Breakdown of Der Altbau ist teils charmant, teils verfallen.
sein
to be
der Altbau
the old building
teils
partly
charmant
charming
Questions & Answers about Der Altbau ist teils charmant, teils verfallen.
How does teils ..., teils ... work in this sentence, and does it change the word order?
Here, teils ..., teils ... connects two adjectives (charmant and verfallen), so it doesn't affect the sentence's overall word order. If it were connecting two full clauses, the verb would usually come right after the first teils (e.g., Teils ist der Altbau charmant, teils ist er verfallen.).
Could I use zum Teil ..., zum Teil ... instead of teils ..., teils ... here?
Yes, absolutely! Der Altbau ist zum Teil charmant, zum Teil verfallen means exactly the same thing. Teils is just a bit shorter and flows very nicely when linking single words like adjectives.
Is verfallen a verb or an adjective here?
It is used as an adjective here, but it is actually the past participle of the strong verb verfallen (to decay or fall into ruin). Because it's a strong verb, its past participle ends in -en rather than -t.
What exactly does Altbau refer to in German?
Der Altbau literally means 'old build' and usually refers to classic residential buildings built before 1949 (often featuring high ceilings, wooden floors, and ornate details). Its direct opposite is der Neubau (new build). It is a very common everyday term in Germany, especially when discussing real estate or looking for an apartment.