Der Plan klingt komisch, ist aber genial in der Praxis.

to be

Breakdown of Der Plan klingt komisch, ist aber genial in der Praxis.

• in: in
• aber: but
• der Plan: the plan

Questions & Answers about Der Plan klingt komisch, ist aber genial in der Praxis.

Why is there a comma before aber?

German requires a comma between two main clauses when they are contrasted, typically with aber. Here, both halves—Der Plan klingt komisch and (Der Plan) ist … genial …—are independent clauses, so the comma is mandatory. If aber is used only as a flavoring particle inside a single clause (e.g., Das ist aber teuer!), there’s no clause boundary and thus no comma issue.

Where did the subject go in the second clause?

It’s omitted by gapping. When two coordinated clauses share the same subject, German can drop it in the second clause. Fully explicit: Der Plan klingt komisch, aber er ist genial in der Praxis. The given version is leaner and idiomatic.

Does starting the second clause with ist break the verb‑second rule? And why is aber after the verb?

• The second clause is elliptical; the (understood) subject would fill the first position, so ist effectively remains in second position.
• In contrasts like this, aber often appears after the finite verb or the subject: …, ist aber genial … / …, er ist aber genial …. You can also write …, aber er ist genial …. The variant …, aber ist genial … (omitting the subject after aber) is possible but often avoided in careful writing.

Does komisch mean “funny” or “strange”?