Understanding tablet warranty coverage | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Bevor ich dieses Tablet kaufe, möchte ich die Garantie verstehen.

   Before I buy this tablet, I want to understand the warranty.

   Bevor

   before

   ich

   I

   dieses

   this

   Tablet

   tablet

   kaufe

   buy

   möchte

   would like

   Garantie

   warranty

   verstehen

   understand

   More detail

   Bevor introduces a time clause meaning “before …”. In German, the finite verb in this subordinate clause goes to the end: Bevor ich dieses Tablet kaufe. Reusable pattern: Bevor + subject + ... + finite verb. ich is the first-person singular subject, “I”. It is the form used for the speaker as the subject of a clause. dieses means “this” here and agrees with Tablet. The form is neuter singular accusative in this noun phrase: dieses Tablet. A demonstrative changes according to the grammatical properties of the noun phrase; it is not itself the noun. Tablet is the noun “tablet”. With this neuter noun, the definite form is das Tablet, and after dieses the phrase is dieses Tablet. kaufe is the first-person singular present form of kaufen, “to buy”: ich kaufe = “I buy / I am buying”. The ending marks the subject ich. Here the present form appears in the time clause even though the buying is understood as future relative to the wanting. möchte expresses the speaker’s wish: “would like” or “want”. It is the first-person singular form used for a polite or less forceful desire, and it is historically the Konjunktiv II form of mögen; möchten is not the base infinitive of this form. It is followed by an infinitive: möchte ... verstehen. Compare Ich möchte die Garantie verstehen (“I would like to understand the warranty”) with Ich verstehe die Garantie (“I understand the warranty”); the first describes a wish, not an established understanding. Garantie means “warranty”. In die Garantie, the feminine singular article has the same form in the nominative and accusative, so the article alone does not show the case. Here the warranty is the object of verstehen. verstehen is the infinitive “to understand”. After möchte, it remains in the infinitive and goes to the end of the main clause: Ich möchte ... verstehen. It is an inseparable verb with the prefix ver-, so it is not split in ordinary finite clauses; for example, Ich verstehe die Garantie keeps the verb together. Together, Bevor ich dieses Tablet kaufe means “Before I buy this tablet”. The main clause möchte ich die Garantie verstehen means “I want to understand the warranty”; möchte expresses the desire, while verstehen names what the speaker wants to do. The complete utterance therefore means: “Before I buy this tablet, I want to understand the warranty.”

2. Die Garantie deckt technische Probleme bei normaler Nutzung ab.

   The warranty covers technical problems from normal use.

   Garantie

   warranty

   deckt … ab

   covers

   technische

   technical

   Probleme

   problems

   normaler

   normal

   Nutzung

   use

   More detail

   Garantie means “warranty” here. Its base form is die Garantie; it is a feminine noun. In this sentence it is singular and nominative because it is the subject: the warranty performs the covering. The same noun appears in the nearby question Deckt die Garantie ... ab?, where it remains the subject of the question. deckt ... ab is the separated present-tense form of abdecken, “to cover.” The -t form deckt is used with the third-person singular subject die Garantie, while the prefix ab moves to the end of the clause. The infinitive pattern is etwas abdecken: “to cover something.” Example: Die Versicherung deckt den Schaden ab. — “The insurance covers the damage.” technische comes from the adjective technisch, “technical.” It describes Probleme, so it takes the plural ending -e in technische Probleme. The adjective itself, not the noun, carries this ending. Example: technische Fragen means “technical questions.” Probleme is the plural of das Problem, “problem.” Here it is the accusative object of abdecken, the thing that is covered. Its plural form is Probleme, and in this case the accusative plural looks the same as the nominative plural. Example: Wir lösen die Probleme. — “We solve the problems.” normaler comes from normal, “normal” or “usual.” It describes Nutzung. Because bei governs the dative, Nutzung is feminine singular dative; because there is no article before the adjective, the adjective uses the strong dative feminine ending -er: bei normaler Nutzung. The phrase means “with/during normal use,” not a specific numerical amount of use. Nutzung means “use” or “usage.” It is the feminine noun die Nutzung; after bei, it appears as dative singular, although its visible noun form does not change. The phrase bei ... Nutzung is useful for stating the conditions under which something applies. Example: Bei normaler Nutzung hält der Akku lange. — “With normal use, the battery lasts a long time.” Together, Die Garantie is the subject, deckt ... ab is the separable verb, and technische Probleme is its object. bei normaler Nutzung specifies the condition: the warranty covers technical problems when the product is used normally. The complete meaning is: “The warranty covers technical problems from normal use.”

