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Die Antwort ist falsch.

Die Antwort ist falsch.
The answer is wrong.
FromLesson 22inHardcore German
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Breakdown of Die Antwort ist falsch.

sein
to be
die Antwort
the answer
falsch
wrong

Questions & Answers about Die Antwort ist falsch.

Why is die used instead of der or das?
In German every noun has one of three genders: masculine, feminine or neuter. Antwort (“answer”) is a feminine noun. In the nominative singular (the form you use for the subject of a sentence) the definite article for feminine nouns is die.
Why is Antwort capitalized?
Unlike English, German always capitalizes nouns—no matter where they appear in the sentence. That’s why Antwort starts with a capital letter.
What case is die Antwort in?
It’s in the nominative case because die Antwort is the subject of the sentence (the “doer” of being wrong).
Why does the verb ist come second in the sentence?
German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb (here ist) must occupy the second position. Everything else (subject, adverbials, objects) can go before or after, but the conjugated verb stays in slot two.
Why is falsch not inflected (i.e. why not falsche)?

Because falsch is used predicatively—after the linking verb sein (to be). Predicative adjectives never take endings. If you use it attributively (directly before a noun), you do inflect it:
• eine falsche Antwort (a wrong answer)

How would I negate this sentence to say “The answer is not wrong”?

You insert nicht before the adjective:
Die Antwort ist nicht falsch.
That literally means “The answer is not wrong.”

Can I swap falsch and nicht to say Die Antwort ist falsch nicht?
No. In German nicht generally precedes the adjective or adverb it negates. The correct order here is nicht falsch, not falsch nicht.
What’s the difference between falsch and unrichtig?

Both mean “wrong” or “incorrect,” but:
• falsch is more common in everyday speech (“wrong answer,” “false statement”).
• unrichtig sounds a bit more formal or technical.

What’s the difference between saying Die Antwort ist falsch and just die falsche Antwort?

• Die Antwort ist falsch is a complete sentence: subject + verb + predicate adjective (“The answer is wrong”).
• die falsche Antwort is only a noun phrase (“the wrong answer”). You’d need a verb or another context to make it a full sentence.

Can I invert the sentence for emphasis, e.g. Falsch ist die Antwort?

Yes, you can front falsch for stylistic emphasis, but you must still keep the verb in second position:
Falsch ist die Antwort.
This emphasizes falsch, but it’s less neutral than the original.

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