Word
Anna ist erwachsen.
Meaning
Anna is grown-up.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Anna ist erwachsen.
Why is it ist and not hat?
Because German uses sein (to be) with adjectives that describe a state or quality.
- Anna ist erwachsen. = Anna is an adult / Anna is grown up.
You would not use haben (to have) here, because erwachsen is not a thing Anna possesses. It describes what she is.
What does erwachsen mean exactly?
Erwachsen usually means adult, grown up, or fully mature.
So Anna ist erwachsen can mean:
- Anna is an adult
- Anna is grown up
Depending on context, it can refer:
- literally to age/status: she is no longer a child
- sometimes more loosely to maturity: she behaves like an adult
Is erwachsen an adjective here?
Yes. In Anna ist erwachsen, erwachsen is being used as an adjective after the verb sein.
This is called predicative use: the adjective comes after a linking verb like:
- sein = to be
- werden = to become
- bleiben = to remain
In this position, German adjectives do not take endings:
- Anna ist erwachsen.
- Die Kinder sind müde.
- Er bleibt ruhig.