3. Deckt die Garantie auch versehentliche Schäden wie einen gesprungenen Bildschirm ab?

   Does the coverage include accidental damage, like a cracked screen?

   Deckt … ab

   covers

   Garantie

   warranty; guarantee

   auch

   also; too

   versehentliche

   accidental

   Schäden

   damage; damages

   wie

   like; such as

   gesprungenen

   cracked

   Bildschirm

   screen

   More detail

   Deckt ... ab is the separable verb abdecken, meaning “to cover” or “to include” in coverage. In the present tense, its 3rd-person singular form is deckt ... ab: the finite part deckt appears at the start of this yes/no question, while the prefix ab goes to the end. The subject is die Garantie, so the question asks whether the warranty or coverage includes something. Garantie is a feminine noun meaning “warranty” or “guarantee.” Its plural is Garantien. Here, with die, it is the subject of deckt ... ab; the fixed translation presents this coverage as the relevant actor. auch means “also” or “too.” Here it adds accidental damage to the scope being asked about: the question asks whether the coverage includes this kind of damage in addition to the previously mentioned coverage area. versehentliche comes from the adjective versehentlich, “accidental.” It describes Schäden and has the ending -e here because it is an adjective before a plural noun without an article: versehentliche Schäden. The opposite idea is absichtlich, “intentional.” Example: Das war versehentlich. — “That was accidental.” Schäden is the plural of Schaden, “damage” or “harm.” In this sentence it is the accusative object of abdecken: the coverage is being asked about in relation to accidental damage. German can use the plural Schäden for separate instances or types of damage, while Schaden can refer to damage more generally or to one instance. wie means “like” or “such as” here. It introduces an example of the accidental damage being discussed. This is the example-giving use of wie, not the question-word use meaning “how.” gesprungenen describes Bildschirm and means “cracked.” It is based on the adjective or participial form gesprungen, related to springen, “to jump,” but in gesprungener Bildschirm it describes a screen with a crack. In einen gesprungenen Bildschirm, the ending -en reflects the masculine accusative noun phrase after einen; it is the adjective, not Bildschirm, that carries this ending. Bildschirm is a masculine noun meaning “screen.” Its plural is Bildschirme. The phrase einen gesprungenen Bildschirm is a masculine accusative noun phrase. einen marks the grammatical form of the article here; it does not by itself add a separate numerical claim beyond the example being presented. Together, versehentliche Schäden means “accidental damage,” and wie einen gesprungenen Bildschirm gives a concrete example, “such as a cracked screen.” The question structure Deckt ... ab? surrounds the subject and object: Deckt die Garantie auch versehentliche Schäden ... ab? Therefore the complete intended meaning is: “Does the warranty or coverage also cover accidental damage, such as a cracked screen?”

4. Versehentliche Schäden werden durch einen separaten Schutzplan abgedeckt.

   Accidental damage is handled by a separate protection plan.

   Versehentliche

   accidental

   Schäden

   damage; damages

   werden … abgedeckt

   are covered

   separaten

   separate

   Schutzplan

   protection plan

   More detail

   Versehentliche describes the noun Schäden here: accidental damage. Its base form is versehentlich; the ending -e marks the adjective form used with a plural noun without an article in this position. Example: versehentliche Kosten means “accidental costs.” Schäden means damage or damages in this sentence. It is the plural of Schaden; the umlaut and ending distinguish the plural form. Example: Die Schäden sind teuer. — “The damages are expensive.” werden ... abgedeckt forms the present passive: werden is the third-person plural form of werden, and abgedeckt is the past participle of abdecken (“to cover”). The passive presents the damages as receiving coverage, without stating who provides it. Example: Die Kosten werden abgedeckt. — “The costs are covered.” separaten means separate here. Its base form is separat. The ending -en is required because Schutzplan is masculine and the phrase follows durch einen, which marks the accusative after durch. Einen is an indefinite article here, not a claim about a numerical count. Example: durch einen separaten Vertrag means “through a separate contract.” Schutzplan means protection plan. It is a masculine compound noun, so its definite article is der Schutzplan and its accusative form after durch is durch einen Schutzplan. Together, Versehentliche Schäden is the passive sentence’s subject, werden ... abgedeckt says that they are covered, and durch einen separaten Schutzplan identifies the means or arrangement providing that coverage. The complete meaning is: “Accidental damage is handled by a separate protection plan.”

