Das Gold ist teuer.

The gold is expensive.

Breakdown of Das Gold ist teuer.

• sein: to be
• teuer: expensive
• das Gold: the gold

Questions & Answers about Das Gold ist teuer.

Why is it das Gold and not just Gold?

In German, names of materials are often used with the definite article, especially when speaking generally about the substance as a whole.

So das Gold ist teuer means gold is expensive.

German can sometimes also omit the article in other contexts, but with a sentence like this, das Gold is very natural.

• das Gold = the substance gold
• compare English, where we usually just say gold

Why is Gold neuter?

Every German noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. Gold happens to be neuter, so it takes das.

You usually have to learn the gender together with the noun:

• das Gold
• das Silber
• das Eisen

The gender is grammatical, not logical. It does not mean gold is somehow neutral in meaning.

Why is it ist and not sind?