Die Hauptstadt ist teuer.

to be

Breakdown of Die Hauptstadt ist teuer.

• teuer: expensive
• die Hauptstadt: the capital city

Questions & Answers about Die Hauptstadt ist teuer.

Why is Hauptstadt written as one word and why is it capitalized?

In German all nouns are capitalized. Compound nouns are simply joined together: Hauptstadt = Haupt (“main”) + Stadt (“city”), so you always write it as one capitalized word.

Why is the article die used before Hauptstadt and what case is it?

Hauptstadt is a feminine noun in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence. The singular nominative feminine definite article in German is always die.

Why doesn’t teuer take any ending like other adjectives?

When an adjective follows a linking verb such as ist (a predicative adjective), it remains uninflected. That means you always say teuer, not teuere, teuren or similar.

Why does the finite verb ist appear in second position?

German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the conjugated verb must occupy the second position in the sentence, regardless of what comes first (subject, adverb, object, etc.).

How would I say “The capital is more expensive” or “The capital is the most expensive”?

– Comparative: add -er to the adjective:
Die Hauptstadt ist teurer.
– Superlative (predicative): use am + adjective + -sten:
Die Hauptstadt ist am teuersten.

Can I intensify teuer by adding “very” or similar words?

Yes. Simply insert an adverb before the adjective. For example:
Die Hauptstadt ist sehr teuer.
The predicative adjective teuer still remains uninflected.

Could I express the same idea by saying In der Hauptstadt ist es teuer?

Yes. In that version you introduce a locative phrase and use a dummy es (“it”):
In der Hauptstadt ist es teuer.
It shifts the focus slightly onto the location rather than the subject itself.