Questions & Answers about Das Wetter ist heute sehr schlecht.
This lesson is about using es for weather. Why don't we use es in this sentence?
In this sentence, we are explicitly naming das Wetter (the weather). Just like in English, you use es (it) when you aren't naming the specific noun. You could drop das Wetter and simply say Es ist heute sehr schlecht (It is very bad today).
Could I put heute at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can! Time words like heute (today) often go at the beginning of a German sentence. But remember the strict "verb second" rule. If you start with heute, the verb ist must come next: Heute ist das Wetter sehr schlecht.
Why doesn't schlecht have an extra ending here, since das Wetter is a neuter noun?
Adjectives only get extra endings (like -e, -es, or -en) when they come directly in front of a noun, such as "the bad weather" (das schlechte Wetter). Because schlecht comes after the verb ist, it stays in its basic dictionary form.
Can schlecht be used for other "bad" things, or just the weather?
schlecht is the standard, all-purpose word for "bad" in German. You can use it for a bad movie, bad food, or bad news. Note that if you say Mir ist schlecht, it means "I feel sick/nauseous."