Breakdown of Die Parkgebühr des neuen Parkplatzes ist hoch.
sein
to be
neu
new
hoch
high
der Parkplatz
the parking lot
die Parkgebühr
the parking fee
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Questions & Answers about Die Parkgebühr des neuen Parkplatzes ist hoch.
Why is Parkgebühr written as one word instead of two?
German likes to form compound nouns by stringing words together without spaces. Here Park + Gebühr combine to Parkgebühr (“parking fee”). Other examples: Autobahn (Auto + Bahn), Handschuh (Hand + Schuh).
Why is Parkgebühr feminine?
The core noun Gebühr always takes the feminine article die. When you form compounds with Gebühr, the gender stays the same. So you get die Parkgebühr, die Studiengebühr, die Bearbeitungsgebühr, etc.
What is des neuen Parkplatzes? Which case is that?
That’s the genitive case, showing possession: “the parking fee of the new parking lot.” In English we use “of,” but German marks it on the article (des) and on the noun’s ending (–es).
Why does Parkplatz get an –es ending in the genitive?
Masculine and neuter nouns in the singular genitive usually add –es (or sometimes just –s). Since Parkplatz is masculine, you add –es:
– Nom. der Parkplatz
– Gen. des Parkplatzes
Why does the adjective neuen have an –en ending in des neuen Parkplatzes?
After a definite article in the genitive singular (for masculine and neuter), adjectives take the weak declension ending –en. Pattern:
des + Adjective-en + Noun-es
Could I say Die Parkgebühr für den neuen Parkplatz ist hoch instead?
Yes. für + accusative (den neuen Parkplatz) is a very common, everyday way to express “the fee for the new parking lot.” The genitive version sounds a bit more formal or “bookish,” focusing on possession (“the fee belonging to that lot”).
Why is hoch not inflected here?
Because hoch is used predicatively (it follows the verb sein). Predicative adjectives never get endings. Only attributive adjectives (those directly before a noun) get declension.
What role does Die Parkgebühr des neuen Parkplatzes play in this sentence?
That entire phrase is the subject. The sentence follows the pattern:
Subject – Verb – Predicative Adjective
So:
Die Parkgebühr des neuen Parkplatzes (S)
ist (V)
hoch (predicative adjective)