Breakdown of Der Film war wirklich witzig.
sein
to be
der Film
the movie / the film
wirklich
really
witzig
witty, amusing
Questions & Answers about Der Film war wirklich witzig.
How is the adjective witzig formed?
It comes from the noun der Witz (the joke). By adding the suffix -ig, we turn the noun into an adjective that means "having the quality of a joke"—so, "funny" or "witty".
Does the word wirklich also use one of these adjective suffixes?
Yes! It uses the suffix -lich. While it functions as an adverb here meaning "really", wirklich is an adjective meaning "real". It was formed long ago from the root of the noun das Werk (work/deed) or the verb wirken (to have an effect).
Why doesn't witzig have an adjective ending here, like witziges or witzigen?
Because it comes after the verb war (was) and isn't placed directly in front of a noun. Adjectives that stand alone to describe the subject (called predicative adjectives) keep their base form and don't take any declension endings in German.
How should I pronounce the -ig at the end of witzig?
In standard High German, an -ig at the very end of a word is pronounced like a soft "ich" sound, similar to the word ich. However, if you travel to southern Germany or Austria, you will often hear it pronounced with a hard "ik" sound. Both are perfectly acceptable!
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