Der Plan ist realistisch.

to be

Breakdown of Der Plan ist realistisch.

• der Plan: the plan
• realistisch: realistic

Questions & Answers about Der Plan ist realistisch.

What case is Der Plan, and why isn’t it accusative (like den Plan)?

It’s nominative because it’s the subject of the sentence. With the linking verb sein (to be), the complement after the verb is a predicate (adjective or noun) and does not take accusative. So you say:

• Nominative subject: Der Plan (the plan)
• Predicate adjective: realistisch (realistic) You would not use accusative here; sein does not “take” an object.

Why doesn’t realistisch have an ending like -e or -er?

Because it’s used predicatively (after sein). Predicate adjectives in German have no endings:

• Predicate: Der Plan ist realistisch.
• Attributive (before a noun) they do take endings: ein realistischer Plan, der realistische Plan, realistische Pläne.

How would this sentence look in the plural?

Subject and verb change to plural, the predicate adjective stays uninflected:

• Die Pläne sind realistisch.

What’s the gender and plural of Plan, and what are the key case forms?