Breakdown of Es ist kristallklar, dass ich jetzt ein eiskaltes Getränk brauche.
ich
I
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
es
it
jetzt
now
brauchen
to need
das Getränk
the beverage / the drink
dass
that
kristallklar
crystal-clear
eiskalt
ice-cold
Questions & Answers about Es ist kristallklar, dass ich jetzt ein eiskaltes Getränk brauche.
Why does eiskalt have an -es ending in this sentence, but kristallklar doesn't?
The word kristallklar is used after the verb ist to describe a state (a predicative adjective), so it takes no ending. However, eiskaltes comes directly before the neuter noun Getränk (an attributive adjective). Because it follows the indefinite article ein in the accusative case, it takes the strong neuter ending -es.
How do words like kristallklar and eiskalt intensify the adjective?
They combine a noun and an adjective to create a vivid comparison. The word kristallklar literally means 'clear as crystal' (completely obvious), and eiskalt means 'cold as ice' (extremely cold). This is a common, native-sounding way to say 'very [adjective]' instead of just using the word sehr.
Even though they contain nouns, why aren't kristallklar and eiskalt capitalized?
When you combine a noun like Kristall or Eis with an adjective, the resulting compound word functions entirely as an adjective. In German, adjectives are always written in lowercase unless they are the first word in a sentence.
Could I put jetzt at the very end of the sentence?
You could say dass ich ein eiskaltes Getränk jetzt brauche, but it would sound a bit clunky. German prefers to place time adverbs like jetzt as early as possible in the sentence, ideally right after the subject, following the standard 'Time, Manner, Place' word order.
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