Questions & Answers about Ich esse fast nie Fleisch.
Why is fast nie after the verb instead of before it like in English?
In English we say 'I almost never eat', but in German, the main verb must be in the second position of a normal statement. The subject Ich is in position 1, so the verb esse takes position 2. The frequency adverbs fast nie must come after the verb.
Can I put fast nie at the very beginning of the sentence?
Yes! You can emphasize how rarely you eat meat by putting the frequency adverbs first: Fast nie esse ich Fleisch. Just remember that the verb esse must stay in the second position, so the subject ich is forced to move after the verb.
What does fast mean here?
fast means 'almost'. It is paired with the frequency adverb nie (never) to create the phrase fast nie, meaning 'almost never'. They stick together in the sentence because fast is directly describing nie.
Why is there no article like das before Fleisch?
Just like in English, German often drops the article when talking about uncountable things in a general sense. Because you are talking about meat in general, not a specific piece of meat, you just say Fleisch without an article.