German word

es

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛs/

Meaning

  • pronounit

Example

Es ist schade.

It is a shame.

Illustration for es (it)

More examples

Es gibt viele Bücher im Regal.

There are many books on the shelf.

Core concept

An empty label in the subject slot, allowing a sentence to express a situation, judgment, or condition.

Common phrases

  • es regnet

    It is raining

  • es gibt

    there are

Similar words

er: A singular third-person pronoun used for a male person or masculine noun.
sie: A singular third-person pronoun used for a female person or feminine noun.
man: An indefinite pronoun expressing what people generally do, think, or say.
das: A neuter demonstrative pronoun referring back to a thing or earlier content.

Definition in German

Ein unpersönliches Subjekt, das in Ausdrücken wie „Es regnet“ oder „Es ist wichtig“ steht und nicht auf ein konkretes Nomen verweist.

Word origin

The modern pronoun es developed from the neuter pronoun of earlier German, including Old High German iz, and gained grammatical subject uses.

Usage tips

  • In Es ist schade, dass ..., es anticipates the following clause, a pattern comparable to English It is a shame that ... .

Word lists with this word