Er ist ledig.

Ledig is an adjective here.

In this sentence, it comes after sein (to be) and describes the subject er. This is called a predicative adjective.

• Er ist ledig. = adjective after sein
• ein lediger Mann = adjective before a noun

A useful thing to notice: after sein, adjectives do not take adjective endings.

Because ist is the 3rd person singular present-tense form of sein (to be), and it matches er (he).

The present tense of sein is:

• ich bin
• du bist
• er / sie / es ist
• wir sind
• ihr seid
• sie / Sie sind

So:

• Er ist ledig.
• Sie ist ledig.
• Wir sind ledig.

Because ledig is an adjective, not a noun.

German does not use an article before an adjective in this kind of sentence:

• Er ist ledig.
• Sie ist müde.
• Das ist gut.

Compare that with a noun:

• Er ist ein Lehrer.

Here Lehrer is a noun, so ein is needed. But ledig is just describing him, so no article appears.

Because it is being used after sein.

In German, adjectives used this way usually stay in their basic form:

• Er ist ledig.
• Sie ist alt.
• Das Haus ist groß.

Adjective endings appear when the adjective comes before a noun:

• ein lediger Mann
• eine ledige Frau
• die ledigen Männer

So ledig has no ending in Er ist ledig because it is predicative, not attributive.

Not exactly.

Ledig usually means unmarried in the sense of marital status. It is often used in formal or official contexts.

English single can mean:

• unmarried
• not in a relationship

German ledig is closer to unmarried than to the broader everyday meaning of single.

So someone can be:

• ledig = not married but not necessarily
• romantically unattached

People understand it easily, but it can sound a bit formal or official.

You will often see it on forms or in administrative language, for example:

• Familienstand: ledig

In casual conversation, Germans may also say:

• Er ist nicht verheiratet. = He is not married.

So ledig is correct, but it is often more about civil status than everyday relationship talk.

Yes.

The adjective itself stays the same after sein, but the subject and verb change as needed:

• Sie ist ledig.
• Ich bin ledig.
• Wir sind ledig.
• Sie sind ledig.

If you put the adjective before a noun, then it changes form:

• eine ledige Frau
• ein lediger Mann
• ledige Personen

Because Er ist ledig. is a statement, and in a normal German main clause, the finite verb is usually in second position.

• Er ist ledig. = statement
• Ist er ledig? = yes/no question

So changing the word order changes the sentence type.

Because it is an adjective.

In German, nouns are capitalized, but adjectives normally are not, unless they are at the beginning of a sentence.

So:

• Er ist ledig.
• Ein lediger Mann

But a noun would be capitalized, for example:

• Er ist Lehrer. is possible in some contexts, but Lehrer is a noun, so it is capitalized.

In standard German, it is usually pronounced approximately LAY-dikh or LEH-dikh, but the safest guide is:

• stress on the first syllable
• a long e
• the final g is often pronounced like a soft ch in standard German

A common dictionary pronunciation is:

• [ˈleːdɪç]

If pronunciation is your focus, the main thing is to avoid stressing the second syllable.