Troubleshooting a printer problem | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Der Drucker lehnt meine Datei immer wieder ab, obwohl das Format unterstützt wird.

   The printer keeps rejecting my file, although the format is supported.

   Drucker

   printer

   lehnt … ab

   rejects

   Datei

   file

   immer wieder

   again and again

   obwohl

   although

   Format

   format

   unterstützt

   supported

   More detail

   Drucker means “printer” here. It is the masculine noun der Drucker; its plural is die Drucker. The form is the subject of the sentence, the device performing the rejection. lehnt ... ab is the separable verb ablehnen, “to reject.” In the present tense, third-person singular is er/sie/es lehnt ... ab; the prefix ab moves to the end of a main clause. Example: Der Drucker lehnt das Dokument ab. — “The printer rejects the document.” The past participle is abgelehnt, as in Der Drucker hat die Datei abgelehnt. Datei means “file.” It is the feminine noun die Datei; here, meine Datei means “my file.” The possessive form meine agrees with this feminine singular noun in this sentence. immer wieder means that the action happens repeatedly: “again and again” or “keeps.” It strengthens the repeated nature of lehnt ... ab; it does not itself identify how many rejections occurred. obwohl introduces a contrast: “although.” It starts a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb goes to the end of that clause. Example: Ich öffne die Datei, obwohl sie groß ist. — “I open the file although it is large.” Format means “format.” It is the neuter noun das Format; here, das Format is the subject of the subordinate clause. The later context about a document and oversized images does not change the meaning of this noun in the fixed sentence. unterstützt is the form of unterstützen, “to support,” used here in the passive construction unterstützt wird, “is supported.” The format receives the action rather than performing it. wird is the present-tense form of werden used to build this passive construction, while unterstützt is the past participle of unterstützen. Example: Dieses Format wird unterstützt. — “This format is supported.” Together, Der Drucker lehnt meine Datei immer wieder ab says that the printer keeps rejecting my file. obwohl das Format unterstützt wird adds the contrasting fact that the format is supported. The complete meaning is: “The printer keeps rejecting my file, although the format is supported.”

2. Hast du geprüft, ob das Dokument zu große Bilder enthält?

   Have you checked whether the document contains oversized images?

   Hast du

   have you

   geprüft

   checked

   ob

   whether

   das Dokument

   the document

   zu große

   too large

   Bilder

   images

   enthält

   contains

   More detail

   Hast du puts the finite auxiliary hast before the subject du, which creates a yes/no question. hast is the second-person singular present form of haben. In this perfect-tense pattern, haben is the auxiliary and the completed action appears at the end as a past participle. geprüft is the past participle of prüfen (“to check”): prüfen → geprüft. With haben, it describes the checking as completed. Example: Ich habe die Datei geprüft. — “I checked the file.” ob introduces an indirect yes/no question, meaning “whether” or “if” in this sense. In the clause introduced by ob, the finite verb normally goes to the end. This differs from a direct yes/no question such as Enthält das Dokument Bilder? — “Does the document contain images?” das Dokument means “the document” here. Dokument is a neuter singular noun, and das is the definite article used here for the nominative subject of enthält; for this neuter form, nominative and accusative articles are identical. Example: Ich öffne das Dokument. — “I open the document.” zu große expresses “too large.” The adjective’s base form is groß; zu adds the meaning that the size exceeds a relevant limit or is excessive. große is the inflected form modifying plural Bilder; the adjective agrees with that noun phrase rather than taking its base from the noun. Example: Die Datei ist zu groß. — “The file is too large.” Bilder means “images” here. It is the plural of Bild (“image” or “picture”). The plural noun is the accusative object of enthält, while das Dokument is the subject. Example: Die Bilder sind klar. — “The images are clear.” enthält is the third-person singular present form of enthalten (“to contain”). Its subject is das Dokument, so the verb is singular; Bilder is the plural object, not the subject. In the ob clause, this finite verb appears at the end: ob das Dokument zu große Bilder enthält. Together, Hast du geprüft asks whether the checking has been completed. ob das Dokument zu große Bilder enthält specifies what was checked: whether the document contains images that are too large. The complete utterance therefore means: “Have you checked whether the document contains oversized images?”

