Breakdown of Die Wohnung ist komplett leer.
sein
to be
die Wohnung
the apartment
leer
empty
komplett
complete
Questions & Answers about Die Wohnung ist komplett leer.
Why is it die Wohnung and not der or das Wohnung?
In German, every noun has a fixed grammatical gender that you simply have to learn:
- die Wohnung is feminine (singular): die Wohnung
- masculine would use der (e.g. der Tisch)
- neuter would use das (e.g. das Haus)
So Wohnung is always feminine:
- Nominative singular: die Wohnung
- Accusative singular: die Wohnung
- Dative singular: der Wohnung
- Genitive singular: der Wohnung
In this sentence, die is the definite article in the nominative case for a feminine noun that is the subject of the sentence.
What exactly does Wohnung mean? Is it the same as apartment or house?
Wohnung is closest to apartment or flat in English. It means a self-contained living unit inside a building (with rooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
- die Wohnung = flat / apartment
- das Haus = house (the whole building)
- das Apartment = also apartment, but often used for smaller, more “modern” or temporary places (e.g. holiday apartments, studio apartments)
So Die Wohnung ist komplett leer means specifically that the apartment/flat is completely empty, not the whole house.
What case is die Wohnung in, and how do you know?