Die Bücher und die Bilder sind schön.

Breakdown of Die Bücher und die Bilder sind schön.

sein
to be
und
and
schön
beautiful
das Buch
the book
das Bild
the picture

Questions & Answers about Die Bücher und die Bilder sind schön.

Why do both Bücher and Bilder use the article die? I thought they were neuter words.
In their singular forms, they are indeed neuter (das Buch, das Bild). However, in German, the definite article for all plural nouns is always die, no matter what gender the singular noun has.
How did Buch and Bild change to become plural here?
Both words form their plural by adding -er to the end. Notice that Buch also gets an umlaut over the vowel, becoming Bücher. Many short neuter nouns take this -er ending, and if they have an a, o, or u, they usually get an umlaut too.
Why doesn't the adjective schön get a plural ending to match the nouns?
In German, when an adjective comes after the verb (like sind) to describe something, it stays in its basic dictionary form. You only have to add endings to adjectives when they are placed directly before a noun.
Does schön always mean beautiful? I've seen it translated as nice before.
schön is a very flexible word! Depending on the context, it can mean beautiful, pretty, handsome, or simply nice and pleasant.

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