Word
Die Hoffnung und die Freiheit sind wichtig.
Meaning
Hope and freedom are important.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Die Hoffnung und die Freiheit sind wichtig.
sein
to be
und
and
wichtig
important
die Hoffnung
the hope
Questions & Answers about Die Hoffnung und die Freiheit sind wichtig.
How can I tell that both Hoffnung and Freiheit are feminine?
Look at their endings! Nouns ending in -ung (like die Hoffnung) and -heit (like die Freiheit) are always feminine. This makes their gender completely predictable.
How do the suffixes -ung and -heit build these nouns from other words?
These suffixes are used to create nouns from other parts of speech. The suffix -ung typically turns a verb into a noun, so die Hoffnung comes from the verb hoffen (to hope). The suffix -heit turns an adjective into a noun, so die Freiheit comes from the adjective frei (free).
The English translation is just "Hope and freedom." Why does German use Die Hoffnung and die Freiheit?
In German, abstract nouns—words for general concepts, feelings, or qualities—almost always require a definite article. English usually leaves the article out when talking about broad ideas like hope, love, or life, but German keeps it.
Why is there no ending on the adjective wichtig?
Adjectives only take endings when they are placed directly in front of a noun. Because wichtig is used after the verb sind (are) to describe the subjects earlier in the sentence, it stays in its basic, unchanged dictionary form.