Breakdown of Ein Fünftel findet den Geschmack schrecklich.
ein
a, an (eine)
finden
to find
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
schrecklich
terrible, awful
das Fünftel
the fifth
der Geschmack
the taste
Questions & Answers about Ein Fünftel findet den Geschmack schrecklich.
Why is Fünftel capitalized and treated as a noun here?
Why is the verb findet in the singular? In English, I might say 'A fifth of people find...'
In German, verb agreement is strictly grammatical. Because ein Fünftel is a singular noun, the verb must be the singular findet. Even if you added a plural group like ein Fünftel der Leute (a fifth of the people), the verb would still be singular because the core subject is the fraction itself.
Why is it den Geschmack rather than der Geschmack?
The taste is the direct object that is being "found" (or perceived) as terrible, so it must be in the accusative case. Geschmack is a masculine noun, so its article changes from der to den.
Why doesn't schrecklich have an adjective ending, like schrecklichen?
Adjectives only get endings when they are placed directly before the noun they modify. Here, schrecklich is used independently after the noun to describe how they find the taste, so it stays in its basic dictionary form.
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