Breakdown of Ich rühre den Reis im Topf um und würze ihn mit Salz und Pfeffer.
und
and
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
ich
I
mit
with
der Reis
the rice
umrühren
to stir
der Topf
the pot
würzen
to season
ihn
it
das Salz
the salt
der Pfeffer
the pepper
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Questions & Answers about Ich rühre den Reis im Topf um und würze ihn mit Salz und Pfeffer.
Why is the verb split into rühre and um instead of using umrühre?
In German, many verbs are separable.
- The infinitive is umrühren.
- In the present tense for “ich,” you conjugate the verb stem (rühre) and move the separable prefix (um) to the end of the clause.
So Ich rühre den Reis im Topf um.
Why is im Topf placed between den Reis and um?
German main‑clause word order goes:
- Finite verb in second position (rühre)
- Other elements (objects, adverbials)
- Separable prefix at the end (um)
Thus den Reis (object) and im Topf (adverbial) come before um.
What case is den Reis, and why?
Den Reis is in the accusative case because:
- rühren is a transitive verb requiring a direct object.
- Reis is masculine (nominative der Reis), so its accusative form takes den.
Why do we use ihn when referring back to den Reis?
Since Reis is masculine and being used as a direct object, the correct accusative pronoun is ihn.
- Nominative masculine pronoun: er
- Accusative masculine pronoun: ihn
Why is mit used with Salz und Pfeffer, and what case does it take?
The preposition mit always governs the dative case. When talking about substances in general (mass nouns), German commonly omits the article:
- Full dative with article: mit dem Salz und dem Pfeffer
- Natural usage: mit Salz und Pfeffer
Can you omit ihn in würze ihn mit Salz und Pfeffer?
Yes. If the context makes clear what you’re seasoning, you can drop the pronoun:
- … und würze mit Salz und Pfeffer.
Including ihn simply emphasizes that you’re seasoning the rice specifically.
Could you change the order to Ich rühre im Topf den Reis um?
Absolutely. German allows flexibility in placing adverbials:
- Ich rühre den Reis im Topf um. (object + place)
- Ich rühre im Topf den Reis um. (place + object)
The meaning stays the same, though the element you mention first can receive slightly more emphasis.