How to Describe Something in German

Expand your vocabulary with our core 2000 words e-book. It's free and packed with essential expressions that you'll use on a daily basis. Start building your vocabulary today. Click the link in the description below to download your free German e-book before it's gone. Do you know how to describe something in terms of its good and bad qualities in German? You'll learn how in just a moment. Hi, my name is Laura and this is 3-Step German by GermanPod101.com. In this lesson, you'll learn how to describe something in terms of its good and bad qualities using simple adjective phrases in the present tense through a quick conversation. Let's look at the dialogue. As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds. Let's hear it with the English translation. Pay attention to the next sentence. It follows the key speaking pattern you'll learn later in this lesson. No, it's soft and bounces well. Sounds good. Is it expensive? A bit, but the quality is very good. Let's look at the sentence pattern. Do you remember how the character said, no, it's soft and bounces well? This sentence follows the pattern here. Noun or pronoun plus sign plus adjective. Noun or pronoun to be plus adjective. This is one of the most basic and useful structures in German. It allows you to describe how something is right now, its qualities, condition or character. Here's how the line from the dialogue uses the pattern. No, it's soft and bounces well. The pronoun meaning he or it for masculine nouns like present tense of sein meaning is. Weich meaning soft. Together, it is soft. The sentence continues and bounces well. So all together it is No, it's soft and bounces well. Now, let's look at another line from the dialogue. A bit, but the quality is very good. Let's break down the part that uses the same grammar pattern. The quality is very good. A feminine noun meaning the quality. An adjective phrase. This follows the same structure. Noun plus ist plus adjective or adjective phrase. This shows how you can describe a specific quality of an item using the same pattern. Whether you're talking about a ball or about the quality of a product, this structure stays the same. Now, you can describe the features of almost anything in German. In German, an adjective usually comes after the verb sein in simple sentences. It does not change form when used like this. This is an easy and useful way to talk about good and bad qualities in German. Now, let's look at some speaking examples. The pillow is soft and very comfortable. Can you see how the pattern applies here? Let's break it down. A neuter noun, subject of the sentence. And very comfortable. This sentence follows the pattern noun plus ist plus adjective. And in this case, also in plus adjective too. It's a simple and natural way to describe how something feels. Here's another example. The chair is light and very sturdy. Let's try one more. Another one. One last example. The table is sturdy and looks good. Now, you know how to describe something in terms of its good and bad qualities in German. And you can move on to the practice.