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If I want to say in German: "Summer is the warmest season, and winter is the coldest," do I need to include the definite article before each season, or can the definite articles be omitted?

  1. Sommer ist die wärmste Jahreszeit und Winter ist die kälteste.

Or,

  1. Der Sommer ist die wärmste Jahreszeit und der Winter ist die kälteste.

As I am just beginning to learn German, any other corrections or suggestions would be appreciated.

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  • Before the edit, your examples incorrectly said "Winter ist der kälteste".
    – xehpuk
    Oct 19, 2018 at 10:24

1 Answer 1

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Both are correct, but (1) is unusual, we don't say it like this. However, (2) can be stylistically improved by two omissions:

Der Sommer ist die wärmste Jahreszeit, der Winter die kälteste.

Omission of clause parts: Ellipse

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  • 5
    As a native speaker from the South, I think I'd say (1).
    – Noiralef
    Oct 19, 2018 at 11:18
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    If I use the phrase just as an statement out of nowhere, I'd use (2), otherwise probably (1) if there is any context to it. //(Also native speaker)\\ But a mixture goes as well ("Der Sommer ist die wärmste, und Winter die kälteste Jahreszeit.") First named gets the definite article, second doesn't
    – D.Schaller
    Oct 19, 2018 at 14:17
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    Both options sound perfectly correct, although I would prefer (1). (Native speaker from Central/Southern Germany living in the North.)
    – Frank from Frankfurt
    Oct 19, 2018 at 15:03
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    Native speaker from the North, also preferring the first option.. The version without article feels more like using the name of the season rather than a description.
    – Chieron
    Oct 19, 2018 at 15:14
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    This feels incomplete and your assertion about (1) makes me sing this song youtube.com/watch?v=DSyWrudKkfE –– Why is (1) unusual? Or where?
    – LаngLаngС
    Oct 19, 2018 at 16:48

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