Die Arbeit ist freiwillig.

to be

Breakdown of Die Arbeit ist freiwillig.

• die Arbeit: the work
• freiwillig: voluntary

Questions & Answers about Die Arbeit ist freiwillig.

Why is die used before Arbeit?

Because Arbeit is a feminine noun in German. All German nouns have a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). The definite article for a feminine noun in the nominative singular is die, so we say die Arbeit.

Why isn't freiwillig inflected with an ending?

Here freiwillig is used predicatively (after the linking verb ist), so it stays in its base form without any adjective ending.
In contrast, attributive adjectives (those placed directly before a noun) do take endings. For example:

• Predicative: Die Arbeit ist freiwillig.
• Attributive: Die Arbeit ist eine freiwillige Aufgabe.

Can I say Arbeit ist freiwillig without the article?

You can drop the article when making very general or headline‐style statements, but in everyday German with abstract or singular nouns, the definite article is normally used.

• Common: Die Arbeit ist freiwillig.
• Less natural (but possible in headlines): Arbeit ist freiwillig.

What’s the difference between predicative and attributive use of freiwillig?