Breakdown of Die Absicht des Herzens ist immer aufrichtig.
sein
to be
immer
always
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Herz
the heart
die Absicht
the intention
aufrichtig
sincere
Questions & Answers about Die Absicht des Herzens ist immer aufrichtig.
Wait, I thought n-declension nouns just get an -n or -en. Why does des Herzens have an -s on the end too?
Herz belongs to a small group of "mixed" n-declension nouns. While standard n-declension nouns drop the usual -s in the genitive case, this special mixed group takes both the n-declension -en ending and the regular genitive -s ending, resulting in des Herzens. Herz is also unique because it is the only neuter n-declension noun; all the others are masculine.
Are there other nouns that add -ns in the genitive like Herz does here?
Yes, a handful of masculine nouns follow this exact same mixed pattern. Common ones you will see at this level include der Name (the name) becoming des Namens, der Gedanke (the thought) becoming des Gedankens, and der Glaube (the belief) becoming des Glaubens.
Is there a trick to remembering the meaning of aufrichtig?
Yes! It literally translates to "upright." It comes from the verb aufrichten, which means to straighten up or to erect something. Over time, describing someone's character as "upright" took on the figurative meaning of being straightforward, honest, or sincere.
Why doesn't the adjective aufrichtig have an ending like -e or -es here?
Because it is being used as a predicate adjective. This means it comes after the verb (ist) to describe the subject (Die Absicht), rather than sitting directly in front of a noun. In German, adjectives only get declension endings when they are placed directly before the noun they modify.
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