Breakdown of Wir entwickeln das Modell eines Systems, und es ist genial.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
es
it
und
and
wir
we
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Modell
the model
entwickeln
to develop
das System
the system
genial
brilliant
Questions & Answers about Wir entwickeln das Modell eines Systems, und es ist genial.
Why is it eines Systems instead of ein System?
This is the genitive case, which is used to show possession or an 'of a' relationship. Because System is a neuter noun, the indefinite article ein takes the genitive ending -es to become eines.
Why does Systems have an -s at the end? Does that make it plural?
No, it is still singular here! In the genitive case, masculine and neuter nouns almost always add an -s or -es to the end of the noun itself. The actual plural of System would be Systeme.
Why does the English translation say 'are developing' when there is no word for 'are' in the German sentence?
German does not have a separate continuous tense like the English 'am/is/are doing'. The simple present tense wir entwickeln covers both 'we develop' and 'we are developing'. You just rely on context to know which one makes sense.
What exactly does the pronoun es refer to here?
es means 'it' and refers back to a neuter noun. In this sentence, both das Modell and das System are neuter, so grammatically it could be either. Logically, it means the model they are building is brilliant. Because both nouns are neuter, es is the perfect fit.
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