Breakdown of In der Jugendherberge ist es billig.
sein
to be
es
it
in
in
billig
cheap
die Jugendherberge
the youth hostel
Questions & Answers about In der Jugendherberge ist es billig.
Why do we use In der instead of In die when referring to the hostel?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because we are talking about a fixed location (answering the question where?), it takes the dative case. Since Jugendherberge is a feminine noun, the article die changes to der in the dative case.
Why does the verb ist come before the subject es?
German statements follow the verb-second rule. The phrase In der Jugendherberge occupies the entire first position. Therefore, the verb ist must take the second position, which pushes the subject es into the third position.
Could I use günstig instead of billig in this sentence?
Yes! Both words mean cheap or inexpensive. However, billig can sometimes imply low quality, just like the English word cheap. If you want to emphasize that it is a good price or good value without sounding negative, günstig is a great alternative.
How is the long word Jugendherberge put together?
It is a compound noun made of two words: die Jugend meaning the youth, and die Herberge meaning the hostel or shelter. In German compound nouns, the gender of the final word determines the gender of the whole word, which is why it takes the feminine article die.
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