Word
Der Strom ist teuer.
Meaning
The electricity is expensive.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Der Strom ist teuer.
Why is Strom preceded by der?
Because Strom is a masculine noun in German. In the nominative singular, the definite article for masculine nouns is der.
Why does teuer not have an ending like teueren?
Because teuer is used predicatively with the verb sein. Predicative adjectives (after a linking verb) are not inflected, so they stay in their base form.
Why is the verb ist and not sind?
Ist is the 3rd person singular form of sein. Strom is treated as a singular (usually uncountable) noun, so we use ist.
How would I turn this into a yes/no question?
Move the verb to the front: Ist der Strom teuer?
How do I make it negative?
Insert nicht before the adjective: Der Strom ist nicht teuer.
How can I emphasize that it is very expensive?
Use an adverb like sehr before the adjective: Der Strom ist sehr teuer.
What's the difference between Strom and Elektrizität?
Both mean "electricity," but Strom is more common for the electrical power you use at home, while Elektrizität is a more formal or scientific term.
Can I omit the article and just say Strom ist teuer?
Yes. With mass nouns like Strom, you can drop the article to speak in very general terms: Strom ist teuer. It sounds a bit more abstract.
How do I say “The electricity was expensive”?
Change ist to the simple past: Der Strom war teuer.