Das Kraut duftet gut.

The herb smells good.

Breakdown of Das Kraut duftet gut.

• gut: good
• duften: to smell
• das Kraut: the herb

Questions & Answers about Das Kraut duftet gut.

Why is Kraut neuter and not masculine or feminine?

Kraut is grammatically a neuter noun in German, so it takes the article das. Unlike in English, every German noun has a gender you must learn. Here you simply need to memorize das Kraut (“the herb/greens”). The plural form is die Kräuter.

What case is das Kraut in, and how can I tell?

It’s in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the verb duftet. In German, the subject of a clause always takes the nominative. You can also recognize it by the article das, which is the nominative singular neuter form.

Why is this noun singular (das Kraut) rather than plural (die Kräuter duften gut)?

Here Kraut is used as a mass noun or a single herb, so it stays singular. If you wanted to refer to multiple herbs or different kinds, you would say:

• Die Kräuter duften gut. (“The herbs smell good.”)

Why do we use duftet instead of riecht?

Both verbs relate to smelling, but they carry different nuances:

• duften means “to give off a pleasant smell” (always positive, intransitive).
• riechen is more neutral and can be positive, negative or simply describe the act of smelling.
  So Das Kraut duftet gut highlights a nice fragrance. Das Kraut riecht gut is also possible, but less specific about pleasantness.

Why is gut not inflected as gutes?

In Das Kraut duftet gut, gut is an adverb modifying the verb duftet, not an adjective describing a noun. Adverbs in German are never inflected. If you were using gut as an adjective before a noun, you would inflect it: e.g. das gute Kraut (“the good herb”).

Why is duftet in second position instead of at the end?

German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position in the sentence. In Das Kraut duftet gut, Das Kraut is the first element, so duftet comes second, followed by gut.

Can I replace das Kraut with es and say Es duftet gut?

Yes. Es can serve as a dummy or placeholder subject when what “it” refers to is clear from context.

• Es duftet gut. = “It smells good.”
  But if you want to specify what smells good, keep das Kraut.

Can I say Gut duftet das Kraut to emphasize the pleasant smell?

Absolutely. By fronting gut, you still obey the V2 rule by placing the verb second:

• Gut duftet das Kraut.
  This word order emphasizes how pleasant the scent is.