Breakdown of Der fünfzehnte und der sechzehnte Mai sind frei.
sein
to be
und
and
frei
free / off
der Mai
May
fünfzehnte
fifteenth
sechzehnte
sixteenth
Questions & Answers about Der fünfzehnte und der sechzehnte Mai sind frei.
How are the ordinal numbers fünfzehnte and sechzehnte formed?
For numbers 2 through 19, you form the ordinal number by adding the suffix -te to the regular number. So fünfzehn (fifteen) becomes fünfzehnte (fifteenth), and sechzehn (sixteen) becomes sechzehnte (sixteenth).
Why do these ordinal numbers end in -e?
Ordinal numbers take adjective endings. They describe the month Mai. All months in German are masculine, and because these dates are the subject of the sentence (nominative case) following the definite article der, the correct ending is -e.
Why isn't the word Mai written after fünfzehnte?
Does frei here mean the days cost no money?
No, when talking about days on a calendar, frei means having time off from work or school. If you want to say a product or service is free of charge, you would usually use kostenlos or gratis.
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