Do you remember how the character said, |
"No, it's soft and bounces well." |
Nein, er ist weich und springt gut. |
Nein, er ist weich und springt gut. |
This sentence follows the pattern here:. |
[Noun] or [Pronoun] + sein + Adjective |
"[Noun] or [Pronoun] + to be + Adjective" |
This is one of the most basic and useful structures in German. It allows you to describe how something is right now—its qualities, condition, or character. |
Here's how the line from the dialogue uses the pattern: |
Nein, er ist weich und springt gut. |
"No, it's soft and bounces well." |
er – the pronoun meaning "he" or "it" for masculine nouns like der Ball |
ist – present tense of sein, meaning "is" |
weich – meaning "soft" |
Together: er ist weich – "it is soft" |
The sentence continues: |
und springt gut – "and bounces well" |
So altogether it is |
Nein, er ist weich und springt gut. |
"No, it's soft and bounces well." |
Now, let's look at another line from the dialogue: |
Ein bisschen, aber die Qualität ist sehr gut. |
"A bit, but the quality is very good." |
Let's break down the part that uses the same grammar pattern: |
die Qualität ist sehr gut |
"the quality is very good" |
die Qualität – a feminine noun meaning "the quality" |
ist – "is" |
sehr gut – "very good" an adjective phrase |
This follows the same structure: |
[Noun] + ist + [Adjective or Adjective Phrase] |
This shows how you can describe a specific quality of an item using the same pattern. Whether you're talking about a ball or about the quality of a product, this structure stays the same. |
Now you can describe the features of almost anything in German! |
In German, an adjective usually comes after the verb sein in simple sentences. |
It does not change form when used like this. This is an easy and useful way to talk about good and bad qualities in German! |
Now let's look at some speaking examples. |
Das Kissen ist weich und sehr bequem. |
"The pillow is soft and very comfortable." |
Can you see how the pattern applies here? |
Let's break it down: |
Das Kissen – "the pillow," a neuter noun, subject of the sentence |
ist – present tense of sein, meaning "is" |
weich – "soft" |
und sehr bequem – "and very comfortable" |
This sentence follows the pattern: |
[Noun] + ist + Adjective and in this case, also an + Adjective 2 |
It's a simple and natural way to describe how something feels. |
Here's another example |
Der Stuhl ist leicht und sehr stabil. |
"The chair is light and very sturdy." |
Der Stuhl ist leicht und sehr stabil. |
"The chair is light and very sturdy." |
Let's try one more, |
Ist der Koffer teuer? |
"Is the suitcase expensive?" |
Ist der Koffer teuer? |
"Is the suitcase expensive?" |
Another one. |
Diese Schuhe sind teuer, aber gut. |
"These shoes are expensive but good." |
Diese Schuhe sind teuer, aber gut. |
"These shoes are expensive but good." |
One last example. |
Der Tisch ist fest und sieht gut aus. |
"The table is sturdy and looks good." |
Der Tisch ist fest und sieht gut aus. |
"The table is sturdy and looks good." |
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