Learn Hardcore German: Unsere Pläne bleiben flexibel.

Unsere Pläne sind flexibel. = Our plans are flexible (a simple statement of current state).
Unsere Pläne bleiben flexibel. = Our plans remain flexible (emphasizes continuity or an intended policy to keep them flexible).

If you want to stress continued state even more, add an adverb: Unsere Pläne bleiben weiterhin/immer noch flexibel.

Why is the adjective flexibel not inflected (no ending like -en)?

Because it’s used predicatively after a copular verb (bleiben, like sein, werden). Predicate adjectives in German do not take endings:

Die Pläne bleiben flexibel. (predicative → no ending) But before a noun (attributive), it does take an ending:
unsere flexiblen Pläne
ein flexibler Plan
die flexible Planung

What case is unsere Pläne, and why is it unsere?

It’s nominative plural, the subject of the sentence. Possessive determiners agree with the noun in number, gender, and case. For plural nominative, the form is unsere:

Nominative plural: unsere Pläne Compare singular masculine nominative: unser Plan; accusative singular masculine: unseren Plan.

Is Pläne the correct plural of Plan?

Yes. Singular: der Plan. Plural: die Pläne (adds -e and takes an umlaut). Without an umlaut capability (e.g., typing), you may see Plaene, but in normal writing use Pläne.

Could I also say Unsere Pläne sind flexibel?

Yes, it’s fully correct. Use sind for a neutral state. Use bleiben when you want to emphasize “continue to be” or a decision to keep them flexible.

How would I say “Our plans have remained flexible” (present perfect)?

Unsere Pläne sind flexibel geblieben. Notes:

bleiben forms the perfect with sein, not haben.
Word order: auxiliary + participle at the end.

What’s the word order rule here? Why is the verb in second position?

German main clauses are verb-second (V2): one element in the first position (here, the subject Unsere Pläne), then the conjugated verb (bleiben), then the rest (flexibel). You can front another element for emphasis:

Flexibel bleiben unsere Pläne. (focus on “flexible”) Yes/no question: Bleiben unsere Pläne flexibel? Wh-question: Warum bleiben unsere Pläne flexibel?

Pronunciation tips?

Unsere: roughly “OON-ze-reh” (short u like in “put”).
Pläne: “PLAE-neh” (the ä like the vowel in “bed,” a bit tenser).
bleiben: “BLYE-ben” (the ei sounds like English “eye”).
flexibel: “fleck-SEE-bel” (stress on the second syllable: flexÍbel).

Why don’t we use die with unsere (like die unsere Pläne)?

In German you normally don’t stack a definite article with a possessive determiner. Use one determiner:

✅ unsere Pläne
✅ die Pläne
❌ die unsere Pläne (except in special relative-like structures: die unseren Pläne is still wrong; as a pronoun you can have die unseren, “the ones that are ours,” but not before a noun here)

How would I negate or modify the statement?

Negation: Unsere Pläne bleiben nicht flexibel.
Degree: Unsere Pläne bleiben sehr/ziemlich/relativ flexibel.
Still/continue: Unsere Pläne bleiben weiterhin/immer noch flexibel.

Can I say Wir bleiben flexibel instead?

Yes, but it changes the subject and nuance:

Unsere Pläne bleiben flexibel. focuses on the status of the plans.
Wir bleiben flexibel. focuses on the people staying flexible (in attitude/approach). Both are natural; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Is flexible (with final “-e”) ever correct in German?

As the base form, it’s flexibel. But attributive endings can yield forms that look like English:

flexible Pläne (plural, no article)
die flexiblen Pläne, unsere flexiblen Pläne Predicatively, it stays flexibel: Die Pläne bleiben flexibel.

Any synonyms for flexibel and differences?

variabel: variable; often more technical.
anpassungsfähig: adaptable; emphasizes ability to adjust.
offen: open (to changes/options). Avoid elastisch here; that’s physical elasticity.

What about capitalization here?

Nouns are capitalized: Pläne.
Adjectives are lower-case: flexibel.
Unsere is capitalized only because it starts the sentence; otherwise it’s unsere.

Can I use Planung instead of Pläne?

You can, but it changes the nuance:

Unsere Pläne = our individual plans.
Unsere Planung = our planning (the process/overall approach). So: Unsere Planung bleibt flexibel. means the way we plan remains flexible, not the specific plans themselves.

How would I say “We keep our plans flexible” (active, causative idea)?

Wir halten unsere Pläne flexibel. (most direct)
Also possible: Wir lassen unsere Pläne flexibel. (we leave/let them remain flexible) Both differ slightly from the neutral state description in Unsere Pläne bleiben flexibel.