalb bekomme ich keinen Zugang zum Gebäude.

Ich habe meinen Ausweis vergessen, deshalb bekomme ich keinen Zugang zum Gebäude.
I forgot my ID card, therefore I don’t get access to the building.
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Questions & Answers about Ich habe meinen Ausweis vergessen, deshalb bekomme ich keinen Zugang zum Gebäude.

Why is habe … vergessen used here—what tense is it?

It’s the Perfekt (present perfect), very common in spoken German for past events.
Structure: haben (conjugated) + Partizip II at the end.

  • ich habe … vergessen = I have forgotten … / I forgot …
  • vergessen is the Partizip II of vergessen.
Why is it meinen Ausweis and not mein Ausweis?

Because vergessen takes a direct object in the accusative case: to forget (something).
Ausweis is masculine (der Ausweis), so in accusative it becomes:

  • nominative: mein Ausweis
  • accusative: meinen Ausweis
What exactly does Ausweis mean here?

Ausweis is a general word for an ID/identification document (ID card, badge, etc.). In contexts like entering a building, it often means an ID badge or ID card you need for entry.

Why is there a comma before deshalb?

Because deshalb introduces a new main clause that explains the consequence. German often links two main clauses with a comma, especially when the second starts with a connector like deshalb, deswegen, daher.
So you get:

  • Main clause 1: Ich habe meinen Ausweis vergessen
  • Main clause 2: deshalb bekomme ich keinen Zugang zum Gebäude
Does deshalb change the word order in the second part?

Yes. Deshalb takes the first position in the clause, so the finite verb must come second (V2 rule). That forces the subject to move after the verb:

  • Deshalb bekomme ich … (verb = bekomme in position 2)
  • ich comes after the verb: deshalb bekomme ich …
Could I also say it with weil? What would change?

Yes, but the structure changes because weil introduces a subordinate clause, sending the conjugated verb to the end:

  • Ich bekomme keinen Zugang zum Gebäude, weil ich meinen Ausweis vergessen habe.
    Here, habe goes to the end of the weil-clause.
Why is it keinen Zugang—what case is Zugang?

Zugang is the direct object of bekommen (to get/receive), so it’s accusative.
With negation, kein declines like an article:

  • nominative: kein Zugang
  • accusative: keinen Zugang (masculine)
How does kein work here compared to nicht?

Use kein to negate a noun with no definite article (or with an indefinite idea):

  • keinen Zugang = no access
    You’d use nicht to negate verbs, adjectives, or specific phrases, e.g.:
  • Ich bekomme den Zugang nicht. (negating “getting it”, but this is less natural here)
    In this sentence, kein Zugang is the most idiomatic choice.
What is zum Gebäude and why is it not zu das Gebäude?

zum is the contraction of zu dem.

  • zu requires dative
  • das Gebäude becomes dem Gebäude in dative
    So: zu dem Gebäude → zum Gebäude
Why is it zu(m) Gebäude and not in(s) Gebäude?

Both can work depending on meaning:

  • Zugang zum Gebäude focuses on permission/access to the building (entry rights).
  • ins Gebäude (in + das → ins) emphasizes going into the building physically.
    With Zugang, zu is the standard collocation: Zugang zu + Dativ.
Is Zugang bekommen the same as Zugang haben?

Close, but slightly different:

  • Zugang bekommen = to be granted / to obtain access (the act/event)
  • Zugang haben = to have access (the state/condition)
    In your sentence, bekomme fits because forgetting the ID causes you not to be granted access.
Are there alternative connectors besides deshalb?

Yes, common alternatives with very similar meaning:

  • deswegen (very common)
  • daher (a bit more formal)
  • darum (common, slightly more conversational)
    Word order stays the same if they start the clause (V2 after the connector):
    …, deswegen bekomme ich keinen Zugang …