Er isst sein Brot.

He eats his bread.

Breakdown of Er isst sein Brot.

• essen: to eat
• das Brot: the bread
• er: he
• sein: his

Questions & Answers about Er isst sein Brot.

Why does the sentence use sein and not ihr?

Since er (he) is the subject, the bread belongs to him. That’s why we use the masculine possessive adjective sein (his) instead of ihr (her).

How is isst formed from the verb essen?

essen is the infinitive form meaning “to eat.” In the present tense:
• ich esse
• du isst
• er/sie/es isst
The form isst is used with er, sie, or es.

Is there a difference in pronunciation between isst and ist?

They are pronounced the same in German. Context and spelling tell us which is which. isst (with two s) means “eats,” and ist (with one s) means “is.”

What is the role of Brot here?

Brot is the direct object, the thing being eaten. German often places objects after the verb in simple sentences. So, Er isst sein Brot literally says “He eats his bread.”

Could I say Er isst sein Brot gerade?

Yes, adding gerade implies “right now” or “at this moment.” It makes the sentence more specific about the timing of the action.