Breakdown of Die Verspätung ist ärgerlich.
sein
to be
die Verspätung
the delay
ärgerlich
annoying; annoyed
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Questions & Answers about Die Verspätung ist ärgerlich.
Why is it die and not der or das?
Because Verspätung is a feminine noun in German, so its nominative singular article is die.
- die Verspätung = the delay
- grammatical gender in German does not always match anything logical in English, so you usually just learn the noun together with its article
A good habit is to memorize it as die Verspätung, not just Verspätung.
What exactly does Verspätung mean?
Verspätung means delay or lateness, depending on context.
In this sentence, Die Verspätung ist ärgerlich means something like:
- The delay is annoying
- The delay is frustrating
It often refers to things like:
- a train delay
- a flight delay
- someone arriving late
The noun comes from the verb verspäten / sich verspäten, which is related to being late or delayed.
Why is ist in the second position?