Questions & Answers about Der Strom ist sehr teuer.
Why is there a Der before Strom? In English, we just say "Electricity".
In German, general categories, concepts, and materials usually take a definite article (der, die, or das). While English drops the "the" for general statements like "Electricity is expensive," German prefers to keep it: Der Strom ist sehr teuer. You will also see this rule with words like nature (die Natur) or life (das Leben).
Does Strom only mean electricity?
In everyday conversation, yes, it usually means electricity or power. However, its literal, original meaning is "stream" or "current" (like water flowing in a river). It makes perfect sense when you think of electricity as an electrical current!
Is Strom an uncountable noun like it is in English?
Yes! When referring to electricity, Strom is uncountable, so you won't use it in the plural. The plural form die Ströme does exist, but it is used to talk about physical "currents" or "streams" of water, air, or even crowds of people.
How would I say electricity is "too" expensive instead of "very" expensive?
You can simply replace sehr (very) with zu (too). The sentence would then be: Der Strom ist zu teuer.
Learn Der Strom ist sehr teuer and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free