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Die Qualität des Brotes ist hoch.

Die Qualität des Brotes ist hoch.
The quality of the bread is high.
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Questions & Answers about Die Qualität des Brotes ist hoch.

Why is it des Brotes and not von dem Brot?

German often uses the genitive to express an “of” relationship after abstract head nouns like Qualität, Farbe, Preis, Name, etc. So die Qualität des Brotes is the standard, neutral way to say “the quality of the bread.”

  • Formal/neutral: Die Qualität des Brotes ist hoch.
  • More colloquial (common in speech): Die Qualität vom Brot ist hoch. (contraction of von dem = vom)

Both are correct, but the genitive sounds more formal and is preferred in writing.

Why does Brot become Brotes? Could I also say des Brots?

In the genitive singular, most monosyllabic masculine and neuter nouns add -es. Hence Brot → des Brotes. Many such nouns also allow a shorter -s ending. For Brot, both are standard:

  • des Brotes (more common, especially with monosyllables)
  • des Brots (also correct)
Why is it hoch and not hohe?

After linking verbs like sein, werden, bleiben, adjectives are used predicatively and are not declined: ist hoch. When an adjective directly modifies a noun (attributive), it is declined:

  • Predicative: Die Qualität … ist hoch.
  • Attributive: Die hohe Qualität …
What case is each word in?
  • Die Qualität: nominative singular feminine (subject)
  • des Brotes: genitive singular neuter (possessor/“of the bread”)
  • ist: 3rd person singular of sein
  • hoch: predicative adjective
Why is ist in second position?

Main clauses in German follow the verb‑second (V2) rule. The entire subject phrase Die Qualität des Brotes counts as one element (position 1), so the finite verb ist must be in position 2:

  • [1] Die Qualität des Brotes | [2] ist | [rest] hoch.
How else can I say “The bread is high quality”?

Common alternatives:

  • Das Brot ist von hoher Qualität.
  • Das Brot hat eine hohe Qualität.
  • Die Brotqualität ist hoch. (compound noun)
  • Das Brot ist hochwertig. (adjective “high-quality”)
Is hochqualitativ correct?

It’s rare and often avoided. Prefer:

  • hochwertig (best one-word choice)
  • von hoher Qualität
  • Colloquial but widespread: qualitativ hochwertig
Can I say Die Qualität ist groß?

No. groß refers to physical size or extent, not quality level. Use hoch or simply gut:

  • Die Qualität ist hoch.
  • Die Qualität ist gut.
How do I talk about multiple breads/loaves?

Use the genitive plural:

  • “The quality of the breads/loaves is high.” → Die Qualität der Brote ist hoch. Note that Qualität usually stays singular when you mean overall quality. The plural Qualitäten means “qualities/traits,” not “levels of quality.”
Is Brot countable in German?

Both. Brot can be:

  • Mass/uncountable: Brot (bread in general)
  • Countable: ein Brot (a loaf/type), plural Brote (loaves/types) Your sentence uses the general noun in a genitive phrase.
How do I add adjectives inside the genitive phrase?

With a definite article in the genitive singular neuter, adjectives take -en:

  • die Qualität des frischen Brotes With an indefinite article:
  • die Qualität eines frischen Brotes Multiple adjectives all take -en: des guten, frischen Brotes
How do I compare quality: higher, highest?

Comparative and superlative of hoch:

  • höher (higher): Die Qualität des Brotes ist höher als früher.
  • am höchsten (highest): Hier ist die Qualität am höchsten. For “lower,” use niedriger or geringer.
Why des and not der or dem?

Because Brot is neuter and the phrase needs the genitive singular:

  • Genitive singular masculine/neuter: des (+ usually -s/-es on the noun) → des Brotes
  • Genitive singular feminine: der (e.g., die Qualität der Milch)
  • Dative singular is dem, but this sentence does not use the dative.
Pronunciation tips?
  • Die [diː]
  • Qualität [kvaliˈtɛːt] (stress on the last syllable; qu = [kv]; long ä = [ɛː])
  • des [dɛs]
  • Brotes [ˈbʁoːtəs] (long o)
  • ist [ɪst]
  • hoch [hoːx] (final ch is the back , like Scottish “loch”)
Why are Qualität and Brot capitalized, but hoch isn’t?
All nouns in German are capitalized (Qualität, Brot). Adjectives are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or are part of certain proper names, so hoch is lowercase here.
Can I make a compound instead of a genitive phrase?

Yes, compounding is very common:

  • Die Brotqualität ist hoch. This is concise and natural in many contexts.