Breakdown of Sie trinken zusammen viel Kaffee.
trinken
to drink
der Kaffee
the coffee
zusammen
together
sie
they
viel
much / a lot
Questions & Answers about Sie trinken zusammen viel Kaffee.
How can we tell Sie means "they" here, and not "she"?
Look at the verb! Sie is capitalized because it is the first word of the sentence. However, the verb trinken ends in -en, which is the plural form used for "they". If it meant "she", the verb would end in -t (sie trinkt). Note: It could also mean the formal "You", which shares the same -en verb ending, but context usually clears that up!
Why is zusammen in the middle of the sentence instead of at the end?
In German, adverbs that describe how something happens (like zusammen, meaning "together") usually come directly after the verb. Unlike English, where we often push "together" to the very end of the sentence, German keeps it close to the action: Sie trinken zusammen...
Why do we use viel instead of viele here?
We use viel (much / a lot of) for uncountable things, like liquid coffee, water, or money. We only use viele (many / a lot of) for things we can count individually, like cups of coffee (viele Kaffees) or apples (viele Äpfel).
How would I change this sentence to say "They have a lot of coffee" using this lesson's verbs?
You would swap the verb for the plural form of haben (to have). The sentence becomes: Sie haben zusammen viel Kaffee. Notice that just like trinken, the "they" form of haben ends in -en.
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