German Phrase
Wir brauchen 'nen Hochstuhl für ein Kind.
Meaning
The sentence means “We need a high chair for a child.” It uses the informal contraction ’nen, which you’ll hear in everyday conversation but not in formal writing.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re shopping for baby furniture, talking to a friend about a new baby, or asking a store clerk for a high chair. The colloquial ’nen makes it sound relaxed and spoken‑German.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wirbrauchen'nenHochstuhlfüreinKind
Subject pronoun
"Wir" is the first‑person plural pronoun and takes the verb in the present tense.
Verb "brauchen"
"brauchen" means “to need” and is a regular verb; it does not require a preposition.
Colloquial article "'nen"
"'nen" is the spoken contraction of the masculine accusative indefinite article "einen".
Accusative after "brauchen"
The direct object (Hochstuhl) is in the accusative case, so the article must be "einen" (or its colloquial form "'nen").
Preposition "für" + accusative
"für" always governs the accusative case; therefore "ein Kind" (neuter accusative) is required.
Neuter noun "Kind"
"Kind" is neuter, so the indefinite article in the accusative is "ein" (identical to the nominative).
🗨In Conversation
Wir brauchen 'nen Hochstuhl für ein Kind.
We need a high chair for a child.
Kein Problem, ich zeige dir die Modelle in der Ecke.
No problem, I’ll show you the models in the corner.
✕Common Mistakes
Wir brauchen 'nen Hochstuhl für ein Kinder.
"Kind" is singular; the phrase talks about one child, so the singular form is required.
Wir brauchen 'nen Hochstuhl für der Kind.
After "für" you need the accusative, not the nominative article "der".
Wir brauchen einen Hochstuhl für ein Kind.
Using "einen" is perfectly correct in formal German, but the original sentence is meant to be colloquial; swapping it changes the register.
↔Alternatives
Wir benötigen einen Hochstuhl für ein Kind.
We need a high chair for a child.
Wir brauchen einen Hochstuhl für ein Kind.
We need a high chair for a child.
Wir brauchen einen Hochstuhl für das Kind.
We need a high chair for the child.
Cultural Tip
In German households a "Hochstuhl" is the standard piece of furniture for feeding infants. The informal contraction "'nen" is common in spoken German, especially among friends or when speaking quickly. In a store or in written communication you would use the full form "einen".