Die Nuss ist hart.

to be

Breakdown of Die Nuss ist hart.

• hart: hard
• die Nuss: the nut

Questions & Answers about Die Nuss ist hart.

Why is it die Nuss and not der or das?

Because Nuss is a feminine noun in German: die Nuss (singular), die Nüsse (plural). Noun gender is mostly something you have to learn with the word, although some endings give hints—this one doesn’t reliably.

What does hart mean here, and can it mean different things?

Hart most commonly means hard in the physical sense (not soft). Depending on context, it can also mean tough/strict/harsh (e.g., harte Regeln = strict rules), but in Die Nuss ist hart it’s the literal physical meaning.

Why is the adjective just hart and not changed (like harte)?

Because after the verb sein (to be), adjectives are used in the predicative position and do not take endings:

• Die Nuss ist hart. (predicative → no ending)

Adjective endings appear when the adjective is before the noun (attributive):

• die harte Nuss (attributive → ending -e)

Is ist always the right word for is?