German Phrase
Wir haben Kisten in verschiedenen Größen.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We have boxes in various sizes.’ It states that the speaker’s company or group offers boxes that come in a range of dimensions, emphasizing variety rather than a single size.
When to use
Use this phrase when describing inventory in a shop, warehouse, or when answering a customer’s question about product options. It’s also handy in a business email or a sales pitch to highlight the breadth of your stock.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WirhabenKisteninverschiedenenGrößen.
Personalpronomen (Wir)
‘Wir’ is the 1st person plural pronoun, used as the subject of the sentence.
Verb ‘haben’ (Präsens)
‘haben’ is conjugated as ‘haben’ for ‘wir’; it means ‘to have’.
Plural noun ‘Kisten’
‘Kiste’ (box) becomes ‘Kisten’ in the plural; it is the direct object.
Preposition ‘in’ + Dativ
‘in’ can govern either accusative (movement) or dative (location). Here it expresses location, so the following noun phrase is dative.
Adjektivdeklination nach ‘in’ (schwache Deklination)
After a preposition with dative, the adjective takes the weak ending ‘-en’ – ‘verschiedenen’.
Dativ Plural ‘Größen’
‘Größe’ (size) in dative plural is ‘Größen’.
🗨In Conversation
Welche Kisten führen Sie?
Which boxes do you carry?
Wir haben Kisten in verschiedenen Größen.
We have boxes in various sizes.
✕Common Mistakes
Wir haben Kisten in verschiedene Größen.
After ‘in’ you need dative, so the adjective must be ‘verschiedenen’, not accusative ‘verschiedene’.
Wir haben Kiste in verschiedenen Größen.
‘Kiste’ is singular; the sentence talks about multiple boxes, so the plural ‘Kisten’ is required.
Wir haben Kisten in verschiedenen Größe.
If you want a more formal tone, you could use ‘verfügen über’ instead of ‘haben’. Using ‘haben’ is fine in everyday speech but may sound too casual in a formal catalog.
↔Alternatives
Wir führen Kisten in unterschiedlichen Größen.
We offer boxes in different sizes.
Unsere Kisten gibt es in vielen Größen.
Our boxes come in many sizes.
Wir besitzen Kisten in diversen Größen.
We possess boxes in diverse sizes.
Cultural Tip
In German-speaking countries, product descriptions often stress the range of sizes to meet precise logistical needs. When speaking to German customers, be explicit about dimensions (e.g., ‘klein, mittel, groß’) because they appreciate exact specifications. Also, avoid using the English loanword ‘Size’ in formal contexts; stick to ‘Größe’ or ‘Abmessungen’.