Siehst du, wie der Schredder den Schrott zerschneidet?
Do you see how the shredder cuts up the scrap?
Breakdown of Siehst du, wie der Schredder den Schrott zerschneidet?
du
you (informal singular)
wie
how
sehen
to see
der Schredder
the shredder
der Schrott
the scrap
zerschneiden
to cut up
Questions & Answers about Siehst du, wie der Schredder den Schrott zerschneidet?
Why is the verb zerschneidet at the very end of the sentence?
The word wie (how) introduces a dependent clause. In German dependent clauses, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end of that clause.
What does the prefix zer- add to the verb schneiden?
The prefix zer- is inseparable and usually means that something is being destroyed, smashed, or taken apart. Since schneiden means to cut, zerschneiden means to cut into pieces or cut up.
Is zerschneiden a separable verb?
No, verbs starting with the prefix zer- are never separable. Even if you used it in a normal main clause, the prefix would stay attached to the verb, for example: Der Schredder zerschneidet den Schrott.
Why do we use den for Schrott but der for Schredder?
Both of these words are masculine nouns. Der Schredder is in the nominative case because it is the subject doing the cutting. Den Schrott is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action (it is the thing being cut).
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