5. Wenn der Akku ausfällt, soll ich das Tablet hierher bringen oder den Hersteller kontaktieren?

   If the battery fails, would I bring the tablet here or contact the manufacturer?

   Wenn

   if

   Akku

   battery

   ausfällt

   fails

   soll ich

   should I …?

   Tablet

   tablet

   hierher

   here

   bringen

   bring

   oder

   or

   Hersteller

   manufacturer

   kontaktieren

   contact

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition. In German, a finite verb in a wenn-clause normally goes to the end: Wenn der Akku ausfällt = “If the battery fails.” The condition is not presented as a fact that has already happened. Akku means “battery,” especially a rechargeable battery. Its base form is the noun der Akku; here it appears with der because it is the subject of the clause. A useful example is Der Akku ist leer. — “The battery is empty.” ausfällt is the 3rd-person singular present form of ausfallen, “to fail” or, in other contexts, “to drop out.” The verb is separable in main clauses: Der Akku fällt aus. In the subordinate clause after wenn, the finite form appears at the end as one written form: ausfällt. soll ich combines sollen with the first-person singular pronoun ich. Here it asks what the speaker is expected or instructed to do: “should I …?” The modal verb sollen is followed by an infinitive without zu, as in Soll ich warten? — “Should I wait?” The question is about choosing the appropriate action, not about asserting that the speaker will definitely perform it. Tablet is the noun “tablet.” In das Tablet, das marks this neuter noun in the accusative, because it is the object of bringen. The noun itself does not change form here. Example: Ich sehe das Tablet. — “I see the tablet.” hierher means “to here,” emphasizing movement toward the place associated with the speaker or the conversation. It differs from hier, “here,” which simply indicates location. Example: Bring es hierher. — “Bring it here.” bringen means “to bring” or “to take something to a specified destination,” depending on the viewpoint and context. Its base form is bringen; after the modal soll, it remains an infinitive. In das Tablet hierher bringen, the tablet is the object and hierher gives the destination. oder coordinates alternatives and means “or.” It links the two possible actions: bringing the tablet here and contacting the manufacturer. Hersteller means “manufacturer” or “maker.” The base noun is der Hersteller; after kontaktieren, it appears as den Hersteller, the masculine accusative form. The noun itself has no changed ending in this form; the article carries the case marking. Example: Ich kontaktiere den Hersteller. — “I contact the manufacturer.” kontaktieren means “to contact.” It is a regular infinitive here and is also governed by soll: soll ich ... kontaktieren. In German, kontaktieren takes a direct object, so den Hersteller names the person or organization contacted. The two infinitives, bringen and kontaktieren, are coordinated by oder under the same modal soll: soll ich [das Tablet hierher bringen] oder [den Hersteller kontaktieren]? The opening Wenn der Akku ausfällt supplies the condition. Taken together, the utterance asks which action is expected if the battery fails: whether the speaker should bring the tablet here or contact the manufacturer.

6. Sie können den Anspruch hier anmelden, und wir erklären Ihnen, wie es weitergeht.

   You can start the claim here, and we will explain what happens next.