3. Das ist möglich, denn die Präsentation enthält mehrere detaillierte Diagramme.

   That is possible, since the presentation includes several detailed charts.

   Das ist

   That is

   möglich

   possible

   denn

   because

   Präsentation

   presentation

   enthält

   includes

   mehrere

   several

   detaillierte

   detailed

   Diagramme

   charts

   More detail

   Das ist combines the demonstrative pronoun das (“that”) with ist, the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”). Here das refers to the situation or assessment expressed in the sentence, matching “That” in the translation. The form ist agrees with this singular pronoun; it is not a past-tense form. möglich is an adjective meaning “possible.” After sein, it is used predicatively, so it has no adjective ending: Das ist möglich. Compare the attributive use eine mögliche Lösung (“a possible solution”), where the adjective is placed directly before a noun and takes an ending. denn introduces the reason for the statement and is a coordinating conjunction meaning “because” or “since.” Unlike a subordinate-clause conjunction such as weil, it does not send the finite verb to the end of its clause: ..., denn die Präsentation enthält ...; with weil, the corresponding order is ..., weil die Präsentation ... enthält. Präsentation is a feminine noun meaning “presentation.” The form die Präsentation is nominative singular here, and it is the subject of enthält. Its plural is Präsentationen: Die Präsentationen sind kurz (“The presentations are short”). enthält is the third-person singular present form of enthalten, “to contain” or “to include.” The umlaut in enthält belongs to this inflected verb form; it is not a form of a separate verb halten. Example: Der Bericht enthält wichtige Informationen. — “The report contains important information.” mehrere means “several,” indicating more than one without stating an exact number. It is used here with the plural noun phrase mehrere detaillierte Diagramme, which functions as the accusative object of enthält. The form mehrere is the same for nominative and accusative plural in this phrase: Mehrere Diagramme fehlen (“Several charts are missing”) versus Ich sehe mehrere Diagramme (“I see several charts”). detaillierte is the attributive form of the adjective detailliert, “detailed.” It describes Diagramme and has the plural adjective ending -e in mehrere detaillierte Diagramme. The adjective itself is not the noun’s base form. Example: Wir brauchen detaillierte Angaben. — “We need detailed information.” Diagramme is the plural of the neuter noun Diagramm, “chart” or “diagram.” The plural is formed with -e: ein Diagramm → mehrere Diagramme. In this sentence, the plural accusative has the same visible form as the plural nominative, so the object role is identified by the verb’s structure rather than by a special noun ending. Together, Das ist möglich states that the situation is possible. denn then introduces the reason, die Präsentation enthält mehrere detaillierte Diagramme: the presentation is the subject, enthält means “includes,” and mehrere detaillierte Diagramme is its object. The whole utterance means: “That is possible, since the presentation includes several detailed charts.”

4. Wenn wir sie komprimieren, könnte das helfen, ohne die Bildqualität zu beeinträchtigen.

   Compressing them may help without damaging the visual quality.

