Learn Hardcore German: Heute ist die Küche ordentlich und sauber.

German main clauses follow the verb-second rule: the conjugated verb almost always comes in second position in the sentence, no matter what comes first.

Heute is in first position (position 1).
ist (the verb) must then be in second position (position 2).
The rest (die Küche ordentlich und sauber) comes after.

So both of these are correct and mean the same thing, just with different emphasis:

Heute ist die Küche ordentlich und sauber. (Emphasis on “today”)
Die Küche ist heute ordentlich und sauber. (Emphasis more on “the kitchen”)

Can I also say Die Küche ist heute ordentlich und sauber instead? Does the meaning change?

Yes, that sentence is perfectly correct too:

Heute ist die Küche ordentlich und sauber.
Die Küche ist heute ordentlich und sauber.

The basic meaning is the same. The difference is in emphasis:

Starting with Heute stresses the time: Today (as opposed to other days) the kitchen is tidy and clean.
Starting with Die Küche stresses the subject: The kitchen (as opposed to other rooms) is tidy and clean today.

Grammatically, both follow the verb-second rule:

Heute (1) ist (2) die Küche ordentlich und sauber.
Die Küche (1) ist (2) heute ordentlich und sauber.

Why is it die Küche and not der or das Küche?

In German, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Küche is a feminine noun.
The definite article for feminine nouns in the nominative case (subject of the sentence) is die.

So:

die Küche = the kitchen (subject)
Dictionary form: die Küche (f.)

Other cases would change the article:

Nominative (subject): die Küche – Die Küche ist sauber.
Accusative (direct object): die Küche – Ich putze die Küche.
Dative (indirect object): der Küche – Ich helfe in der Küche.
Genitive: der Küche – Die Wände der Küche sind weiß.

Why don’t ordentlich and sauber have endings like ordentliche or saubere?

Because here they are predicate adjectives, used after the verb sein (to be).

After sein, werden, bleiben, adjectives normally appear in their basic form (no endings):
- Die Küche ist *ordentlich.*
- Das Zimmer bleibt *sauber.*
- Der Tisch ist *alt.*

Adjectives take endings when they directly modify a noun (attributive adjectives):

die ordentliche und saubere Küche = the tidy and clean kitchen
- Here you need endings: -e after die.

So:

Predicate: Die Küche ist ordentlich und sauber. (no endings)
Attributive: die ordentliche und saubere Küche. (with endings)

How would I say “the tidy and clean kitchen” in German, not “the kitchen is tidy and clean”?

You’d use attributive adjectives with endings:

die ordentliche und saubere Küche

Breakdown:

die – feminine nominative article
ordentliche – adjective with -e ending
und – and
saubere – adjective with -e ending
Küche – noun

Compare:

Die Küche ist ordentlich und sauber. – The kitchen is tidy and clean. (predicate adjectives, no endings)
Die ordentliche und saubere Küche… – The tidy and clean kitchen… (attributive adjectives, with endings)

What’s the difference in meaning between ordentlich and sauber?

Roughly:

ordentlich = tidy, orderly, well-organized
- Things are in their place, no mess or clutter.
sauber = clean
- Free from dirt, stains, grime; has been cleaned.

So:

A desk can be ordentlich (papers stacked, everything arranged) but not sauber (dusty).
A floor can be sauber (just mopped) but not ordentlich (toys and stuff lying everywhere).

In the sentence, ordentlich und sauber suggests: both tidy and clean – no clutter and no dirt.

Are ordentlich and sauber redundant here? Could I just use one of them?

You can definitely use just one:

Heute ist die Küche ordentlich. – Today the kitchen is tidy.
Heute ist die Küche sauber. – Today the kitchen is clean.

Using both ordentlich und sauber is not redundant, though; it emphasizes both aspects:

ordentlich: everything put away, no chaos.
sauber: has been actually cleaned (wiped, mopped, etc.).

Native speakers often stack similar adjectives for emphasis, just like in English (“nice and clean,” “tidy and clean”).

Why is Heute and Küche capitalized?

Two different capitalization rules:

First word of a sentence
- The first word of any sentence is capitalized in German, just like in English.
- That’s why Heute is capitalized.
All nouns are capitalized
- In German, every noun is written with a capital letter.
- Küche is a noun, so it must be capitalized.

So in the middle of a sentence you’d still write die Küche, not die küche.

How do I pronounce Küche correctly, especially the ü and ch?

Pronunciation tips:

Kü-
- ü is like the French u or a very fronted “ee” with rounded lips.
- Say English “ee” (as in see), then keep the tongue there and round your lips like for “oo”. That’s ü.
-che
- The ch here is the “ich-sound” (soft), not like in Bach.
- It’s a soft, breathy sound made near the front of the mouth, a bit like the English “h” but more hissy: [ç].
- Then a reduced -e like a quick “uh”.

Roughly: KYÜ-che (with the German ü and a soft “h” in the second syllable).

How would I say this in the past or future? For example: “Yesterday the kitchen was tidy and clean.”

You mainly change the form of sein (to be).

Yesterday the kitchen was tidy and clean.
→ Gestern war die Küche ordentlich und sauber.
Tomorrow the kitchen will be tidy and clean.
→ Morgen wird die Küche ordentlich und sauber sein.

Patterns:

Present: ist – Die Küche ist …
Simple past: war – Die Küche war …
Future: wird … sein – Die Küche wird … sein.

Where would I put “very”, like in “The kitchen is very tidy and clean today”?

You use sehr and put it directly before the adjectives it modifies:

Heute ist die Küche sehr ordentlich und sauber.
Heute ist die Küche ordentlich und sehr sauber.
Heute ist die Küche sehr ordentlich und sehr sauber.

All are grammatical; the placement shows what you want to emphasize. Neutral version:

Heute ist die Küche sehr ordentlich und sauber.
= Today the kitchen is very tidy and (also) clean.

How would the sentence change if I talk about multiple kitchens: “Today the kitchens are tidy and clean”?

You need the plural form of the noun and the plural verb:

Heute sind die Küchen ordentlich und sauber.

Changes:

die Küche → die Küchen (plural)
ist (3rd person singular) → sind (3rd person plural)

Adjectives ordentlich and sauber stay in their basic form because they’re still predicate adjectives after sein.