Breakdown of Du brauchst keine teure Medizin einzunehmen.
du
you (informal singular)
kein
no, not any
brauchen
to need
teuer
expensive
Questions & Answers about Du brauchst keine teure Medizin einzunehmen.
Why is it einzunehmen as one word, instead of zu einnehmen?
einnehmen (to take) is a separable verb (ein + nehmen). When a separable verb is used in a zu-infinitive construction, the zu gets sandwiched right between the prefix and the main verb, forming one single word: einzunehmen.
The lesson says to use nicht with brauchen ... zu, but here we use keine. Is that allowed?
Yes! You use a form of kein instead of nicht because you are directly negating a noun (Medizin). The grammar rule is exactly the same: brauchen + negative word + zu + infinitive means "don't need to do something".
Why does teure end in an -e here?
Medizin is a feminine noun, and it is the direct object (accusative case) in this sentence. After keine, the adjective teuer (expensive) takes the feminine accusative ending -e, dropping its original inner 'e' to become teure.
Could I just use the normal verb nehmen to say I am taking medicine?
You could, and people would understand you perfectly, but einnehmen is the specific, natural-sounding verb Germans use for "taking" medicine, pills, or drops. It literally translates more closely to "to ingest" or "to take in".