German Phrase
Ist der Februar ein kurzer Monat?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether February is a short month, i.e., whether it has fewer days than most other months. It is a neutral, factual question about the calendar.
When to use
Use this question when talking about the length of months, planning events, or comparing February to other months. It is common in casual conversation, school lessons about the calendar, or when discussing leap years.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IstderFebruareinkurzerMonat?
Verb 'sein' (to be)
‘Ist’ is the 3rd person singular present form of ‘sein’, used for statements and questions about a subject.
Definite article ‘der’
‘der’ is the masculine nominative singular article, matching the noun ‘Februar’.
Indefinite article ‘ein’
‘ein’ is the masculine nominative singular indefinite article, used before the noun ‘Monat’.
Adjective ending after ‘ein’
After the indefinite article ‘ein’, the adjective takes a weak ending ‘-er’ in the masculine nominative: ‘kurzer’.
Word order in yes‑no questions
German yes‑no questions place the finite verb first, followed by the subject.
🗨In Conversation
Ist der Februar ein kurzer Monat?
Is February a short month?
Ja, er hat nur 28 Tage, im Schaltjahr 29.
Yes, it only has 28 days, 29 in a leap year.
✕Common Mistakes
Ist der Februar ein kurze Monat?
After the indefinite article ‘ein’, the adjective needs the weak ending ‘-er’, not ‘-e’.
Ist der Februar ein kurzer Monate?
‘Monat’ stays singular because you are talking about the month February, not multiple months.
Ist die Februar ein kurzer Monat?
‘Der’ is correct for masculine ‘Februar’; using ‘die’ would be a gender error.
↔Alternatives
Hat der Februar nur 28 Tage?
Does February only have 28 days?
Ist der Februar kürzer als die anderen Monate?
Is February shorter than the other months?
Wie lang ist der Februar?
How long is February?
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries February is famously the shortest month. In a ‘Schaltjahr’ (leap year) it gains an extra day, becoming 29 days long. Native speakers often use the phrase ‘kurzer Monat’ when talking about February’s brevity, especially in the context of planning holidays or school schedules.