Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.

Your suggestion is indeed sensible and simple.

Breakdown of Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.

• sein: to be
• und: and
• dein: your
• einfach: simple
• sinnvoll: sensible
• der Vorschlag: the suggestion
• durchaus: indeed

Questions & Answers about Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.

What does dein tell me about how the speaker is addressing the other person? Could I also say Ihr Vorschlag or euer Vorschlag?

Dein is the possessive form that goes with du (informal singular “you”). It shows:

• The speaker is addressing one person.
• The relationship is informal/close (friend, family member, colleague on a first-name basis).

Alternatives:

• Ihr Vorschlag (capital Ihr) → formal Sie (“your suggestion” when speaking politely to one or more people).
• euer Vorschlag → informal plural ihr (“your suggestion” when talking informally to several people at once).

So:

• Dein Vorschlag ist … → “Your (informal, one person) suggestion is …”
• Ihr Vorschlag ist … → “Your (formal) suggestion is …”
• Euer Vorschlag ist … → “Your (informal, several people) suggestion is …”

Why is Vorschlag capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, regardless of their position in the sentence.

Vorschlag is a noun (meaning “proposal / suggestion”), so it is always written with a capital V:

• der Vorschlag
• Dein Vorschlag ist …
• Ich habe einen Vorschlag.

Why is it Dein Vorschlag and not Deinen Vorschlag?

That’s a case issue. Dein Vorschlag is in the nominative case, because it’s the subject of the sentence.

• Dein Vorschlag → subject (Who/what is sensible and simple? Your suggestion.)
• ist → verb
• durchaus sinnvoll und einfach → predicate (saying something about the subject)

Dein is the masculine nominative singular form of the possessive for du.
If Vorschlag were an object (accusative), you’d see deinen:

• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll. – Your suggestion is sensible. (subject → nominative)
• Ich finde deinen Vorschlag sinnvoll. – I find your suggestion sensible. (object → accusative)

So Dein Vorschlag is correct here because it functions as the subject.

Why don’t sinnvoll and einfach have endings like -er, -e, -es here?

Adjectives in German take endings when they directly modify a noun:

• ein sinnvoller Vorschlag – a sensible suggestion
• eine einfache Aufgabe – a simple task

In the sentence Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach, the adjectives come after the verb ist and describe the subject. This is called a predicate adjective, and in German predicate adjectives:

• do not take adjective endings
• stay in their basic form

So:

• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll.
• Dein Vorschlag ist einfach.
• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll und einfach.

All without endings.

What exactly does durchaus mean here? Is it like sehr, ganz, or ziemlich?

Durchaus is an adverb that often means something like:

• “entirely”
• “quite”
• “definitely”
• “indeed”

In this sentence, durchaus expresses a clear, positive evaluation and often carries a nuance of confirmation, almost like “Yes, indeed, your suggestion really does make sense.”

Compare:

• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll.
  → neutral: “Your suggestion is sensible.”
• Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll.
  → “Your suggestion is definitely / quite sensible.” (stronger affirmation)

Rough comparisons:

• sehr sinnvoll → very sensible (focus on degree/strength)
• ziemlich sinnvoll → pretty / fairly sensible (often a bit weaker)
• ganz sinnvoll → quite / fairly sensible (can be mildly positive)
• durchaus sinnvoll → definitely / entirely sensible (clearly positive, confirming)

Does durchaus modify both sinnvoll and einfach, or just sinnvoll?

Naturally, durchaus leans most strongly toward the adjective that follows it directly (sinnvoll), but in a sentence like:

• Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.

listeners usually understand that the positive emphasis applies to the whole description (“sensible and simple”), not just to the first adjective.

If you wanted to clearly separate the focus, you could change the word order:

• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll und durchaus einfach.
  → stronger emphasis that it’s especially simple.

But as given, it’s reasonable to understand:
“Your suggestion is definitely sensible and (also) simple.”

