Breakdown of Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise.
Questions & Answers about Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise.
Ton is a masculine noun (der Ton). In this sentence it is the subject of the verb ist, so it is in the nominative case.
- Masculine nominative singular: der Ton
- Masculine accusative singular: den Ton
- Masculine dative singular: dem Ton
Because Ton is the thing that “is quiet” (it performs the verb ist, in a sense), it must be in the nominative: der Ton.
der Musik is in the genitive case. The phrase der Ton der Musik literally means “the sound of the music.”
- Genitive answers the question “Of whom? Of what?” (wessen? in German).
- Here: Wessen Ton? → der Ton der Musik (the sound of the music).
So the structure is:
- der Ton = subject (nominative)
- der Musik = dependent noun in genitive, showing possession or belonging
Both are possible in modern German, but they have slightly different feels:
- der Ton der Musik – more concise, somewhat more formal/neutral; this is the genitive construction.
- der Ton von der Musik – grammatically possible, but stylistically weaker or more colloquial in many contexts. With abstract relations like “sound of the music,” German strongly prefers the genitive.
So, der Ton der Musik is the most natural and idiomatic version in standard written and spoken German.
im is just the contracted form of in dem:
- in (preposition) + dem (dative article, neuter singular) → im
Because Wohnzimmer is a neuter noun (das Wohnzimmer) and in here describes a location (not movement), it takes the dative:
- Nominative: das Wohnzimmer
- Dative: dem Wohnzimmer
- Contracted: im Wohnzimmer
So im Wohnzimmer = in dem Wohnzimmer = in the living room.
The preposition in can take either dative or accusative, depending on the meaning:
- Dative = location (Where is something?)
- im Wohnzimmer → Where is the sound quiet? In the living room.
- Accusative = movement towards (Where to? Into what?)
- ins Wohnzimmer gehen (gehen in das Wohnzimmer) → go into the living room
In this sentence we are talking about a state/location, not movement, so dative is used: im Wohnzimmer.
heute means today and functions as a time adverb.
In the given sentence:
Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise.
it modifies the whole statement and follows the verb ist.
You can move heute to other positions as long as you keep the verb in second position:
- Heute ist der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer besonders leise. (very natural)
- Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist besonders leise heute. (possible, but less neutral; sounds like an afterthought)
The most standard versions would be:
- Heute ist der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer besonders leise.
- Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise.
besonders literally means “especially / particularly.”
It intensifies the adjective leise (quiet):
- leise – quiet
- besonders leise – especially/exceptionally quiet
Compared to sehr:
- sehr leise – very quiet (strong, but neutral “very”)
- besonders leise – especially quiet (suggests contrast with other times, places, or expectations)
So besonders often implies “more than usual” or “more than in other cases.”
Formally, leise is an adjective, but in this sentence it is used predicatively (after the verb sein = to be).
German does not change the form of adjectives when they are used predicatively:
- Der Ton ist leise. – The sound is quiet.
- Die Musik ist leise. – The music is quiet.
- Sie spricht leise. – She speaks quietly. (here: adverbial use)
So you don’t need any ending on leise after ist: it stays leise, not leiser or leisem or anything like that.
You could say Die Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise. That would focus more generally on “the music” as what is quiet.
However:
- Der Ton der Musik ist leise focuses more specifically on the sound/volume or sound quality of the music.
- Die Musik ist leise is a bit broader: the music (as an abstract whole) is quiet.
In everyday speech, Germans would probably more often say:
- Die Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute besonders leise.
The given sentence is just more explicit about “the sound” of the music.
A simplified guideline often taught is TeKaMoLo (Temporal – Kausal – Modal – Lokal) for the order of adverbials in the middle field of a main clause.
In the given sentence, the structure is:
- Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer – subject (with a local phrase attached)
- ist – conjugated verb (2nd position)
- heute – temporal adverb
- besonders leise – adjectival predicate (describing the subject)
Alternative, very natural version that follows TeKaMoLo more clearly:
- Heute ist der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer besonders leise.
(Temporal – then the rest: subject + local + predicate)
The key rule you must respect: in a main clause, the finite verb (here ist) stays in second position, no matter what you move to the front.
Grammatically yes, but it sounds less elegant and is not the preferred phrasing.
- With people or clear ownership, von + dative is often fine:
- Das Auto von meinem Bruder
- With abstract relations like “the sound of the music,” the genitive is more idiomatic:
- der Ton der Musik
So the recommended, natural version is Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ….
Wohnzimmer is a neuter noun:
- Nominative singular: das Wohnzimmer
With in showing location, we need dative:
- Dative singular neuter article: dem
- in dem Wohnzimmer → contracted to im Wohnzimmer
So:
- Gender: neuter (das Wohnzimmer)
- Case in the sentence: dative (dem Wohnzimmer) → seen as im Wohnzimmer
Yes, both can be omitted, depending on what you want to say:
Without besonders:
Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist heute leise.
→ The sound is quiet today (just a simple fact, no “especially”).Without heute:
Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist besonders leise.
→ The sound is especially quiet (but not tied specifically to “today”).Without both:
Der Ton der Musik im Wohnzimmer ist leise.
→ The sound of the music in the living room is quiet. (neutral, timeless statement)
All of these sentences are grammatically correct; you choose based on the nuance you want.