Question 1

How is the word tragbar formed, and what exactly does the -bar ending do?

Accepted Answer

tragbar comes from the verb stem of tragen (to wear or carry) plus the suffix -bar. Adding -bar to a verb creates an adjective meaning that something can have that action done to it. Just like the English suffix '-able', it expresses a passive possibility, turning 'wear' into 'wearable'.

Question 2

Could tragbar also mean 'portable' since tragen means 'to carry'?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Because the verb tragen translates to both 'to wear' (clothing) and 'to carry' (objects), the adjective tragbar can mean either 'wearable' or 'portable'. You have to rely on context to know which one makes sense. Since we are talking about diese Jacke (this jacket), 'wearable' is the natural fit here.

Question 3

Why doesn't tragbar have an adjective ending here, like tragbare?

Accepted Answer

Because tragbar is used as a predicate adjective in this sentence, meaning it comes after the verb ist to describe the subject rather than sitting directly in front of the noun. In German, adjectives never take endings when they are separated from the noun by a verb. If you wanted to say 'the wearable jacket', you would add the ending: die tragbare Jacke.

Question 4

How does noch change the feeling of this question?

Accepted Answer

Here, noch translates to 'still', implying the jacket might be old, stained, or torn, and the speaker is doubting its condition. While you likely know noch as 'still', remember that it is a very versatile word at the B1 level. Depending on context, it can also mean 'yet' (as in noch nicht, meaning 'not yet') or 'another' (as in noch eine Jacke, meaning 'another jacket').

Ist diese Jacke noch tragbar?

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