In der Küche ist der Abfluss verstopft, und das Wasser läuft kaum noch ab.

to be

Breakdown of In der Küche ist der Abfluss verstopft, und das Wasser läuft kaum noch ab.

• und: and
• in: in
• das Wasser: the water

Questions & Answers about In der Küche ist der Abfluss verstopft, und das Wasser läuft kaum noch ab.

Why is it In der Küche (dative) and not In die Küche (accusative)?

Because in can take either dative or accusative depending on meaning:

• Dative = location (where?): In der Küche = in the kitchen (already there).
• Accusative = direction/motion toward (where to?): In die Küche = into the kitchen.

Here the sentence describes where the problem is located, so it uses dative.

Why does the sentence start with In der Küche—does that change the word order?

Yes. German is verb-second (V2) in main clauses. When you put something other than the subject first (like a time/place phrase), the finite verb still stays in position 2, and the subject comes after it:

• In der Küche (position 1)
• ist (position 2)
• der Abfluss (later)

So this is normal German inversion, not a question structure.

What exactly is der Abfluss—is it the pipe, the drain, or the plughole?

Der Abfluss usually means the drain / drainpipe / outlet where water drains away, depending on context. In a kitchen, it typically refers to the sink drain (the drain opening and/or the draining system), not the faucet.