German Phrase
Ist das der mit dem grünen Dach?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether a particular object – most often a house or building – is the one that has a green roof. It is a short, pointed question that expects a yes/no answer.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are looking at several houses, apartments, or any structures and want to confirm which one has the distinctive green roof. It works well in real‑estate tours, neighborhood walks, or when a friend points out a building.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IstdasdermitdemgrünenDach?
sein (ist)
‘Ist’ is the 3rd person singular present of ‘sein’ (to be) and is used to form yes‑no questions.
Demonstrative pronoun ‘der’
‘der’ refers to a masculine noun previously mentioned (e.g., ‘der Mann’, ‘der Bau’).
Preposition ‘mit’ + dative
‘mit’ always governs the dative case; therefore the noun phrase after it is in dative.
Dative article ‘dem’
‘dem’ is the masculine/neuter dative singular definite article.
Adjective declension after definite article (dative)
In the dative singular, adjectives take the ending –en: ‘grünen’.
Neuter noun ‘Dach’
‘Dach’ is neuter; in the dative it appears as ‘dem Dach’.
🗨In Conversation
Ist das der mit dem grünen Dach?
Is that the one with the green roof?
Ja, genau. Das ist das Haus, das wir kaufen wollen.
Yes, exactly. That’s the house we want to buy.
✕Common Mistakes
Ist das der mit den grünen Dach?
‘mit’ requires dative, not accusative; the correct article is ‘dem’.
Ist das der mit dem grüner Dach?
After a definite article in the dative, the adjective takes –en, not –er.
Ist das das mit dem grünen Dach?
‘der’ refers to a masculine noun; using ‘das’ would change the gender and sound odd in this context.
↔Alternatives
Ist das das Haus mit dem grünen Dach?
Is that the house with the green roof?
Gehört das zu dem Gebäude mit dem grünen Dach?
Does that belong to the building with the green roof?
Ist das das Gebäude, das ein grünes Dach hat?
Is that the building that has a green roof?
Cultural Tip
German often shortens relative clauses by dropping the relative pronoun and the verb ‘sein’. ‘Der mit dem grünen Dach’ is a compact way of saying ‘der (Mann/ das Haus), der ein grünes Dach hat’. This style sounds natural in everyday conversation but can be confusing for learners because the noun’s gender (der) does not match the noun in the dative phrase (dem Dach).