Questions & Answers about Nebenkosten sind oft hoch.
Why is there no article before Nebenkosten?
In German, when you make a general statement about a plural noun as a whole, you can omit the article. Here Nebenkosten stands for “all additional costs in general.” If you want to talk about specific costs you’ve already mentioned, you could add the definite article:
• Die Nebenkosten sind oft hoch.
Can I add Die and say Die Nebenkosten sind oft hoch?
Yes. That simply shifts your focus from a general rule to particular costs you and your listener know about. Both are correct:
• Nebenkosten sind oft hoch. (in general)
• Die Nebenkosten sind oft hoch. (these specific costs)
Why do we use sind and not ist?
Nebenkosten is grammatically plural (Kosten = costs), so it takes the third-person plural form of sein, which is sind. If you had a singular noun, you’d use ist (e.g., Der Preis ist hoch.).
Is Nebenkosten always plural?
Yes. The word Kosten (and its compound Nebenkosten) exists only in the plural form in German. You never say Nebenkoste or eine Nebenkosten.