   Wenn wir

   if we

   sie

   them

   komprimieren

   compress

   könnte

   could; may

   das

   that

   helfen

   help

   ohne … zu

   without … to

   Bildqualität

   image quality

   beeinträchtigen

   damage; impair

   More detail

   Wenn wir introduces a conditional clause: “if we …”. Wenn commonly introduces a condition, and wir is the first-person plural pronoun “we”. In this clause, the finite verb comes at the end, so the full conditional clause ends with komprimieren. Sie is the object pronoun “them” here, matching the fixed translation. Its exact referents are not specified in this sentence. German sie can have other functions in other contexts, but here its role is a plural accusative object. Example: Wir sehen sie. — “We see them.” Komprimieren is the infinitive “to compress”; in the sentence it is also the present-tense form used with wir: wir komprimieren — “we compress”. The same form serves as the infinitive and as the first-person plural present form. Example: Wir komprimieren die Dateien. — “We compress the files.” Könnte is the form of können used here to express a possible or cautiously presented result: “could” or “may”. Its subject is das, so this form is third-person singular; können has other forms such as wir können (“we can”) and sie können (“they can”). Because könnte is followed by helfen, the modal verb carries the finite position while the lexical verb remains in the infinitive. Das is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It functions as the subject of könnte helfen and refers to the proposed action or situation of compressing them, rather than naming a new noun. The demonstrative form itself does not identify a more specific referent beyond what the sentence and context support. Helfen means “to help”. After the modal könnte, it stays in the infinitive: Das könnte helfen. — “That could help.” German uses the same verb with a person or thing receiving help, often with a dative object: Ich helfe ihm. — “I help him.” Ohne … zu is a reusable construction meaning “without …-ing” or “without doing …”. The zu belongs with the following infinitive, so the two visible parts are separated by the noun phrase die Bildqualität. Example: Sie ging, ohne sich zu verabschieden. — “She left without saying goodbye.” Bildqualität is the compound noun “image quality” or “visual quality”. It combines Bild (“image/picture”) and Qualität (“quality”); as a German noun, it is capitalized. In this sentence it is the object of beeinträchtigen, marked by the accusative article die. Beeinträchtigen means “to impair”, “to adversely affect”, or, in this context, “to damage”. It is a regular infinitive with zu: zu beeinträchtigen. Its object is die Bildqualität, so the construction describes not impairing the visual quality. Example: Das Licht beeinträchtigt die Sicht. — “The light impairs visibility.” Together, Wenn wir sie komprimieren means “if we compress them”. The main clause könnte das helfen says that this action may help, while ohne die Bildqualität zu beeinträchtigen adds the condition that it happens without impairing the visual quality. The complete meaning is: “Compressing them may help without damaging the visual quality.”

5. Das wäre mir lieber, als die gesamte Präsentation neu zu erstellen.

   I would prefer that to rebuilding the entire deck.

   Das

   that

   wäre

   would be

   mir

   to me

   lieber

   preferable

   als

   than

   gesamte

   entire

   Präsentation

   presentation; deck

   neu

   anew

   zu erstellen

   to create

   More detail

   Das is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It is neuter singular in form, and the fixed translation supports the intended reference to the alternative being proposed. Demonstratives can also accompany a noun, but this one stands alone. wäre is the third-person singular Konjunktiv II form of sein (“to be”). The useful chain is sein → ist (present indicative) → wäre (hypothetical or softened form). Here it presents the preferred alternative as “would be,” rather than stating that it actually is preferable. Example: Das wäre besser. — “That would be better.” mir is the first-person singular dative pronoun, “to me” or “for me.” The dative marks the person whose preference is being expressed. Compare mir (“to me”) with dir (“to you”) in the same role: Das wäre dir lieber. — “You would prefer that.” lieber is the comparative form of gern, used to express preference: gern means “gladly/preferably,” and lieber means “rather/preferably.” In mir ... lieber, it says that the option would suit the speaker’s preference better. Its superlative is am liebsten (“most preferably”). als introduces the option being compared with the preferred one. In the pattern etwas wäre mir lieber, als ..., it corresponds to “than ...” and links the preferred alternative to the less-preferred alternative. gesamte is the inflected form of the adjective gesamt (“whole/entire”). It appears with the feminine singular noun Präsentation in the accusative phrase die gesamte Präsentation; the accusative is required because the presentation is the object of erstellen. In this phrase, the definite article and adjective identify feminine singular agreement, but their forms do not by themselves uniquely display the accusative, since feminine nominative and accusative use the same forms here. Example: Wir lesen den gesamten Bericht. — “We are reading the entire report.” Präsentation is a feminine noun meaning “presentation.” In the fixed translation, “deck” conveys the presentation in context; the German noun itself does not specifically mean a slide deck in every use. neu means “anew” here and modifies the action, not the noun Präsentation. It says that the presentation would be created again. The same form can also be an adjective before a noun, as in eine neue Präsentation — “a new presentation”; that is a different syntactic use. zu erstellen is the infinitive erstellen (“to create/produce”) with the infinitive marker zu. The pattern etwas neu zu erstellen means “to create something again.” Erstellen is a regular verb; the separable-verb pattern found with some other verbs does not apply here. Example: Es ist schwierig, den Bericht neu zu erstellen. — “It is difficult to recreate the report.” Together, Das wäre mir lieber says “That would be preferable to me,” and als die gesamte Präsentation neu zu erstellen supplies the comparison: “than recreating the entire presentation.” The complete utterance therefore means, “I would prefer that to rebuilding the entire deck.”

