Breakdown of Während der Tee zieht, räume ich den Müll weg und mache den Herd aus.
und
and
ich
I
während
while
der Tee
the tea
der Herd
the stove
der Müll
the trash
ausmachen
to switch off
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Questions & Answers about Während der Tee zieht, räume ich den Müll weg und mache den Herd aus.
Why does während appear at the beginning, and how does it affect the word order?
während is a subordinating conjunction meaning “while.” When a subordinate clause starts with während, its finite verb moves to the end of that clause. The main clause then follows after a comma, obeying its own V2 (verb‑second) rule relative to the entire sentence.
In Während der Tee zieht, why is zieht at the end?
Because subordinate clauses in German send the finite verb to the final position. Here zieht (from ziehen, “to steep” or “to draw”) sits at the end of the clause.
What does zieht mean in der Tee zieht, and how is it different from kocht?
In this context, zieht means “is steeping” or “is drawing” flavor into the water. It refers to letting the tea infuse. kochen means “to boil,” which is heating the water, not the infusion process itself.
What case is den Müll in räume ich den Müll weg, and why?
den Müll is accusative because wegräumen (“to clear away”) is a transitive verb that takes a direct object. Müll is masculine, so its article changes from der (nom.) to den (acc.).
What function does weg have in räume ich den Müll weg?
weg is the separable prefix of wegräumen. In a main clause, the prefix detaches and moves to the end. Together räume … weg mean “clear away.”
Why does the main clause start with räume before ich?
The entire subordinate clause Während der Tee zieht counts as the first “slot” in the sentence. German main clauses must have the finite verb in the second position (V2). Thus räume comes next, followed by the subject ich.
In the second part, und mache den Herd aus, why is aus separated from machen and placed at the end?
ausmachen is a separable verb meaning “to turn off.” In main clauses, the prefix aus detaches and goes to the end, yielding mache … aus.
Could I omit ich in the second verb phrase und mache den Herd aus?
Yes. When two verbs share the same subject and are joined by und, you only need to state the subject once. Here ich applies to both räume … weg and mache … aus.
Is there a difference between Herd ausmachen and Herd ausschalten?
Both mean “to turn off the stove.” ausmachen is more colloquial (“switch off”), while ausschalten is slightly more formal but interchangeable in everyday speech.