   Sie können

   you can

   den Anspruch

   the claim

   hier

   here

   anmelden

   register; file

   erklären

   explain

   Ihnen

   to you

   wie es weitergeht

   what happens next

   More detail

   Sie können: können is the modal verb meaning “can” here. Its form is present tense, third-person plural, and also the formal singular form; Sie identifies the addressee as formal or several people. With a modal verb, the other verb normally stays in the infinitive at the end of the clause: Sie können ... anmelden = “you can file ...”. Depending on context, können can express ability or permission; the fixed translation supports the general possibility “can.” den Anspruch: Anspruch is a masculine noun meaning a claim or entitlement in this context. den marks the masculine accusative form because the claim is the object of anmelden. The useful article contrast is der Anspruch as the subject form versus den Anspruch as the direct object form. The article is not a number claim by itself; the noun is singular because this form refers to one claim. hier: This adverb means “here,” identifying the place where the filing can take place. It does not itself mean “now” or “at this office” beyond what the situation may make clear. anmelden: The verb anmelden means to register or file something. Here, the claim is what is filed. It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, the parts separate, as in Ich melde den Anspruch an (“I file the claim”); after the modal können, the infinitive remains together at the end, können ... anmelden. The sentence uses anmelden, not the related but different verb abmelden (“deregister” or “sign off”). erklären: erklären means “to explain.” Its common pattern is jemandem etwas erklären, with the person receiving the explanation in the dative and the information being explained as the object or a following clause. Example: Wir erklären den Ablauf. — “We explain the process.” In this sentence, the information is introduced by wie rather than by a noun. Ihnen: Ihnen is the dative form of formal Sie, meaning “to you” here. The same form is used when addressing one person formally or several people formally; the sentence itself does not distinguish those possibilities. The dative marks the recipient of the explanation: Wir erklären Ihnen ... = “We explain ... to you.” wie es weitergeht: This clause means “what happens next” in the supplied translation. wie introduces an indirect question about the way or course of events. es is the grammatical subject of weitergeht; the fixed texts do not identify it as a particular person or object. weitergeht comes from the separable verb weitergehen (“continue” or “go on”): in this subordinate clause, the finite form is written together at the end as weitergeht, rather than being split as it is in a main-clause question. Compare the main-clause order Wie geht es weiter? — “What happens next?” — with the embedded clause wie es weitergeht. Together, Sie können den Anspruch hier anmelden says “you can file the claim here.” The conjunction und links that action to wir erklären Ihnen, wie es weitergeht, “we will explain to you what happens next.” In the second clause, wir is the subject, erklären is the finite verb, Ihnen names the recipient, and wie es weitergeht supplies the information being explained. The complete meaning is therefore: “You can start the claim here, and we will explain what happens next.”

7. Woher weiß ich, ob eine Reparatur oder ein Ersatz besser ist?

   How would I know whether repair or replacement is better?

   Woher

   where ... from

   weiß

   know

   ob

   whether

   Reparatur

   repair

   Ersatz

   replacement

   besser

   better

   More detail

   Woher asks about the source or basis of knowledge. In Woher weiß ich ...?, it naturally means “How would I know ...?” It differs from wo, “where,” which asks only about a location. Example: Woher weißt du das? — “How do you know that?” weiß is the first-person singular present form of wissen, “to know,” used with the subject ich: ich weiß. Compare du weißt, “you know,” and sie wissen, “they know.” Formal “you know” is written with a capital letter: Sie wissen. Here weiß is the verb, not the adjective weiß, “white.” ob introduces an embedded yes-or-no question and means “whether” here. Example: Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt. — “I do not know whether he is coming.” In this utterance, the embedded question concerns which of two alternatives is better. Reparatur means “repair.” It is a feminine noun: eine Reparatur; its plural is Reparaturen. Here it refers to the act or result of repairing something. Example: Die Reparatur dauert lange. — “The repair is taking a long time.” Ersatz means “replacement” in this context: something used instead of the original item. It is a masculine noun, so the phrase here is ein Ersatz. Example: Wir brauchen einen Ersatz. — “We need a replacement.” besser is the comparative form of gut: gut — “good,” besser — “better,” am besten — “best.” It compares the two alternatives in the utterance. Example: Diese Lösung ist besser. — “This solution is better.” The alternatives are joined by oder: eine Reparatur oder ein Ersatz, “a repair or a replacement.” The articles reflect the nouns’ grammatical genders; they do not by themselves assert a numerical count. The subordinate clause has the pattern ob ... besser ist, with the finite verb ist at the end. Together, Woher weiß ich, ob eine Reparatur oder ein Ersatz besser ist? asks what basis the speaker could have for knowing whether repair or replacement is better. This matches the fixed translation: “How would I know whether repair or replacement is better?”