6. Schick sie über den gemeinsamen Ordner.

   Send it through the shared folder.

   Schick

   send

   sie

   it

   über den

   through the

   gemeinsamen

   shared

   Ordner

   folder

   More detail

   Schick is the informal singular imperative of schicken (“to send”). The imperative addresses one person directly: Schick das! means “Send that!” The form for addressing several people or using a formal address is different, so do not generalize this form to every addressee. sie is the accusative singular feminine pronoun in this sentence, used here with the fixed meaning “it.” German pronouns show grammatical case, and sie can also have other functions in other contexts; here its role is the thing being sent. The translation and surrounding context support the intended object without uniquely naming what that object is. über den expresses movement or a route “through” something here. über takes the accusative when it describes movement across or through a destination or route; with a fixed location, it commonly takes the dative instead. den is the masculine singular accusative form of the definite article: nominative der, accusative den. gemeinsamen means “shared” here. Its base form is the adjective gemeinsam. In den gemeinsamen Ordner, the adjective has the ending -en because it follows the masculine singular accusative definite article den. This ending belongs to gemeinsamen, not to Ordner. Ordner means “folder.” Its base form is also Ordner; the form is unchanged in the singular nominative and accusative, while the plural is Ordner as well. For example, Ich öffne den Ordner. means “I open the folder.” Together, Schick sie gives the command “Send it.” über den gemeinsamen Ordner specifies the route or medium: “through the shared folder.” The complete utterance therefore means “Send it through the shared folder.”

7. Ich kann sie von meinem Konto aus testen.

   I can test it from my account.

   Ich kann

   I can

   sie

   it

   von meinem Konto aus

   from my account

   testen

   test

   More detail

   Ich kann expresses “I can” here. kann is the first-person singular present form of können; the subject Ich identifies the person who has the ability or opportunity. German modal verbs are followed by an infinitive, which is placed at the end of the clause: Ich kann testen = “I can test.” sie is the object being tested. In this sentence, the fixed translation supports the singular English meaning “it.” The German form sie is used here as an accusative pronoun; its specific referent is not named in the sentence. The same spelling can serve other grammatical roles in other contexts, so the sentence position and context matter. von meinem Konto aus means “from my account.” This is a reusable source or starting-point expression: von ... aus. The noun Konto is neuter, so the possessive form after von is dative singular meinem: mein Konto → von meinem Konto aus. The ending -em belongs to meinem, not to Konto. testen means “to test.” Its base form is testen, and here it remains an infinitive because it follows the modal verb kann. For example, Ich kann das Programm testen. means “I can test the program.” Together, Ich kann + sie + von meinem Konto aus + testen gives: “I can test it from my account.” The modal construction states the speaker’s ability or possibility, sie is the thing tested, von meinem Konto aus identifies the account as the source or environment, and the infinitive testen appears at the end. This is a neutral, reusable way to describe what someone can do through or using an account.

8. So muss ich nicht zufällig verschiedene Einstellungen ausprobieren.

   That saves me from guessing at random settings.

