Breakdown of Das letzte Stockwerk scheint sicher zu sein.
sein
to be
sicher
sure / certain
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
scheinen
to seem
letzt
last, final
das Stockwerk
the floor (story of a building)
Questions & Answers about Das letzte Stockwerk scheint sicher zu sein.
Why is zu sein placed at the very end of the sentence?
The verb scheinen (to seem) often pairs with a zu + infinitive construction to express an impression. Similar to how a modal verb works, the conjugated verb (scheint) takes the second position, and the infinitive phrase (zu sein) is pushed to the end of the clause.
Could sicher also mean "certain" or "sure" here?
Yes, sicher is a versatile adjective that can mean safe, secure, certain, or sure. Context is key: when describing a physical location like a floor (das Stockwerk), "safe" is the most logical translation. If it were applied to a statement, a fact, or a belief, it would usually mean "certain".
Why is the adjective ending letzte instead of letztes for a neuter noun?
Because the neuter noun Stockwerk is preceded by the definite article das, the adjective undergoes weak declension. In the nominative case, this means it just takes an -e ending, resulting in letzte. You would only use the strong ending -es if there were no article at all (for example, letztes Stockwerk).
Is there a difference between using Stockwerk and Etage for "floor"?
They are essentially identical in meaning and highly interchangeable. Etage is a French loanword widely used in everyday speech, while Stockwerk is a native German compound word. You will also frequently hear the shorter masculine noun der Stock, as in im ersten Stock (on the first floor).
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