Breakdown of Die Lichtshow und die Tonanlage laufen schon.
und
and
schon
already
laufen
to be in progress
die Lichtshow
the light show
Questions & Answers about Die Lichtshow und die Tonanlage laufen schon.
Why is the verb laufen and not läuft?
Because the subject is two things joined by und:
- die Lichtshow
- die Tonanlage
Each noun is singular by itself, but together they form a plural subject, so the verb must also be plural:
- singular: Die Lichtshow läuft schon.
- singular: Die Tonanlage läuft schon.
- plural: Die Lichtshow und die Tonanlage laufen schon.
So laufen here is the 3rd person plural form.
Why do both nouns have die?
Both nouns are feminine singular:
- die Lichtshow
- die Tonanlage
So each one takes the article die in the nominative singular.
This can be confusing because die is also the article for the plural in German. But in this sentence, each individual noun is still singular; the whole subject becomes plural only because they are connected by und.
What case are die Lichtshow and die Tonanlage in?