Breakdown of Wir entnehmen die Kerne mit einem Löffel.
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
mit
with
der Löffel
the spoon
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
entnehmen
to extract
der Kern
the seed (pit, core)
Questions & Answers about Wir entnehmen die Kerne mit einem Löffel.
Is the verb entnehmen separable?
No, it is inseparable. Verbs starting with the prefix ent- never separate. That is why the prefix stays attached to the verb in this sentence. In the perfect tense, inseparable verbs also do not take a ge-, so the past tense would be: Wir haben die Kerne entnommen.
Does the prefix ent- give a clue about the meaning of the verb?
Yes! The prefix ent- often indicates removal, deprivation, or taking something away. Combined with nehmen (to take), it becomes extracting or taking away. You will see this same prefix in other words like entfernen (to remove) or entdecken (to discover, literally to remove the cover).
Why is the ending -em used in mit einem Löffel?
The preposition mit always forces the following noun phrase into the dative case. Because spoon is a masculine noun (der Löffel), the indefinite article ein changes to its dative form, einem.
Can Kerne mean anything besides seeds?
Yes, der Kern (plural: die Kerne) is a versatile word. Aside from the seed or pit of a fruit, it generally means the core or center of something. For example, you can talk about the core of a problem, or an atomic nucleus (der Atomkern).
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