wofür

Definition & meaning

The German word wofür is an interrogative pronoun or a relative pronoun that translates to "what for" or "for what" in English. It is used to ask about or refer to the purpose, reason, or cost of something.

1. Interrogative use: It asks about the purpose or the object for which something is intended.

   • Example: "Wofür brauchst du das Geld?" (What do you need the money for?)
   • Example: "Wofür ist dieser Knopf?" (What is this button for?)

2. Relative use: It functions as a relative pronoun to refer back to a previously mentioned object or situation that serves a specific purpose.

   • Example: "Das ist der Grund, wofür ich mich entschuldigt habe." (That is the reason for which I apologized.)

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: Wofür is a pronominal adverb formed by combining a preposition and an interrogative/relative particle. Because the preposition für begins with a consonant, the particle wo remains wo (unlike in cases where the preposition starts with a vowel, where wo becomes wor-). It functions similarly to other pronominal adverbs like womit↗ or wozu↗.

Origin: It is derived from the Middle High German wō (where) and vür (for/before). Over time, these combined into a single word to express the concept of "for which" more concisely.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• zu welchem Zweck↗ (for what purpose)
• wozu↗ (what for/to what end)
• aus welchem Grund↗ (for what reason)

Antonyms: There are no direct grammatical antonyms for wofür, as it is a functional grammatical particle. However, in terms of purpose, one might contrast it with words indicating a lack of purpose, such as grundlos (without reason) or zwecklos (pointless).