Der Duft der Blumen ist angenehm.

The scent of the flowers is pleasant.

Breakdown of Der Duft der Blumen ist angenehm.

• sein: to be
• die Blume: the flower
• der Duft: the scent
• angenehm: pleasant

Questions & Answers about Der Duft der Blumen ist angenehm.

Why are there two instances of der in the sentence: "Der Duft der Blumen ist angenehm"?

The first der is the definite article for the noun Duft (masculine, singular), while the second der indicates the genitive case for Blumen. In other words, "der Duft" means "the scent," and "der Blumen" indicates "of the flowers" in German.

Why do we use the genitive case "der Blumen" instead of "von den Blumen"?

Both are grammatically correct, but the genitive der Blumen is typically more elegant or formal. "Von den Blumen" is acceptable in everyday conversation, but the genitive indicates possession in a classic, somewhat more refined style.

What is the gender of Duft, and how does that affect the article?

In German, Duft (meaning "scent" or "fragrance") is masculine. Thus, the appropriate definite article in the nominative case is der, resulting in "der Duft."

How does this sentence’s word order work?

In German, the basic order is often similar to English: Subject – Verb – (rest of the sentence). Here, "Der Duft der Blumen" is the subject. "Ist" is the verb, placed second. "Angenehm" is the complement (an adjective here), placed at the end.

Why is angenehm at the end of the sentence?

Adjectives that describe the subject typically follow the verb when used as a predicate. "Der Duft der Blumen ist angenehm" uses angenehm as a predicate adjective (not modifying a noun directly but describing the subject via "to be"). Hence it naturally appears at the end.

Is "angenehm" an adjective or an adverb in this sentence?

Here, angenehm functions as an adjective that describes the subject (Der Duft der Blumen). It is used predicatively, meaning it follows a linking verb (in this case, ist).