Breakdown of Ein Pass ist sehr wichtig.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
sehr
very
der Pass
the passport
wichtig
important
Questions & Answers about Ein Pass ist sehr wichtig.
Since this lesson is about the accusative case, why is it ein Pass here instead of einen Pass?
The verb ist (from sein, meaning "to be") is a special verb. Instead of acting on a direct object, it works like an equals sign connecting two parts of the sentence. Because of this, it uses the nominative (subject) case, not the accusative. You would only use the accusative einen if the passport were a direct object, like in the sentence Ich habe einen Pass (I have a passport).
Does the word ein tell me the gender of Pass?
Partially! Because the sentence uses ein and not eine, you know Pass cannot be feminine. It has to be either masculine or neuter. In this case, it is a masculine noun (der Pass).
Why doesn't the adjective wichtig have an ending (like wichtige) to match the noun?
In German, adjectives only take an ending when they come right before the noun they describe (like saying "a very important passport"). When the adjective comes later in the sentence after the verb ist, it always stays in its basic, uninflected dictionary form.
How would I say 'No passport is very important' using the negative articles from this lesson?
You would use the negative article kein in the exact same way you use ein. Because the sentence is in the nominative case for a masculine noun, you don't add any extra endings: Kein Pass ist sehr wichtig.
Learn Ein Pass ist sehr wichtig and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free