Breakdown of Der Schrank scheint federleicht zu sein, aber er ist bleischwer.
sein
to be
er
he
aber
but
der Schrank
the cupboard / the closet
zu
to (infinitive marker)
scheinen
to seem
federleicht
feather-light
bleischwer
lead-heavy
Questions & Answers about Der Schrank scheint federleicht zu sein, aber er ist bleischwer.
How do the words federleicht and bleischwer follow the pattern of intensifying adjective compounds?
Both words combine a noun and an adjective to create a vivid, intensified description. federleicht combines die Feder (the feather) with leicht (light). bleischwer combines das Blei (the lead) with schwer (heavy). In German, adding a specific noun to the front of an adjective is a common way to intensify it, much like saying "ice-cold" in English.
Is the noun Blei in bleischwer related to pencil lead?
Yes! das Blei is the German word for the heavy metal "lead". A pencil is called der Bleistift (literally "lead pen"), even though pencils use graphite today. Because the metal lead is famously dense, bleischwer is the perfect compound to intensify schwer.
Why is zu sein at the end of the first clause instead of just saying scheint federleicht?
The verb scheinen (to seem) is usually paired with a zu-infinitive phrase to express "seems to do" or "seems to be". Just like in English, you say "seems to be feather-light", which translates to scheint federleicht zu sein. The conjugated verb scheint takes position 2, and the zu + infinitive is pushed to the very end of the clause.
Why is the word order aber er ist and not aber ist er?
The conjunction aber is a coordinating conjunction, which means it occupies "position zero" in the sentence structure. It does not count towards the verb position. Therefore, the subject er takes position 1, and the conjugated verb ist stays in position 2.
Could I use federleicht to describe something abstract, like an incredibly easy exam?
Generally, no. federleicht and bleischwer are almost exclusively used for physical weight. If you want to say an exam or a task was incredibly easy, you would use a different intensifying compound like kinderleicht (child's play / incredibly easy) instead.
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