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Questions & Answers about Die Haut ist weich.
Why is Haut preceded by die in Die Haut ist weich?
Haut is a feminine noun in German. In the nominative singular (the subject position), feminine nouns take the definite article die.
Why is Haut capitalized?
In German, all nouns are capitalized, regardless of where they appear in a sentence.
Why do we use the definite article die here, when in English we often say “Skin is soft” without an article?
German generally requires the definite article for generic statements. Where English drops the article, German uses der, die or das depending on the noun’s gender.
Why is ist used here?
ist is the third-person singular form of the verb sein (“to be”). It agrees with the third-person singular subject die Haut.
Why is weich not inflected (e.g., not weiche or weicher)?
Here weich is a predicative adjective (it follows a form of sein). Predicative adjectives in German remain in their base form and do not take adjective endings.
What’s the difference between “Die Haut ist weich” and “die weiche Haut”?
In “Die Haut ist weich,” weich is predicative—describing the subject via sein and staying uninflected. In “die weiche Haut,” weiche is attributive—directly modifying Haut before the noun and bearing the appropriate adjective ending (feminine nominative singular).
Where is the verb in this sentence, and why?
German main clauses follow the Verb-Second (V2) rule. In “Die Haut ist weich,” ist is the verb and appears in second position, right after the subject die Haut.
Can Haut mean anything besides a person’s skin?
Yes. Depending on context, Haut can also mean an animal hide or leather, and sometimes the peel or rind of fruits (e.g., Apfelhaut for “apple skin”).
What is the plural of Haut?
The plural is Häute (e.g., die Häute), used when referring to multiple skins or hides.