Learn Hardcore German: Eis ist kalt.

In German, every noun is capitalized, regardless of its position in the sentence. Since Eis (“ice”) is a noun, it always begins with a capital letter.

Why is there no article before Eis?

When you speak about things in general or refer to uncountable substances (like ice, water, milk), German often omits the definite or indefinite article. Saying „Eis ist kalt.“ means “Ice is cold” in a general sense, not “the ice” or “some ice.”

Why is the verb ist used instead of sind?

Eis is grammatically singular (and uncountable), so it takes the third-person singular form ist (“is”). Sind would be used only with a plural subject.

Why doesn’t kalt have an ending like kaltes?

Because kalt here is a predicative adjective (it follows the linking verb ist). Predicative adjectives in German remain in their base form and do not take endings.

What gender is Eis, and how do you say “the ice is cold”?

Eis is a neuter noun (das Eis). To say “the ice is cold,” you add the neuter definite article das:
„Das Eis ist kalt.“

Does Eis also mean “ice cream”?

Yes. Context tells you whether someone means frozen water (ice) or ice cream. If you’re at a café, Eis usually means ice cream; on a lake, it means frozen water.

How do you pronounce Eis?

It’s pronounced [aɪs], just like the English word “ice.” The German s is a voiceless [s], not a [z].