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Die Kosten sind zu hoch.

Die Kosten sind zu hoch.
The costs are too high.
FromLesson 33inHardcore German
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Breakdown of Die Kosten sind zu hoch.

sein
to be
zu
too
hoch
high
die Kosten
the cost

Questions & Answers about Die Kosten sind zu hoch.

Why is Kosten used in the plural? Is there a singular Kosten?
Kosten is a plural-only noun (a pluralia tantum), similar to “scissors” in English. There is no singular form Kosten in standard German. If you want to refer to a single item of cost, you would say something like ein Kostenpunkt, eine Gebühr or ein Aufwand.
Why does the adjective hoch have no ending after sind?

Because hoch here is a predicative adjective following the linking verb sein. Predicative adjectives remain uninflected (no case/gender/number ending).

  • Predicative: Die Kosten sind hoch.
  • Attributive (adjective before a noun), however, does take endings: die hohen Kosten.
What is the role of zu in zu hoch?

Here zu is an adverb meaning “too” or “excessively.” It always directly precedes the adjective it modifies:

  • zu hoch, zu klein, zu teuer
    It indicates that the adjective describes something beyond an acceptable limit.
Why is the verb sind (3rd person plural) and not ist?

Because the subject die Kosten is plural. You match the verb number to the subject.

  • Singular example: Der Preis ist zu hoch.
  • Plural example: Die Kosten sind zu hoch.
Is the definite article die necessary? Can I say Kosten sind zu hoch?

In everyday spoken and written German you normally include the article: Die Kosten sind zu hoch.
Dropping it (Kosten sind zu hoch) is grammatically possible but sounds like a headline, bullet point, or a very terse general statement.

Why do we say hoch (high) and not teuer (expensive) for costs?
German collocates Kosten with hoch (high costs). Teuer means “expensive” and typically describes items or services (teure Waren). You could say mir sind die Kosten zu teuer (“to me the costs are too expensive”), but the neutral idiom to comment on costs is zu hoch.
Can I intensify the phrase? For example, viel zu hoch?

Yes. You can use intensifiers before zu:

  • Die Kosten sind sehr hoch. (very high)
  • Die Kosten sind viel zu hoch. (much too high)
Can I replace zu with so, as in so hoch?

so hoch means “so high” but doesn’t carry the sense of “too.” It often expresses surprise or emphasis:

  • Die Kosten sind so hoch! (Wow, the costs are so high!)
    To convey “too high,” you must use zu hoch.
How would I say “the too-high costs” in one noun phrase?

Use an attributive adjective with weak declension: die zu hohen Kosten.
Here zu is part of the adjective phrase zu hohen, and hohen takes the plural nominative weak ending –en.

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