Questions & Answers about Das ist klar.
Why is Das translated as "that" instead of "the"?
When Das stands alone as the subject of a sentence, it acts as a pronoun meaning "that", "this", or "it". It only means "the" when it comes directly before a neuter noun, like in das Buch (the book).
Does klar just mean "clear" like in English?
Yes, it can mean literally "clear" (like clear water), but it is also heavily used in everyday conversational German to mean "understood", "obvious", or "of course".
Could I also say Es ist klar to mean the same thing?
Yes, Es ist klar translates to "It is clear." However, Germans use Das (that) very frequently in situations where English speakers might say "it", especially when referring back to a specific fact or idea that was just mentioned.
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