Breakdown of Das war eine vernünftige Entscheidung.
sein
to be
die Entscheidung
the decision
vernünftig
reasonable, sensible
Questions & Answers about Das war eine vernünftige Entscheidung.
Why is vernünftige used for sensible instead of a word like sensibel?
This is a classic false friend! In German, sensibel means sensitive (in touch with feelings, or easily hurt). To say sensible (logical, reasonable, showing good judgment), you need to use vernünftig.
Why does vernünftige end in just -e here?
The phrase eine vernünftige Entscheidung is in the nominative case because it follows the verb sein (war). Since Entscheidung is feminine and follows the indefinite article eine, the adjective takes the mixed declension ending -e.
Why does the sentence start with Das instead of a feminine pronoun, since Entscheidung is feminine?
When using sein (to be) to point something out or introduce it, German uses the fixed neuter demonstrative pronoun das regardless of the following noun's gender. It simply translates to 'That'. You would only use a feminine pronoun like sie if you were directly replacing the noun to refer back to a previously established decision.
How would I use this noun phrase with an adjective that requires the genitive case, like bewusst (aware of)?
To say 'I was aware of a sensible decision,' you apply the genitive case governed by the phrase sich einer Sache bewusst sein. The sentence becomes: Ich war mir einer vernünftigen Entscheidung bewusst. Notice how the article changes to einer and the adjective takes the -en ending, which is required for the feminine genitive.
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