Breakdown of Das Fasten und das Schweigen sind hier sehr wichtig.
sein
to be
und
and
hier
here
sehr
very
wichtig
important
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
fasten
to fast
schweigen
to be silent
Questions & Answers about Das Fasten und das Schweigen sind hier sehr wichtig.
Why are the verbs fasten and schweigen capitalized and preceded by das?
In this sentence, fasten (to fast) and schweigen (to keep silent) are being used as nouns. This is called a nominalized infinitive. It is the German equivalent of adding "-ing" to a verb in English to make it a noun (like "fasting"). To do this in German, you just take the exact infinitive form of the verb and capitalize it.
Are all verbs turned into nouns neuter, like das Fasten?
Yes! Whenever you create a noun directly from a verb's infinitive form, it is always a neuter noun. This means it will always take the definite article das.
Why is das Schweigen translated as "keeping silent" instead of just "silence"?
While "silence" is a valid translation, das Schweigen specifically comes from the verb schweigen (to keep quiet or not speak). Translating it as "keeping silent" emphasizes that it is an intentional, active behavior by a person, rather than just an empty, quiet room (which would be die Stille).
Why do we use the plural verb sind if das Fasten and das Schweigen are both singular nouns?
Even though das Fasten and das Schweigen are singular on their own, they are joined by und (and) to form a compound subject. Two singular things combined make a plural subject, so you need the plural verb sind (are), exactly as you do in English.
Learn Das Fasten und das Schweigen sind hier sehr wichtig 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