Die Tonne ist leer.

to be

Breakdown of Die Tonne ist leer.

• leer: empty
• die Tonne: the bin

Questions & Answers about Die Tonne ist leer.

Why is the article die used with Tonne here?

Because Tonne is a feminine noun in German. In the nominative case (subject of the sentence), feminine nouns take the article die.

What case is die Tonne in, and how can I tell?

It’s in the nominative case, because it’s the subject of the sentence (the thing doing or being described). In German, the subject always appears in the nominative and here die Tonne performs the action of “being empty.”

Why is Tonne capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, regardless of their position in the sentence. That’s a key spelling rule.

What does Tonne mean in this context?

Here Tonne usually refers to a large container or bin—often a garbage bin or barrel. It’s not the metric ton (unit of weight); context (and a different article or measurement word) would make that clear.

Why is the verb ist used? Could I say hat instead?