"There is" and "There are" in German

This section explains "There is" and "There are" in German. In German, the phrases "there is" and "there are" are translated using "es gibt". The construction "es gibt" is used when talking about the existence of something in both singular and plural forms. It is important to note that "es gibt" is always followed by the accusative case (the direct object).

"Es gibt" – "There is" / "There are"

• "Es gibt" translates to "there is" or "there are" in English.
  • "Es gibt" is the same for both singular and plural nouns.
  • It is used to describe things, people, or situations that exist or are present.

Structure of "Es gibt"

The structure of a sentence using "es gibt" is straightforward. The phrase "es gibt" comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the object (the thing or person that exists), which is in the accusative case.

Formula:

• Es gibt + accusative object.

Examples of "There is" and "There are"

"Es gibt" with Singular Nouns (There is):

• Es gibt einen Apfel.
  (There is an apple.)
• Es gibt einen Tisch.
  (There is a table.)
• Es gibt ein Problem.
  (There is a problem.)

"Es gibt" with Plural Nouns (There are):

• Es gibt viele Bücher.
  (There are many books.)
• Es gibt zwei Hunde.
  (There are two dogs.)
• Es gibt mehrere Filme.
  (There are several films.)

Important Notes:

"Es gibt" is followed by the accusative case, which is used for the direct object.

• For masculine singular nouns, the indefinite article changes from ein to einen.
  • For neuter and feminine singular nouns, ein and eine stay the same in the accusative case.
  • For plural nouns, there is no article, and the noun simply takes the plural form.

"Es gibt" is not used with a subject noun (like "there are books"), but rather to introduce the object or things that exist in a given context.

Foundation Tier Examples:

Singular:

• Es gibt einen Stuhl.
  (There is a chair.)
• Es gibt einen Film.
  (There is a film.)

Plural:

• Es gibt viele Leute.
  (There are many people.)
• Es gibt fünf Zimmer.
  (There are five rooms.)

Higher Tier Examples:

Singular:

• Es gibt ein neues Restaurant in der Stadt.
  (There is a new restaurant in the city.)
• Es gibt ein großes Museum in Berlin.
  (There is a large museum in Berlin.)

Plural:

• Es gibt viele verschiedene Aktivitäten in der Freizeit.
  (There are many different activities in free time.)
• Es gibt zahlreiche Möglichkeiten, in Deutschland zu reisen.
  (There are numerous ways to travel in Germany.)

"Es gibt" in Questions

To ask about the existence of something, simply invert the sentence order, placing "gibt es" at the beginning. This is how you form questions using "es gibt".

Formula:

• Gibt es + accusative object + ?

Examples of Questions:

Singular:

• Gibt es einen Supermarkt hier?
  (Is there a supermarket here?)
• Gibt es ein Restaurant in der Nähe?
  (Is there a restaurant nearby?)

Plural:

• Gibt es viele Geschäfte in der Stadt?
  (Are there many shops in the city?)
• Gibt es viele Sehenswürdigkeiten in Berlin?
  (Are there many tourist attractions in Berlin?)

Summary:

• "Es gibt" means "there is" or "there are" and is used to describe the existence of something.
• "Es gibt" is followed by the accusative case (the object of the sentence).
• In questions, the word order changes to "Gibt es" at the beginning of the sentence.
• The phrase works for both singular and plural nouns, with the structure remaining the same.