Breakdown of Ich esse das Wiener Schnitzel mit Zitrone.
ich
I
essen
to eat
mit
with
die Zitrone
the lemon
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Wiener
of Vienna
das Schnitzel
the schnitzel
Questions & Answers about Ich esse das Wiener Schnitzel mit Zitrone.
Why doesn't Wiener have an adjective ending like -es for a neuter noun in the accusative case (das Wiener Schnitzel)?
Adjectives derived from city or region names that end in -er are a special exception: they are indeclinable. This means their endings never change, regardless of gender, case, or number. It stays Wiener whether it is das Wiener Schnitzel, ein Wiener Schnitzel, or mit einem Wiener Schnitzel.
Why is Wiener capitalized? Aren't adjectives usually lowercase in German?
Yes, regular adjectives are lowercase. However, geographic adjectives ending in -er derived from towns, cities, or countries (like Wien becoming Wiener) are always capitalized. Historically, these words actually started as plural nouns referring to the people of the city!
Why is it just mit Zitrone instead of mit einer Zitrone (with a lemon)?
In culinary contexts, when referring to an ingredient, flavor, or garnish in a general sense, German drops the indefinite article. Saying mit einer Zitrone would sound like you are being served a whole, unpeeled lemon to eat with your meal, rather than just having it as a garnish.
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