Breakdown of Die Sicherheit in der Nachbarschaft ist gut.
sein
to be
gut
good / well
in
in
die Sicherheit
the security
die Nachbarschaft
the neighborhood (vicinity, neighbors)
Questions & Answers about Die Sicherheit in der Nachbarschaft ist gut.
Why do we use the feminine article die for Sicherheit?
Nouns ending in -heit (like Sicherheit) are always feminine. This is a very reliable rule in German, so you will always use die for them in the nominative case.
Is Nachbarschaft also feminine because of its ending?
Yes! Just like -heit, the suffix -schaft always makes a noun feminine. It is built from der Nachbar (the neighbor) plus -schaft (which acts just like the English suffixes '-hood' or '-ship').
If Nachbarschaft is feminine, why does the sentence say in der Nachbarschaft instead of in die?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because the sentence describes a static location (where the security is good, not a movement into a new place), in triggers the dative case. The dative form of the feminine article die is der.
Both -heit and -keit are used to turn adjectives into nouns. Why is it Sicherheit and not Sicherkeit?
As a general rule, adjectives ending in -ig, -lich, -bar, and -sam take the suffix -keit (like die Möglichkeit). Most other adjectives, including those ending in -er like sicher, take -heit.
Does Sicherheit only translate to 'security'?
No, Sicherheit is a versatile word. Depending on the context, it can translate to 'security', 'safety', or even 'certainty'.
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