Breakdown of Ist der Bienenstock noch reparierbar?
sein
to be
noch
still / yet
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
reparierbar
repairable
der Bienenstock
the beehive
Questions & Answers about Ist der Bienenstock noch reparierbar?
How does the ending "-bar" work in reparierbar?
The German suffix -bar works exactly like the English "-able". You take the stem of a verb—in this case, reparieren (to repair) becomes reparier-—and add -bar to form an adjective. It describes something that is capable of having that action done to it. You will see this often in German, like with lesbar (readable) or machbar (doable).
Why is there an "n" in the middle of Bienenstock?
Bienenstock is a compound noun made from die Biene (the bee) and der Stock (the hive). The -n- in the middle is a connecting letter that makes the word flow better and is easier to pronounce. Also, remember that the gender of a compound noun always comes from the final word, which is why it is der Bienenstock.
Could I use "immer noch" instead of just "noch" in this sentence?
Yes, you could ask Ist der Bienenstock immer noch reparierbar?. Using just noch simply asks if it is "still" repairable. Using immer noch would add extra emphasis, stressing that it is still repairable despite how much time has passed or how bad the damage looks.
I learned that "der Stock" means a stick or a floor in a building. Why does it mean "hive" here?
der Stock has a few different meanings depending on the context. It originally meant "tree trunk" or "log". Because early European beekeepers used hollowed-out tree trunks to house bees, the word carried over to mean "beehive" when combined into der Bienenstock.
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