Question 1

What does still mean in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Although still looks like the English word “still,” in German it means quiet, silent, or lacking noise. Here it tells us that the street is peaceful and you hear almost no sound.

Question 2

Why is the article die used with Straße?

Accepted Answer

German nouns have grammatical gender. Straße is feminine, so its definite article in the nominative case (subject) is die. The structure is:  
- Subject (die Straße) → Verb (ist) → Predicate (still)

Question 3

How do you pronounce Straße and what’s the deal with the letter ß?

Accepted Answer

Straße is pronounced [ˈʃtʁaːsə]. The character ß (Eszett or “sharp S”) represents /s/ after long vowels or diphthongs. In all caps or in Swiss German you’ll see it replaced by SS, as in STRASSE.

Question 4

Why doesn’t still take an adjective ending (like stille or stiller)?

Accepted Answer

When an adjective follows a copular verb such as sein (to be), it functions as a predicative adjective and remains uninflected. In contrast, attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) must carry endings to agree with gender, number, and case:  
- Predicative: Die Straße ist still.  
- Attributive: eine stille Straße (a quiet street).

Question 5

Could I use ruhig or leise instead of still?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all three can describe low noise, but with slight nuances:  
- still → almost complete silence, no movement or sound  
- ruhig → calm, peaceful, not busy (can apply to people, places, situations)  
- leise → low volume, faint sounds

Example:  
- Die Straße ist ruhig (it’s calm, perhaps little traffic).  
- Die Straße ist leise (you can barely hear any noise).

Question 6

What’s the word order in Die Straße ist still? Could you move words around?

Accepted Answer

This is a main clause with V2 (verb-second) word order. You can front other elements, but the verb stays in second position:  
- Original: Die Straße – ist – still.  
- With an adverbial: Am Abend – ist – die Straße – still.

If you form a yes/no question, swap subject and verb:  
- Ist die Straße still?

Question 7

How do you form the plural of Straße, and what changes in the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The plural is die Straßen. Plural subjects require a plural verb, so ist becomes sind:  
- Die Straßen sind still. (The streets are quiet.)

Question 8

What’s the difference between die Stille and still?

Accepted Answer

- die Stille is a noun meaning silence.  
  Example: Ich liebe die Stille. (I love the silence.)  
- still is an adjective (or adverb) meaning quiet or silent.  
  Example: Der Raum ist still. (The room is quiet.)

Die Straße ist still.

Breakdown of Die Straße ist still.

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