Breakdown of Es ist der harmlose Tratsch, den sie lieben.
sein
to be
es
it
sie
they
lieben
to love
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Tratsch
the gossip
harmlos
harmless
Questions & Answers about Es ist der harmlose Tratsch, den sie lieben.
Why say Es ist der harmlose Tratsch, den sie lieben instead of just Sie lieben den harmlosen Tratsch?
This is a cleft sentence (Spaltsatz). By splitting a standard sentence into two parts using Es ist ..., you put strong emphasis on the noun immediately following it. Here, it stresses that it is specifically the harmless gossip they love, making a contrast with something else (like malicious rumors or serious news).
In a standard sentence, we would say den harmlosen Tratsch. Why does the adjective end in -e (der harmlose Tratsch) in this cleft sentence?
In the standard sentence, the gossip is the direct object (accusative), triggering the -en ending. However, in this cleft sentence, the emphasized noun phrase follows the verb ist. The verb sein (to be) always links to the nominative case. Therefore, der harmlose Tratsch is in the nominative, where the adjective ending after the definite masculine article der is simply -e.
Why is the relative pronoun den (accusative) when it refers back to der harmlose Tratsch (nominative)?
A relative pronoun takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to (masculine, singular), but its case is determined by its grammatical role inside its own clause. In the relative clause den sie lieben, sie is the subject (nominative) and the gossip is the direct object (accusative) receiving the action of the verb lieben. Therefore, the masculine accusative den is required.
Is the word Tratsch ever used in the plural?
No, der Tratsch (gossip, chitchat) is an uncountable noun in German, much like the word "gossip" is in English. It only exists in the singular.
Learn Es ist der harmlose Tratsch, den sie lieben 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