Breakdown of Die Lebensmittel sind heute teuer.
sein
to be
heute
today
teuer
expensive
das Lebensmittel
the food item (usually plural: groceries)
Questions & Answers about Die Lebensmittel sind heute teuer.
Why does Lebensmittel look like a singular word even though it means "groceries"?
What is the literal translation of Lebensmittel?
It is a great example of a German compound noun. It combines Leben (life) plus a connecting -s- plus Mittel (means or resource). So, groceries are literally the "means of life"!
Why doesn't the adjective teuer have a plural ending to match the noun?
In German, adjectives only take endings when they come directly before a noun, as in teure Lebensmittel (expensive groceries). When an adjective comes after the noun and the verb, it is called a predicate adjective and stays in its base dictionary form without any extra endings.
Can I change the word order to emphasize that they are expensive today?
Yes, you can put the time word first by saying Heute sind die Lebensmittel teuer. Just remember the golden rule of German sentence structure: the main verb (sind) must always stay in the second position!
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