Breakdown of Die Frankfurter Messe ist wirklich groß.
sein
to be
groß
big / tall
wirklich
really
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Die Frankfurter Messe ist wirklich groß.
Why does Frankfurter end in -er here despite coming after the feminine article Die? Shouldn't it be Frankfurte?
Normally, a feminine adjective in the nominative case would end in -e (like die große Messe). But Frankfurter is a special geographic adjective. When you add -er to a city name to make an adjective, it becomes indeclinable. This means its ending never changes, no matter the gender, case, or number.
Why is Frankfurter capitalized? I thought German adjectives were lowercase.
You are right that regular adjectives are lowercase. However, geographic adjectives ending in -er are a strict exception: they are always capitalized. So you write der französische Wein (lowercase regular adjective) but die Frankfurter Messe (capitalized -er adjective).
Could I just say Die Frankfurt Messe to mean the Frankfurt trade fair?
No, German doesn't allow you to put two separate nouns next to each other like English does. You must either combine them into a single compound noun or use the -er geographic adjective. For institutions, events, and landmarks belonging to a city, the -er adjective is the most natural choice.
I've also heard Messe used in a religious context. Is it the same word?
Yes! The noun die Messe means both a trade fair (or exhibition) and a Catholic Mass. They share the same origin, as medieval trade fairs were often held on church feast days. Context will always make it clear which one is meant.