Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar.

Yes, but die is also the definite article for the plural in German.

In this sentence, Gebrauchsspuren is plural, so die Gebrauchsspuren means the signs of wear / the signs of use.

A useful reminder:

• der = masculine singular
• die = feminine singular
• das = neuter singular
• die = plural for all genders

So here, die does not mean the noun is feminine singular; it means the noun is plural.

Because the subject is plural.

• die Gebrauchsspur → singular → ist
• die Gebrauchsspuren → plural → sind

So:

• Die Gebrauchsspur ist sichtbar. = The sign of wear is visible.
• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar. = The signs of wear are visible.

German verbs agree with the subject in number, just like English does.

It is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence.

Ask yourself: what is visible?

Answer: die Gebrauchsspuren

That makes die Gebrauchsspuren the subject, so it is nominative.

Gebrauchsspuren is a compound noun:

• Gebrauch = use
• Spuren = traces, marks, signs

So the literal idea is traces of use.

In natural English, it often means things like:

• signs of wear
• wear marks
• signs of use
• sometimes wear and tear, depending on context

You often see this word in product descriptions, especially for used items.

Gebrauchsspuren is plural.

The singular is die Gebrauchsspur.

So:

• die Gebrauchsspur = the sign/trace of use
• die Gebrauchsspuren = the signs/traces of use

The plural ending comes from Spur → Spuren.

Because sichtbar is being used after the verb sein as a predicate adjective.

In German, adjectives used this way do not take adjective endings.

So:

• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar.
• Das Auto ist neu.
• Der Tisch ist groß.

But when an adjective comes before a noun, it does take an ending:

• die sichtbaren Gebrauchsspuren = the visible signs of wear

So compare:

• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar.
• Die sichtbaren Gebrauchsspuren sind störend.

That difference is very important in German.

In traditional grammar, it is an adjective used predicatively.

That means it describes the subject after a linking verb such as:

• sein = to be
• werden = to become
• bleiben = to remain

So in Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar, sichtbar describes die Gebrauchsspuren.

English works similarly in sentences like The marks are visible.

This is the normal German main-clause word order:

subject + verb + rest

So:

• Die Gebrauchsspuren = subject
• sind = verb
• sichtbar = complement

German main clauses usually put the conjugated verb in second position.

That is why this sentence is structured the way it is.

Yes, you could.

German allows different elements to come first in a main clause, as long as the conjugated verb still stays in second position.

So both are grammatical:

• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar.
• Sichtbar sind die Gebrauchsspuren.

The second version sounds more marked or literary because it emphasizes sichtbar.

For a learner, the first version is the safest and most neutral.

There actually is a direct match:

• sind = are
• sichtbar = visible

What may feel unusual is that sichtbar does not change form here. But that is normal after sein.

German does not add adjective endings in this position.

So the structure is very close to English:

• The signs of wear are visible.
• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar.

It is perfectly natural, but it is especially common in descriptions of objects, such as:

• used cars
• furniture
• electronics
• apartments
• auction listings

It sounds a bit more like descriptive written German than casual conversation, but it is absolutely normal.

In everyday speech, people might also say things like:

• Man sieht die Gebrauchsspuren.
• Die Gebrauchsspuren kann man sehen.

These are a little more conversational.

Sichtbar means visible or able to be seen.

In this sentence, it suggests that the signs of wear are noticeable rather than hidden.

It does not necessarily mean they are severe. It just means they can be seen.

So the sentence is fairly neutral:

• the item has wear marks
• those marks are visible

Whether that is a problem depends on the context.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

geh-BROWKHS-shpoo-ren

More carefully:

• Ge- as in geh
• -brauch- with the au like English ow in cow
• the chs sound is pronounced like a ks sound here
• Spuren begins with shp-, because German sp at the beginning of a syllable is pronounced shp
• -ren is a light ending, not strongly stressed

The main stress is on brauch:

GeBRAUCHsspuren

You would say:

sichtbare Gebrauchsspuren

Here sichtbare comes before the noun, so it needs an adjective ending.

Examples:

• sichtbare Gebrauchsspuren = visible signs of wear
• Die sichtbaren Gebrauchsspuren stören mich. = The visible signs of wear bother me.

Compare that with the original sentence:

• Die Gebrauchsspuren sind sichtbar. = The signs of wear are visible.

The meaning is similar, but the grammar is different.