German Phrase
"Hello" ist Englisch.
Meaning
This is a basic declarative sentence used to identify the language of the word "Hello". It follows the standard Subject-Verb-Complement structure in German, using the third-person singular form of the verb "sein".
When to use
Use this phrase when explaining the linguistic origin of a word or clarifying what language a specific term belongs to. It is frequently used in language learning environments or when discussing loanwords.
✦Grammar Breakdown
"Hello"istEnglisch
Sein (ist)
'Ist' is the third-person singular present tense of 'sein' (to be), equivalent to 'is' in English.
Nouns for Languages
In German, when you refer to the name of a language as a category or noun, it is capitalized (e.g., Englisch, Deutsch, Französisch).
🗨In Conversation
Was ist das für ein Wort?
What kind of word is that?
"Hello" ist Englisch.
"Hello" is English.
✕Common Mistakes
"Hello" sind Englisch.
The subject is the word itself, which is singular, so you must use 'ist' instead of the plural 'sind'.
"Hello" ist englisch.
When referring to the language as a noun or a category in this context, 'Englisch' should be capitalized.
↔Alternatives
"Hello" ist ein englisches Wort.
"Hello" is an English word.
Auf Englisch sagt man "Hello".
In English, one says "Hello".
Cultural Tip
English is the most widely spoken second language in Germany and is a compulsory subject in most schools. Due to the high number of Anglicisms in modern German, you will often hear people clarify whether a word is native German or borrowed from English.