Learn Hardcore German: Eine Freundin empfiehlt mir eine Jugendherberge, weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist und das Leitungswasser trinkbar ist. - A friend recommends a youth hostel to me because the accommodation there is cheap and the tap water is drinkable.

eine Freundin = a (female) friend, any female friend, not specified
meine Freundin = my girlfriend in most contexts (romantic partner), although it can also mean “my female friend” if the context is very clear

In this sentence, eine Freundin just means one of my (female) friends.

Why is the verb empfiehlt and not empfehlen or empfehlt?

The infinitive is empfehlen. It is an irregular (stem‑changing) verb:

ich empfehle
du empfiehlst
er / sie / es empfiehlt
wir empfehlen
ihr empfehlt
sie / Sie empfehlen

The subject here is eine Freundin (she), so we need the er/sie/es form: empfiehlt.

Why is it mir and not mich after empfiehlt?

Mir is dative; mich is accusative.

The verb empfehlen (to recommend) works like:

jemandem etwas empfehlen = to recommend something to someone

So:

mir (to me) → dative
eine Jugendherberge (a youth hostel) → accusative direct object

Therefore: Eine Freundin empfiehlt mir eine Jugendherberge.

Subject (nominative): eine Freundin
Indirect object (dative): mir
Direct object (accusative): eine Jugendherberge

Why is the word order Eine Freundin empfiehlt mir eine Jugendherberge? Could we change it?

The default neutral order in German main clauses with two objects is:

Subject (nominative)
Verb
Indirect object (usually dative)
Direct object (accusative)

So: Eine Freundin (S) empfiehlt (V) mir (IO) eine Jugendherberge (DO).

German is quite flexible, so you can also say:

Eine Freundin empfiehlt eine Jugendherberge mir. (possible but less natural here)
Mir empfiehlt eine Freundin eine Jugendherberge. (emphasises mir)

But the original order is the most neutral and common.

What gender is Jugendherberge, and why is the article eine?

Jugendherberge is feminine: die Jugendherberge.

In the nominative singular, the indefinite article for feminine nouns is eine.

So: eine Jugendherberge.

Grammatically, Jugendherberge is a compound: Jugend (youth) + Herberge (hostel/inn). The gender of German compound nouns is always determined by the last part, here Herberge, which is also feminine.

In weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist, why is ist at the end of the clause?

Weil introduces a subordinate clause (a dependent clause giving a reason). In German subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb goes to the final position.

Structure:

Main clause: Eine Freundin empfiehlt mir eine Jugendherberge,
→ verb is in second position: empfiehlt
Subordinate clause: weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist.
→ conjugated verb goes to the end: … billig ist

So ist appears at the end because of weil.

Could we use denn instead of weil here, and what would change?

Yes, you could say:

Eine Freundin empfiehlt mir eine Jugendherberge, denn die Unterkunft dort ist billig und das Leitungswasser ist trinkbar.

Differences:

weil introduces a subordinate clause → verb goes to the end (… billig ist).
denn is a coordinating conjunction → it keeps normal main‑clause word order (verb in second position: … die Unterkunft dort ist billig).

Meaning is almost the same (“because/for”), but:

weil is more common in spoken German for reasons.
denn is a bit more formal and typical in written style or careful speech.

Why is it die Unterkunft and not eine Unterkunft here?

Unterkunft is feminine: die Unterkunft.

Using die instead of eine suggests that the accommodation is now specific or known in context, namely the accommodation of that recommended youth hostel.

eine Unterkunft = some (unspecified) accommodation
die Unterkunft = the (specific) accommodation, which the speaker and listener can identify (here: the one in that youth hostel)

So in this sentence, after introducing eine Jugendherberge, it is natural to refer to die Unterkunft as something definite and specific.

What is the difference between dort and da in die Unterkunft dort?

Both can often be translated as there, but:

dort: slightly more specific or “over there”, a bit more formal or written.
da: very common in spoken language, more colloquial and broader in meaning (“there / here / then / that time”, depending on context).

In this sentence, dort points to a specific place already mentioned (the youth hostel). You could say die Unterkunft da in casual speech; dort just sounds a bit more neutral or careful.

Why do billig and trinkbar have no endings (not billige or trinkbare)?

Adjectives in German get endings when they stand directly before a noun, e.g.:

eine billige Unterkunft
trinkbares Leitungswasser

But here they are used predicatively, after the verb sein (to be):

… weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist
… und das Leitungswasser trinkbar ist

Predicative adjectives in German do not take endings. They stay in their basic form:

ist billig, ist trinkbar, ist groß, ist interessant, etc.

How is Leitungswasser formed, and why is it das Leitungswasser?

Leitungswasser is a compound noun:

die Leitung = pipe, line
das Wasser = water
→ das Leitungswasser = tap water (literally “pipe water”)

For compounds, the last element determines the gender. Since Wasser is neuter (das Wasser), the compound is also neuter:

das Leitungswasser

That is why the article is das.

What does trinkbar literally mean, and how is -bar used?

Trinkbar comes from:

verb trinken (to drink) + suffix -bar

The suffix -bar means roughly “-able” or “can be …-ed”. So:

trinkbar = drinkable, fit to be drunk
similar examples:
- essbar (from essen) = edible
- sichtbar (from sehen) = visible
- lesbar (from lesen) = readable

In the sentence, das Leitungswasser trinkbar ist = the tap water is drinkable.

Could we say weil dort die Unterkunft billig ist instead? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, both are grammatically correct:

weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist
weil dort die Unterkunft billig ist

The difference is very small and mainly about emphasis:

die Unterkunft dort (subject first) is the most neutral order.
dort die Unterkunft puts a bit more focus on the location (dort) first, then identifies what at that location is cheap.

In everyday speech, weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist is the more typical version.

Do we really need to repeat ist in und das Leitungswasser trinkbar ist?

In standard German, yes. Each clause needs its own finite verb at the end:

… weil die Unterkunft dort billig ist
und das Leitungswasser trinkbar ist.

You cannot normally drop the second ist in written standard German.
Saying … und das Leitungswasser trinkbar without ist would sound incomplete or very colloquial/elliptical.