Breakdown of Der Schredder zerkleinert das Metall schnell.
schnell
fast, quickly
der Schredder
the shredder
das Metall
the metal
zerkleinern
to shred
Questions & Answers about Der Schredder zerkleinert das Metall schnell.
What does the prefix zer- in zerkleinert tell us?
The inseparable prefix zer- usually indicates that something is being destroyed, taken apart, or broken into pieces. Here, it combines with klein (small) to form zerkleinern, meaning to make small into pieces or to shred.
Is Schredder an English loanword?
Yes, it comes directly from the English word shredder. German adapts the spelling by changing the sh to sch to match German pronunciation rules, and capitalizes the first letter as it does with all nouns.
Why doesn't schnell have an adjective ending here?
Because it is functioning as an adverb describing the verb zerkleinert (how the machine shreds). In German, adverbs never take endings. The word would only get an ending if it were placed directly before a noun, such as ein schnelles Auto.
How can I remember that it is das Metall?
There is a very handy rule for this: almost all metals and chemical elements in German are neuter. That means you can confidently guess das for related words like das Gold, das Silber, and das Eisen (iron).