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Questions & Answers about Ich lese die Speisekarte und bestelle Suppe.
Why is Speisekarte capitalized?
Because all German nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. You’ll see this with every noun in German.
Why is the article die used before Speisekarte?
Speisekarte is a feminine noun. In the singular, the definite article for feminine nouns is die in both the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) cases.
Why is there no article before Suppe?
When you order food or drink in German, you normally drop the article and treat it as a partitive/unbounded noun. bestelle Suppe simply means “order (some) soup.” If you wanted to be specific, you could say bestelle eine Suppe or bestelle die Suppe.
Could I say bestelle eine Suppe or bestelle die Suppe instead?
Yes.
- eine Suppe (“a soup”) emphasizes one bowl/portion.
- die Suppe (“the soup”) refers to a particular soup (e.g. the soup of the day).
Why is bestelle not at the end of the clause like in subordinate clauses?
Because und is a coordinating conjunction, not a subordinating one. It links two main clauses. In German main clauses the finite verb stays in second position—or, if the subject is omitted in the second clause, the verb can even come first. That’s why bestelle follows und directly.
Why are both verbs in the present tense? Wouldn’t English use past or progressive here?
German uses the simple present (ich lese, ich bestelle) for ongoing actions, current activities, or even near-future plans. There is no separate present‑progressive form as in English.
What’s the difference between Speisekarte and Menü?
Speisekarte is the full menu listing all dishes. Menü can mean a fixed set menu (e.g. three courses) or sometimes just “menu” in a broader sense, but it often implies a pre‑selected combination.
Could I replace lesen with ansehen or durchblättern when talking about the menu?
Yes.
- sich die Speisekarte ansehen (“to look at the menu”)
- die Speisekarte durchblättern (“to leaf through the menu”)
But lesen (“to read”) is perfectly normal if you actually read the dish descriptions.