"Sie trägt ein weißes Hemd."

Translation: She is wearing a white shirt.

[slytherclaw]

Why is it weißes instead of weiß? Is it because it's directly describing the shirt: "a white shirt" instead of "the shirt is white?"

[Hohenems]

That's right. This little read should answer any other questions you might also have:

http://coerll.utexas.edu/gg/gr/adj_01.html

[maverickpl]

Hohenems, that site is helpful. However, what do they mean by "strong endings" in the context that adjectives after indefinite articles receive strong endings.

[Hohenems]

I haven't seen it called strong endings before (I just read the part in the link you're talking about). The term I'm familiar with for indefinite articles is "mixed endings" or mixed inflection/declension. This wiki article shows the endings for strong inflection (when there is no article), weak inflection (definite articles like der), and mixed inflection (indefinite articles like ein):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declension#Attributive_adjectives

Hope that helps. If not, ask again.

[Haydiicakes]

Anything after a verb is accusative. Ask yourself after the verb "Wearing what". 'A white shirt' is accusative.
And then because it follows 'ein' (indefinite article) its mixed inflection.
and then look at the gender of the noun in front (neuter)
...So...
Mixed inflection, accusative neuter (ends with es)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_adjectives#Mixed_inflection

[ashishpaliwal]

why is it not she carries a white shirt ?

[Levi]

@ashishpaliwal : "She carries a white shirt" is also accepted.

[EricMcDevitt]

Shouldn't trägt in this context translate as "wears" not "carries" ?

[bunzoo]

or earns? I mean really? That can't possibly be a good translation in this context, but it's the first one given for the word traegt.

[Shimerab]

Ok, here I go again. Sie tragt ein weisses Hemd (don't have the ") She is wearing a white shirt. When I mouse over the tragt, it gives me 3 possible answers earn, register, and check. None of them are anywhere near what they accepted as correct. If the mouse over suggestions are suppose to be correct why is wear not there. Because of the possible answers I put She earned a white shirt. Why wouldn't that be acceptable.

[Shimerab]

The mouse-over for traegt is no help at all.

[CapnDoug]

It does show both "is wearing" and "wears" clear at the bottom of the list.

[Rainbowrebellion]

Why is it trägt and fällt with accents in this case and not tragt or fallt?

[mizinamo]

There are probably some historical reasons for these vowel changes (also gibt, isst rather than gebt, esst), but from the point of view of today's German, they're just irregularities to be learned by heart.

[Rainbowrebellion]

I'm so glad you exist. thank you! <3

[Aikurn]

Why not "They are wearing a white shirt"?

[Levi]

@Aikurn: They are wearing would be "Sie tragen"

[Aikurn]

Yes, but the mouseover for trägt includes "(we/they) wear/are wearing". I don't understand why. Is there a situation where trägt could be the same as tragen?

[Levi]

@Aikurn: The mouseover is valid generally. Also 'ich tragE' 'du trägST' 'sie tragEN' and so on - this is how you get to know when it should be "they are wearing", for example.

[Benjaminyi]

bcs if you want to say“ they” the veb (träge) should be Trägen ... then will be right .

[backtoschool]

I would say, girls wear, "Blusen, T-shirts, Blazer, Nachthemden", whereas "Hemden" are more male clothes, aren't they?
Just saying. ;-)

[helenvee]

Girls do wear shirts. It is a particular style of garment which is the same for men and women.

[backtoschool]

Is this a "Maedchenhemd" ??
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8DhLHiXQ9kFj3u87oRf4ZPCfPbhyHBR6Hm4zvUCOl_jDNzTxk

I learned a shirt for a girl is a shirt in the meaning and cut of a blouse which is in German a "Hemdbluse" and for the boys a "Oberhemd". Or you mean the style of shirt business women wearing, they look very similar to men's shirts with the opposite button order.

Just being curious. (hope its not too far off topic)

[helenvee]

I mean business style shirts with, as you say, the buttons on the opposite side. Not that they are only worn by business women. I opted out of the corporate world years ago but I still have shirts I wear when I need to look smart. I'd describe the photo in the link as a blouse.

[backtoschool]

shirt = Hemd, Oberhemd (male),

T-shirt = T-shirt (unisex),

Bluse/Hemdbluse = blouse (fem),

and now I learned:
shirt = shirt (fem) in the meaning of business style shirt for girls is also fine.

Well, thanks for that helen.
Quoting: "...have shirts I wear when I need to look smart." I like that idea, -you made my day! :-)

[12345ann]

I think the correct translation for German "Hemd" would be the English "button up". Shirt is much wider in English than Hemd is in German. try to google-image Hemd and you will see

[VirgilSchmidt]

Maybe that's the irony of the situation. Someone is point out that she is wears a shirt cut for a male body.

[andrea.monticue]

I am still confused about this. We use the feminine "weißes" because the person wearing it is feminine? "Das Hemd" is neuter.

[andrea.monticue]

Never mind. I found a good explanation here: http://german.about.com/library/weekly/aa030298.htm

[deactivated user]

so "Das gelbe Kleid, Die gelbe Kleidung, Der gelbe Hut"
and "Ein gelbes Kleid. Eine gelbe Kleidung. Ein gelber Hut"
am i right?

[V2Blast]

Yes (assuming those all appear in the nominative; in accusative, it'd be "einen gelben Hut").

[deactivated user]

tnx :)

[dominicauer]

all I heard was she drinks a white drink????