Die Musik klingt gut.

The music sounds good.

Breakdown of Die Musik klingt gut.

• gut: good
• die Musik: the music
• klingen: to sound

Questions & Answers about Die Musik klingt gut.

What is the grammatical function of “klingt” in the sentence “Die Musik klingt gut.”?

“Klingt” is the third person singular form of the verb klingen (to sound). It acts as a linking verb that connects the subject die Musik with the predicate adjective gut, describing the auditory quality of the music.

Why is the definite article die used with “Musik”?

In German, the noun Musik is feminine. The definite article for all feminine nouns is die, which is why we say die Musik regardless of the noun’s meaning or abstract nature.

Why is the verb klingen used here instead of the verb sein (to be)?

Using klingen emphasizes the sensory impression—the way the music sounds—rather than simply stating a fact. In English, we distinguish between “sound” and “be” (as in “The music sounds good” vs. “The music is good”), and German follows a similar pattern by using klingen to communicate the auditory quality.

Why doesn’t the adjective gut take any ending in this sentence?

In predicate adjective constructions—where the adjective follows a linking verb like klingen—German does not apply inflection to the adjective. The adjective remains in its base form because it is used as a complement to the subject rather than directly modifying it (as would be the case in an attributive position, e.g., gute Musik).

What is the typical word order of this sentence, and is it flexible?

The sentence follows the standard German declarative word order: Subject (Die Musik) – Verb (klingt) – Predicate (adjective gut). This order is generally fixed in simple, declarative sentences, although variations might occur for emphasis or stylistic reasons in more complex constructions.

How is the verb klingen conjugated for different subjects?

Klingen is a regular weak verb. Here’s how it is conjugated in the present tense: • I sound = Ich klinge • You sound (informal singular) = Du klingst • He/She/It sounds = Er/Sie/Es klingt • We sound = Wir klingen • You sound (informal plural) = Ihr klingt • They (or You, formal) sound = Sie klingen