…
Questions & Answers about Der Fluss ist breit.
Why is the article der used with Fluss?
In German, nouns have grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter). Fluss is masculine, so it takes the definite article der.
What does breit mean in this context?
Breit translates to wide in English, describing how large the river is from one side to the other.
Can I say Der Fluss ist groß instead of Der Fluss ist breit?
You can, but groß usually means big in a more general sense. Breit is more specific, emphasizing the width of the river.
Is there anything special about the word order here?
No, it’s a typical German declarative sentence: Subject (Der Fluss) + Verb (ist) + Predicate (breit).
Is this sentence in the present tense?
Yes, ist is the third-person singular present tense of sein (to be).
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Der Fluss ist breit to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions