Der Stuhl ist stabil.

to be

Breakdown of Der Stuhl ist stabil.

• der Stuhl: the chair
• stabil: stable

Questions & Answers about Der Stuhl ist stabil.

Why is the article Der used with Stuhl rather than Die or Das?

In German every noun has a grammatical gender. Stuhl (chair) is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine definite article der in the nominative case.

What case is Der Stuhl in, and how do I know?

It’s in the nominative case because it’s the subject of the sentence (the thing doing or being). In German the subject of a sentence usually appears in the nominative.

Why is the adjective stabil not changed to something like stabile or stabiler?

Because stabil here is a predicative adjective (it follows the linking verb ist). Predicative adjectives in German do not get endings. Only attributive adjectives (those directly in front of a noun) are declined.

What exactly is ist doing in this sentence?

Ist is the 3rd-person singular present–tense form of the verb sein (to be). It links the subject Der Stuhl to the adjective stabil, expressing a state of being (“The chair is stable.”).

How would the sentence change if I wanted to say “The chairs are stable”?