Breakdown of Zudem schneidet es sowohl das Obst als auch das Gemüse schneller.
es
it
schnell
fast, quickly
das Obst
the fruit
schneiden
to cut
Questions & Answers about Zudem schneidet es sowohl das Obst als auch das Gemüse schneller.
Why is the verb schneidet right after Zudem?
Zudem is an adverbial connector, meaning it takes up the first position in the sentence. Because German main clauses require the verb to be in the second position, the verb schneidet must come next, pushing the subject es into the third position.
Could I use außerdem instead of zudem in this sentence?
Absolutely. Both zudem and außerdem mean "moreover" or "in addition." Zudem sounds just slightly more formal and is very common in written German, but they are fully interchangeable here without changing the grammar or meaning.
How does the phrase sowohl ... als auch work here?
It translates to "both ... and ...". It is a two-part connector used to emphasize that two things are equally included. Here, it bridges the two direct objects: das Obst and das Gemüse. Note that unlike some other German connectors, you do not put a comma before als auch.
Are Obst and Gemüse plural words since they translate to "fruit" and "vegetables"?
No, they are singular. In German, das Obst and das Gemüse are collective nouns, meaning they describe a category of things but act as grammatically singular words (which is why they use the neutral singular article das). English does this with "fruit", but uses a plural for "vegetables", which often trips up English speakers.