Breakdown of Die Affäre ist halt ein großer Skandal.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
groß
big / tall
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Affäre
the affair
halt
just / simply (colloquial)
der Skandal
the scandal
Questions & Answers about Die Affäre ist halt ein großer Skandal.
Why is the word halt in this sentence? Does it mean 'stop'?
Here, halt is not the command for 'stop'. It is a conversational modal particle used to express that something is an obvious, undeniable fact, or to show a bit of resignation (like saying 'that is just the way it is'). In English, it translates best to 'simply' or 'just'.
Could I use the particle eben instead of halt here?
Where do I put a modal particle like halt in a sentence?
Modal particles generally sit right in the middle of the sentence. They come after the conjugated verb (here, ist) and any pronouns, but before the most important new information or the end of the sentence (here, ein großer Skandal).
Why does the adjective groß have an -er ending here (großer)?
Skandal is a masculine noun (der Skandal). Because it comes after the verb sein (to be), it is in the nominative case (the basic subject case). After the basic word ein, which doesn't clearly show that the word is masculine, the adjective has to do the work by taking the masculine ending -er.
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