8. Wir prüfen zuerst das Problem und erklären dann die verfügbaren Möglichkeiten.

   We check the problem first, then explain the available options.

   prüfen

   check; examine

   zuerst

   first

   Problem

   problem

   erklären

   explain

   dann

   then

   verfügbaren

   available

   Möglichkeiten

   options; possibilities

   More detail

   prüfen means “to check” or “to examine.” Its base form is prüfen, and wir prüfen is the present-tense form for wir (“we”); it happens to look identical to the infinitive. Example: Wir prüfen den Plan. — “We check the plan.” zuerst means “first” in time or order. It commonly marks the first step in a sequence: Wir prüfen zuerst die Daten. — “We check the data first.” Problem means “problem.” Its plural is Probleme; in the sentence, das Problem is singular and has the neuter definite article das. The article and noun together show that the object being checked is one specific problem, without treating das as a number word. erklären means “to explain.” The form wir erklären is present tense for wir, and, like prüfen, it has the same spelling as the infinitive. In this sentence, it is the second coordinated verb performed by the same “we”: Wir erklären den Plan. — “We explain the plan.” dann means “then.” It places the following action after the earlier action: Zuerst lesen wir, dann antworten wir. — “First we read, then we answer.” verfügbaren comes from the adjective verfügbar, “available.” In die verfügbaren Möglichkeiten, it describes the plural noun Möglichkeiten. Because the noun phrase has the definite article die and is plural, the adjective takes the ending -en: die verfügbaren .... The adjective itself, not the noun, carries this inflection. Möglichkeiten means “options” or “possibilities.” Its singular is Möglichkeit; the plural changes the vowel to ö and adds -en: eine Möglichkeit / mehrere Möglichkeiten. Here the plural refers to the available options under consideration, not to a stated number. Example: Wir vergleichen die Möglichkeiten. — “We compare the options.” The sentence has the reusable pattern Wir [verb] zuerst [object] und [verb] dann [object]. Wir prüfen zuerst das Problem gives the first action and its object. und erklären dann die verfügbaren Möglichkeiten coordinates a second action with the same subject wir; the subject is not repeated, but erklären is still finite present tense for “we.” The complete meaning is: “We check the problem first, then explain the available options.”

9. Das hilft mir zu entscheiden, ob dieses Tablet eine sinnvolle Wahl ist.

   That helps me decide whether this tablet is a sensible choice.

   Das

   That

   hilft

   helps

   mir

   to me

   zu entscheiden

   to decide

   ob

   whether

   dieses

   this

   Tablet

   tablet

   sinnvolle

   sensible

   Wahl

   choice

   ist

   is

   More detail

   Das means “that” here as a demonstrative pronoun. It is neuter singular, but the sentence does not identify a specific noun that it replaces. Do not confuse it with dass, the conjunction “that”: Das hilft. = “That helps”; Ich weiß, dass es hilft. = “I know that it helps.” hilft is the present-tense third-person singular form of helfen (“to help”): ich helfe, du hilfst, er/sie/es hilft. The form agrees with the subject Das. A useful pattern is etwas hilft jemandem—something helps someone—where the person helped is expressed in the dative. mir is the first-person singular dative pronoun, “to me.” The dative marks the person who benefits from or is helped by the action. Compare mir (“to me”) with mich (“me” as a direct object): Das hilft mir. = “That helps me”; Das sieht mich. = “That sees me.” zu entscheiden means “to decide.” entscheiden is the base form, and zu entscheiden is an infinitive with zu. With helfen, German commonly uses the pattern jemandem helfen, etwas zu tun: “to help someone do something.” Example: Die Liste hilft mir, schnell zu entscheiden. = “The list helps me decide quickly.” ob introduces an indirect yes-or-no question and means “whether” here. In the clause beginning with ob, the finite verb goes to the end. This differs from wenn, which commonly means “if” or “when” and introduces a condition or time relation rather than an indirect question. dieses means “this” and is the neuter singular form of the demonstrative determiner in this context. It agrees with Tablet, which is neuter and nominative here: dieses Tablet. Other forms include dieser for masculine singular and diese for feminine singular or plural nouns. The form is determined by the noun’s grammatical gender, number, and case, not by the physical size of the object. Tablet is the noun “tablet.” In dieses Tablet, it is the subject of the ob-clause and is in the nominative. German borrowed nouns such as this one can retain an uninflected form while the determiner and other words show grammatical information. sinnvolle means “sensible” or “reasonable” here. Its base form is the adjective sinnvoll. In eine sinnvolle Wahl, the adjective has the ending -e because it follows the feminine singular indefinite article eine in the nominative. This is mixed adjective inflection; the article and adjective together mark the noun phrase: eine sinnvolle Wahl. Example: Das ist eine sinnvolle Lösung. = “That is a sensible solution.” Wahl means “choice.” It is a feminine noun: die Wahl. In this sentence, eine sinnvolle Wahl is the predicate noun after ist, describing what the tablet is considered to be. The phrase means “a sensible choice,” not a numeric claim about the choice. ist is the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”): ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist. In the ob-clause, it appears at the end, as required for a finite verb in this subordinate-clause pattern. Together, Das hilft mir zu entscheiden means “That helps me decide.” The following indirect yes-or-no question, ob dieses Tablet eine sinnvolle Wahl ist, means “whether this tablet is a sensible choice.” Combined, the utterance means: “That helps me decide whether this tablet is a sensible choice.”

