Breakdown of Für Kinder ist der Bus umsonst.
sein
to be
das Kind
the child
der Bus
the bus
für
for
umsonst
for free; in vain
Questions & Answers about Für Kinder ist der Bus umsonst.
Doesn't umsonst usually mean 'in vain' or 'for nothing'?
Yes, umsonst has two common meanings. It can mean 'in vain' (like trying hard but failing), but in conversational German, it is very frequently used to mean 'free of charge.' In this context, it works exactly like kostenlos or gratis.
Why is the verb ist before the subject der Bus?
The phrase Für Kinder takes up the first position in the sentence. Because German requires the conjugated verb to be in the second position in a main clause, ist must come immediately after it, pushing the subject der Bus to the other side of the verb.
Why is there no article before Kinder?
When making a broad, general statement about an entire category of things or people (all children, in this case), German omits the article, just like English does. If you said Für die Kinder, it would refer to a specific group of kids you were already talking about.
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