Breakdown of Das Buch ist sehr alt, aber der Text ist noch lesbar.
sein
to be
das Buch
the book
sehr
very
aber
but
alt
old
noch
still / yet
der Text
the lines / the text
lesbar
readable
Questions & Answers about Das Buch ist sehr alt, aber der Text ist noch lesbar.
How is the word lesbar formed in this sentence?
It is built from the verb stem of lesen (to read). By dropping the -en and adding the suffix -bar, it becomes an adjective meaning "can be read" or "readable". Just like the English suffix "-able", it shows that an action can passively be done to the subject.
Can I express the meaning of lesbar using a passive sentence instead?
Yes! Words ending in -bar are often shortcuts for a passive sentence with the modal verb können. Instead of saying ...aber der Text kann noch gelesen werden (but the text can still be read), using lesbar is a more elegant and common way to express the exact same passive possibility.
Why doesn't the verb ist move to the end of the sentence after aber?
Because aber is a coordinating conjunction. It belongs to the ADUSO group (aber, denn, und, sondern, oder). These words take up "position 0" in the clause, meaning they do not affect the word order at all. The subject (der Text) takes position 1, and the verb (ist) stays in position 2.
Could I use immer noch instead of just noch here?
Absolutely. While noch translates perfectly to "still" in this context, adding immer to make it immer noch (still / even now) would add a bit more emphasis to the fact that the text has survived all this time. Both sound very natural.
Learn Das Buch ist sehr alt, aber der Text ist noch lesbar and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free