Breakdown of Ein langes Telefonat wäre ein großer Fehler.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
groß
big / tall
der Fehler
the mistake
Questions & Answers about Ein langes Telefonat wäre ein großer Fehler.
Why is it ein großer Fehler instead of the accusative form einen großen Fehler?
The verb wäre is a form of sein (to be). The verb sein is a linking verb, meaning it connects the subject to a description rather than acting on a direct object. Therefore, the noun following it (the predicate noun) must remain in the nominative case, exactly like the subject.
Why do langes and großer have different endings even though they both follow the word ein?
Adjective endings here depend on the gender of the noun. Telefonat is neuter, so after the indefinite article ein, the adjective takes the strong neuter nominative ending -es to make ein langes. Fehler is masculine, so it takes the strong masculine nominative ending -er to make ein großer.
What form of the verb is wäre here, and why are we using it instead of ist?
The word wäre is the Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) form of sein. We use it here to express a hypothetical situation. Translating to "would be" in English, it shows that the long phone call hasn't actually happened, but if it did, it would be a mistake.
What is the difference between Telefonat and Anruf?