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Questions & Answers about Mein Stuhl ist kaputt.
Why is there no definite article like der before Stuhl in Mein Stuhl ist kaputt?
The possessive determiner mein replaces the article. In German you don’t combine an article with a possessive. You say Mein Stuhl rather than Der mein Stuhl.
Why does mein have no ending in Mein Stuhl ist kaputt?
Possessive determiners are declined like indefinite articles. In the masculine nominative singular (subject position) they take no ending. The nominative forms are:
- Masculine: mein Stuhl
- Feminine: meine Lampe
- Neuter: mein Buch
- Plural: meine Stühle
What case is Stuhl in Mein Stuhl ist kaputt?
Stuhl is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the verb ist. In German the subject always appears in the nominative.
Why does kaputt have no adjective ending in Mein Stuhl ist kaputt?
Here kaputt is used predicatively (after the verb sein). Predicative adjectives in German remain uninflected, so they do not take any endings.
How do you say the broken chair in German, using kaputt attributively?
When an adjective modifies a noun directly (attributively), it must be declined. For masculine nominative singular you say der kaputte Stuhl.
How would you translate My chairs are broken?
You say Meine Stühle sind kaputt. Here meine is the plural form of mein, Stühle is the plural of Stuhl, and the verb changes to sind for third-person plural.
How do you express My chair is not broken in German?
You say Mein Stuhl ist nicht kaputt. When negating a predicative adjective, nicht is placed directly before that adjective.
Can I use defekt instead of kaputt?
Yes. Defekt (or beschädigt) is a bit more formal or technical. You could say Mein Stuhl ist defekt or Mein Stuhl ist beschädigt, though kaputt is the everyday expression.
What’s the difference between kaputt and zerbrochen?
Kaputt is a general adjective meaning broken or not functioning. Zerbrochen is the past participle of zerbrechen and implies something is physically shattered or split into pieces (e.g. a glass).
Why is ist placed in the second position in Mein Stuhl ist kaputt?
In German main clauses the finite verb occupies the second position. With Mein Stuhl first, ist naturally comes next.
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“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
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