Breakdown of Der Zeuge beschreibt das Auto der Frau.
die Frau
the woman
das Auto
the car
der Zeuge
the witness
beschreiben
to describe
Questions & Answers about Der Zeuge beschreibt das Auto der Frau.
Why does it say "der Frau" when "Frau" is a feminine noun?
This is the genitive case, which is used to show possession (meaning "the woman's" or "of the woman"). In the genitive case, the feminine definite article die changes to der.
Why doesn't the word "Frau" get an "-s" at the end here?
In German, only masculine and neuter nouns get an -s or -es added to the end in the genitive case. Feminine nouns like Frau, as well as plural nouns, do not change their spelling.
Could I change the word order to "der Frau das Auto" like in English?
No, in German, the genitive phrase showing possession almost always comes directly after the noun it belongs to. You have to say das Auto der Frau (literally: "the car of the woman").
Is "Zeuge" feminine or plural because it ends in "-e"?
Neither! Der Zeuge (the witness) is a singular masculine noun. Although many German words ending in -e are feminine, there is a specific group of masculine words that end in -e in their basic nominative form.