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Mein Ausweis läuft bald ab, deshalb beantrage ich morgen einen neuen.

Mein Ausweis läuft bald ab, deshalb beantrage ich morgen einen neuen.
My ID card expires soon, so I will apply for a new one tomorrow.
FromLesson 100inHardcore German
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Questions & Answers about Mein Ausweis läuft bald ab, deshalb beantrage ich morgen einen neuen.

Why does ablaufen appear as läuft … ab with ab at the end?

Ablaufen is a separable-prefix verb (ab- + laufen). In a normal main clause, the conjugated verb goes in position 2 (läuft) and the separable prefix goes to the end of the clause (ab):

  • Mein Ausweis läuft bald ab.
    In infinitive/“to”-like forms it stays together: ablaufen, abzulaufen, abgelaufen.
Is läuft present tense here? Why does it refer to the future?
Yes, läuft is present tense. German often uses the present tense for scheduled/near-future events when the time is clear from context (here: bald). You could also say Mein Ausweis wird bald ablaufen, but the present is very common.
What exactly is Ausweis grammatically (gender/case), and how do I know?
Ausweis is masculine: der Ausweis. In the first clause it’s the subject, so it’s in the nominative: Mein Ausweis. You typically learn gender with the noun (der/die/das), or from reliable dictionary entries.
Why is it Mein Ausweis and not Meinen Ausweis?
Because Mein Ausweis is the subject of the first clause (nominative). Meinen Ausweis would be accusative, used as a direct object, e.g. Ich verliere meinen Ausweis.
What does deshalb do to the word order in the second part?

Deshalb is a sentence adverb (roughly “therefore”), and it can take position 1. German main clauses are verb-second (V2), so when deshalb comes first, the verb must still be second, which forces inversion (subject after the verb):

  • deshalb beantrage ich … (not deshalb ich beantrage …)
Why is there a comma before deshalb?

You’re effectively joining two independent main clauses:

  • Mein Ausweis läuft bald ab,
  • deshalb beantrage ich morgen einen neuen.
    A comma is commonly used here to separate the clauses. You could also write two sentences or use a semicolon.
What does beantrage come from, and how is it formed?

Beantrage is 1st person singular present of beantragen (“to apply for”):

  • ich beantrage
  • du beantragst
  • er/sie/es beantragt
    It’s a regular verb in the present tense.
Which case does beantragen take, and how can I see it here?

Beantragen takes a direct object in the accusative (you apply for something). That’s why you get einen (accusative masculine) in:

  • … beantrage ich morgen einen neuen.
Why does the sentence end with einen neuen without repeating the noun?

That’s ellipsis: the noun (Ausweis) is understood from context and omitted to avoid repetition. Fully spelled out, it would be:

  • … beantrage ich morgen einen neuen Ausweis.
Why is it einen neuen and not ein neuer or einen neuer?

Because it’s accusative masculine (referring to der Ausweis):

  • nominative: ein neuer Ausweis
  • accusative: einen neuen Ausweis
    The article and adjective both change to match case/gender/number.
What adjective ending rules are shown by neuen?

After an ein-word (like ein, mein, kein), adjectives use mixed declension. Here it’s masculine accusative, so the ending is -en:

  • einen neu-en (Ausweis)
Can bald and morgen move around, and does it change emphasis?

Yes, time adverbs are flexible, though some orders sound more natural. You could say:

  • … deshalb beantrage ich morgen einen neuen. (neutral)
  • … deshalb beantrage ich einen neuen morgen. (possible, but more marked; emphasizes morgen)
    German often prefers time information relatively early, but emphasis and style can change placement.

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“How do German cases work?”
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