wofür
what ... for
Asks about the purpose or intended use of something.
EXAMPLE
Wofür brauchst du diese große Zange?
What do you need this large pair of pliers for?
wofür
what ... for
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Meanings
wofür
what ... for
Asks about something that an action, feeling, or decision relates to with the preposition 'für' (for).
EXAMPLE
Wofür interessierst du dich besonders?
What are you particularly interested in?
wofür
what ... for
Asks about the reason or occasion for a reaction, reward, or punishment.
EXAMPLE
Wofür wurde der Fahrer bestraft?
What was the driver punished for?
wofür
for which / for what
Introduces a subordinate clause and refers to something mentioned previously or to the content of an entire sentence. Depending on the context, it means 'für das' (for that) or 'für diese Sache' (for this matter).
EXAMPLE
Sie hat mir beim Umzug geholfen, wofür ich ihr sehr dankbar bin.
She helped me move, for which I am very grateful to her.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Wofür' consists of 'wo' and 'für' and is used to ask about a thing, a situation, or a purpose. It is always written as one word.
EXAMPLE
Wofür soll diese komplizierte Vorrichtung gut sein?
What is this complicated device supposed to be used for?
Word order
When 'wofür' begins a direct question, the finite verb follows directly after it. In a subordinate clause with 'wofür', the finite verb comes at the end.
EXAMPLE
Wofür hast du dich gestern entschieden?
What did you decide on yesterday?
Ich weiß nicht, wofür er sich entschieden hat.
I don't know what he decided on.
Typical collocations
When asking about purpose, 'wofür' is often used with 'brauchen' (to need) or 'verwenden' (to use). With 'dienen' (to serve), however, you use 'wozu': 'Wozu dient diese Vorrichtung?' (What purpose does this device serve?)
EXAMPLE
Wofür verwendet man dieses Werkzeug?
What is this tool used for?
Verb construction
'Wofür' takes the place of the complement with 'für' (for) in verbs that require this preposition. The rest of the verb construction remains unchanged, including the reflexive pronoun with reflexive verbs.
EXAMPLE
Wofür schämst du dich eigentlich?
What are you actually ashamed of?
Rewards and punishment
When referring to rewards and punishments, 'wofür' is often used with the participles 'belohnt' (rewarded) or 'bestraft' (punished). In the passive voice, it asks about the reason for the action.
EXAMPLE
Wofür wurde die Sportlerin nach dem Wettkampf ausgezeichnet?
What was the athlete honored for after the competition?
Linking subordinate clauses
As a linking word, 'wofür' refers to something mentioned previously or to the content of an entire sentence. It is followed by a subordinate clause with the verb at the end, and the subordinate clause is separated by a comma.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mir die schwierige Aufgabe erklärt, wofür ich ihm sehr dankbar bin.
He explained the difficult task to me, for which I am very grateful to him.
In real life
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