   So

   that way; thus

   muss ich

   I must / have to

   nicht

   not

   zufällig

   at random

   verschiedene

   different; various

   Einstellungen

   settings

   ausprobieren

   try out

   More detail

   So means “that way” or “thus” here: it points back to the method just described and introduces the consequence. In a reusable pattern, So muss ich ... means “That way, I have to ...”; the following verb comes before the subject because So occupies the first position in this main clause. muss ich is the first-person singular form of müssen (“must; have to”). müssen is a modal verb: ich muss, du musst, er/sie muss. The modal is finite, while the other verb remains an infinitive at the end of the clause. Here muss expresses the obligation or necessity that is avoided by the negation later in the sentence. nicht negates the action or manner described by the rest of the clause. With the wording here, nicht zufällig verschiedene Einstellungen ausprobieren means not having to try various settings at random. Its exact scope is understood together with the following phrase, rather than as a standalone meaning of nicht. zufällig means “at random” in this sentence. The same adjective can also mean “accidental” or “random” in other contexts, but here it describes the manner of trying the settings. A useful contrast is absichtlich (“deliberately”): Er hat es absichtlich gemacht. — “He did it deliberately.” verschiedene is the inflected form of verschieden (“different; various”). It describes Einstellungen and has the plural form used here; the adjective ending also reflects its position before the noun. Compare eine verschiedene Einstellung in a singular context with verschiedene Einstellungen in the plural. The sentence does not identify a specific number of settings; the plural only presents them as more than one. Einstellungen is the plural of Einstellung, “setting” or “configuration” here. Einstellung can have other meanings in other contexts, but with ausprobieren it refers to a configurable option or configuration. Example: Ich ändere die Einstellungen. — “I change the settings.” ausprobieren means “to try out” or “to test.” It is a separable verb: in a finite clause, ich probiere die Einstellung aus, but after a modal verb its infinitive remains together: Ich muss die Einstellung ausprobieren. The form ausprobieren is therefore the infinitive selected by muss. Together, So muss ich nicht zufällig verschiedene Einstellungen ausprobieren says: “That way, I do not have to try various settings at random.” So links the sentence to the method already mentioned, muss ich expresses necessity, nicht removes that necessity, and verschiedene Einstellungen ausprobieren names the action that is avoided. The fixed translation’s “That saves me from guessing at random settings” conveys the same result naturally in English.

9. Sobald sie gedruckt wird, sollten wir die Lösung für andere dokumentieren.

   Once it prints, we should document the fix for others.

   Sobald

   once; as soon as

   sie

   it

   gedruckt wird

   is printed

   sollten wir

   we should

   die Lösung

   the solution; the fix

   für andere

   for others

   dokumentieren

   document

   More detail

   Sobald introduces a time clause meaning “as soon as” or “once.” In a subordinate clause introduced by sobald, the finite verb goes to the end. Reusable pattern: Sobald ... , ... = “As soon as ..., ... .” sie is a feminine singular pronoun in the nominative, serving as the subject of wird. Here, the fixed translation supports the meaning “it,” but it does not identify the specific thing referred to. German sie can also mean “she” or “they” in other contexts; the surrounding meaning determines which reading applies. gedruckt wird is a passive construction: drucken = “print,” while gedruckt is its past participle and wird is the present-tense form of werden. The passive presents the printing as something done to the subject: “is printed.” In the subordinate clause, wird comes at the end. Example: Sobald der Bericht gedruckt wird, verteilen wir ihn. — “As soon as the report is printed, we distribute it.” sollten wir expresses “we should.” sollten is the first-person plural form used here for a recommendation or expected action; wir is the first-person plural subject, “we.” With this modal verb, the other verb stays in the infinitive and moves to the end of the clause. Example: Wir sollten früher beginnen. — “We should start earlier.” die Lösung means “the solution” here, with the translation also supporting “the fix.” Lösung is a feminine noun, and die is its definite article in the accusative singular in this sentence. The same noun has the plural Lösungen. Example: Wir finden die Lösung. — “We find the solution.” für andere means “for others.” für takes the accusative, and andere is a substantivized plural form meaning “others,” with the noun omitted because it is understood. The particular referents of “others” are not specified here. The form can also modify an expressed plural noun, as in für andere Teams — “for other teams.” dokumentieren is the infinitive “to document.” It is the lexical verb controlled by sollten; therefore it appears at the end of the main clause. The reusable pattern is Wir sollten ... dokumentieren = “We should document ... .” Together, Sobald sie gedruckt wird means “Once it is printed.” The main clause sollten wir die Lösung für andere dokumentieren means “we should document the solution/fix for others.” The complete utterance expresses: “Once it prints, we should document the fix for others.”