Der Weg zum Fluss ist weit.

The way to the river is far.

Breakdown of Der Weg zum Fluss ist weit.

• sein: to be
• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• zu: to
• der Fluss: the river

Questions & Answers about Der Weg zum Fluss ist weit.

Why is Weg preceded by der?

Because Weg is a masculine noun in German. In the nominative case (when it’s the subject of the sentence), the definite article for masculine nouns is der.

What does zum stand for, and why is it used here?

zum is a contraction of zu + dem. zu is a dative‐only preposition, and when it combines with the masculine or neuter dative article dem, you get zum, meaning “to the.”

What case is Fluss in zum Fluss?

It’s in the dative case, because zu always governs the dative. Expanding zum back to zu dem Fluss, you see dem marks the masculine dative.

Why is weit placed at the end of the sentence?

weit is a predicative adjective describing Der Weg via the linking verb ist. German word order (V2) puts the subject (here, the entire noun phrase Der Weg zum Fluss) first, the verb second, and then elements like predicative adjectives.

Could you say Der Weg ist weit zum Fluss instead?