Breakdown of Warum ist diese Figur so gefühllos?
sein
to be
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
so
so, such (intensifier)
warum
why
Questions & Answers about Warum ist diese Figur so gefühllos?
How does the suffix -los work in gefühllos?
The suffix -los is added to nouns to show the absence of something, exactly like the English suffix '-less'. Here, it is attached to the noun Gefühl (feeling or emotion) to create gefühllos, which means unfeeling, emotionless, or numb.
Why are there two Ls in the middle of gefühllos?
This happens because the root word Gefühl ends with an L, and the suffix -los starts with an L. In German, when you combine words or add suffixes, you keep all the original letters, resulting in a double L.
Does Figur always mean a character in a story?
Not always! While Figur often means a fictional character in a book, movie, or play (like in this sentence), it can also refer to a physical shape, a playing piece in a board game, or a person's physique.
Why doesn't gefühllos have an adjective ending like gefühllose?
Because it is used here as a predicate adjective. In German, when an adjective comes after a linking verb like ist (is) and simply describes the subject, it stays in its basic form and does not take any endings. If it came directly before the noun, it would need an ending, such as in die gefühllose Figur (the unfeeling character).