Breakdown of Die Hälfte der Leute kauft ihn.
kaufen
to buy
die Leute
the people
ihn
him
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Hälfte
the half
Questions & Answers about Die Hälfte der Leute kauft ihn.
Why is the word for 'half' die Hälfte instead of a word ending in -tel?
Most fractions in German are formed by adding -tel or -stel to a number (like das Drittel for a third, or das Viertel for a quarter). However, 'half' is the big exception. The noun form is always die Hälfte.
Why is the verb kauft singular when it is talking about multiple people (Leute)?
In German, the verb agrees with the main grammatical subject. Here, the subject is die Hälfte, which is a singular noun. Even though it describes a group of people, the grammar requires the singular verb kauft. In English, we say 'Half of the people buy', but German strictly says 'The half buys'.
What case is der Leute in, and why?
It is in the genitive case, which expresses 'of' or possession. Leute (people) is plural, and the plural definite article in the genitive case is der. So, der Leute literally means 'of the people'.
What does ihn refer to at the end of the sentence?
ihn is the accusative (direct object) form of er (he/it). Even though it translates to 'it' here in English, in German it must be referring back to a masculine noun, like der Wagen (the car) or der Käse (the cheese), that was mentioned earlier in the conversation.
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