10. Garantiedetails sind wichtiger, wenn Sie das Tablet jeden Tag benutzen möchten.

    Warranty details matter more when you plan to use it every day.

    Garantiedetails

    warranty details

    sind wichtiger

    matter more

    wenn

    when

    Sie

    you (formal)

    Tablet

    tablet

    jeden Tag

    every day

    benutzen

    use

    möchten

    would like

    More detail

    Garantiedetails is a compound plural noun: Garantie means “warranty” and Details means “details.” The compound is written as one word. Here it refers to details about the warranty. Example: Die Garantiedetails sind klar. — “The warranty details are clear.” sind wichtiger combines sind, the plural present form of sein (“are”), with wichtiger, the comparative of the adjective wichtig (“important”). wichtig → wichtiger means “important” → “more important.” The plural form sind agrees with Garantiedetails; wichtiger compares the warranty details with an understood alternative or standard. Example: Diese Angaben sind wichtiger. — “This information is more important.” wenn introduces a subordinate clause meaning “when” here. In a German wenn-clause, the finite verb normally goes to the end. The clause beginning with wenn therefore supplies the condition or time under which the main statement applies. Sie is the formal “you.” It is capitalized to distinguish formal address from the third-person plural pronoun sie (“they”) and the feminine singular sie (“she”). In this sentence, Sie is the person who plans to use the tablet. Formal Sie takes plural verb forms even when it refers to one person: Sie sind means “you are” in formal address. Tablet is a noun meaning “tablet.” German nouns are capitalized, and das Tablet is neuter. In the fixed translation, the later object “it” refers to this tablet, so the intended meaning is using the tablet every day. Example: Ich kaufe das Tablet. — “I am buying the tablet.” jeden Tag is a time expression meaning “every day.” Tag is the masculine noun der Tag; in this expression, jeden is its masculine accusative form. The phrase describes repeated daily use, not one particular day. Example: Sie liest jeden Tag. — “She reads every day.” benutzen is the infinitive “to use.” It is the lexical verb of the subordinate clause. After a modal-type form such as möchten, the other verb remains in the infinitive and appears at the end of the subordinate clause: ... benutzen möchten. möchten expresses a polite wish or intention, here “would like to” or, in the fixed translation, “plan to.” It is conventionally taught as the polite form used with mögen; the relevant form in this sentence is möchten, not the present-tense form mögen. Example: Ich möchte lernen. — “I would like to learn.” With formal Sie, the form is also möchten: Sie möchten lernen. — “You would like to learn.” Together, wenn Sie das Tablet jeden Tag benutzen möchten means “when you plan to use the tablet every day.” Wenn places this subordinate clause before the main clause, and the finite verb möchten comes at the end. The main clause Garantiedetails sind wichtiger then says that the warranty details are more important in that situation. The complete utterance means: “Warranty details matter more when you plan to use it every day.”