What’s the difference between sinnvoll and something like vernünftig or klug?

These words overlap but are not identical:

• sinnvoll
  → “sensible”, “makes sense”, “has a clear purpose or benefit”
  Focus: It fits the situation and is useful/meaningful.

• vernünftig
  → “reasonable”, “rational”
  Focus: Based on reason, not extreme or foolish. Can also describe people:
  Er ist sehr vernünftig. – He is very reasonable.

• klug
  → “clever”, “smart”
  Focus: intellectual sharpness or ingenuity.

So in this sentence, sinnvoll fits well because the speaker is judging the practical sense or usefulness of the suggestion.

Dein Vorschlag ist vernünftig und einfach is also possible, but slightly shifts the nuance towards “reasonable” rather than “makes sense in a practical way.”

Does einfach mean “simple” or “easy” here? How is it used in German?

Einfach can mean both “simple” and “easy”, depending on context:

• “simple” → not complex, straightforward
• “easy” → not difficult to do

In Dein Vorschlag ist … einfach, both ideas can be present:

• The suggestion is not complicated (simple),
• and probably not hard to carry out (easy).

Common uses:

• Das ist ganz einfach. – That’s really easy / simple.
• Eine einfache Lösung – a simple solution.
• Sprich einfach mit ihm. – Just / simply talk to him.

Context decides whether we emphasize “simple in structure” or “easy to do,” or both at once.

Could I put durchaus in a different place, like Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll und durchaus einfach or Dein Vorschlag ist einfach durchaus sinnvoll?

Yes, durchaus is fairly flexible in position, and moving it changes the nuance:

1. Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.
   → Strong confirmation of the whole evaluation; emphasis most naturally on sinnvoll, but includes einfach.

2. Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll und durchaus einfach.
   → Emphasis shifts more clearly to einfach.
   “Your suggestion is sensible and actually quite simple.”

3. Dein Vorschlag ist einfach durchaus sinnvoll.
   → Now einfach is an adverb meaning “simply / just”, and durchaus reinforces sinnvoll.
   Meaning becomes: “Your suggestion is simply (just) quite sensible indeed.”
   That’s a different structure and a different meaning.

So yes, position is possible to change, but be aware that it can alter which part of the statement is highlighted or even change the function of einfach (adjective vs. adverb).

Is this sentence formal or informal overall?

The sentence is informal because of Dein (linked to du).

Grammatically and stylistically, it’s neutral and appropriate in many situations:

• Informal work context with colleagues you use du with
• Friends or family
• Chat, email, or spoken conversation

For a fully formal version to a customer or someone you address with Sie, you’d normally say:

• Ihr Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.

Is Vorschlag related to a verb? How is it used in other forms?

Yes, Vorschlag comes from the verb vorschlagen (to suggest, to propose).

• vorschlagen – to suggest
• der Vorschlag – the suggestion/proposal

Examples:

• Ich schlage vor, dass wir früher anfangen.
  → I suggest that we start earlier.
• Dein Vorschlag ist sinnvoll.
  → Your suggestion is sensible.
• Hast du einen besseren Vorschlag?
  → Do you have a better suggestion?

Could I say Dein Vorschlag ist sehr sinnvoll und einfach instead of durchaus sinnvoll und einfach? Would that mean the same?

You can say sehr sinnvoll, and it is correct, but the nuance is a bit different:

• sehr sinnvoll
  → focuses purely on degree: “very sensible”
• durchaus sinnvoll
  → “definitely / entirely sensible”, with a nuance of confirmation; it can sound a bit more measured or evaluative, like weighing up the suggestion and affirming it.

So:

• Dein Vorschlag ist sehr sinnvoll und einfach.
  → Very positive, emphasizes how sensible it is.
• Dein Vorschlag ist durchaus sinnvoll und einfach.
  → Positive, but in a slightly more “considered” or “confirming” tone: “Yes, your suggestion really does make sense and is simple.”