Abends koche ich oft Suppe.

In the evenings I often cook soup.

Breakdown of Abends koche ich oft Suppe.

• ich: I
• oft: often
• kochen: to cook
• die Suppe: the soup
• abends: in the evenings

Questions & Answers about Abends koche ich oft Suppe.

Why is Abends capitalized?

It’s capitalized here simply because it’s the first word of the sentence. When used mid‐sentence as an adverb meaning “in the evenings,” it is normally written lowercase:
Ich koche abends oft Suppe.

What does Abends mean exactly?

Abends is an adverb meaning “in the evenings” or “at night” in the sense of a habitual action. It tells you when something regularly happens.

Can I use am Abend instead of abends?

Yes. Am Abend koche ich oft Suppe conveys the same meaning—“In the evening(s) I often cook soup.” Abends is just a more concise adverbial form for repeated events.

Why does koche come in the second position?

German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second slot, regardless of what comes first. Here, Abends takes the first slot, so koche is placed second.

Why does ich follow koche?

After you’ve placed the verb in the second position, the subject typically follows. That gives you the order: Abends (time) – koche (verb) – ich (subject).

Where does oft go, and why is it there?

Oft is a frequency adverb (“often”). In German, adverbs in the middle field generally follow this sequence:

1. time (Abends)
2. frequency (oft)
3. manner
4. place
   That’s why oft comes after ich and before the object.

Why is there no article before Suppe?

Here Suppe is used generically as a mass noun—“soup” in general—so German omits the article, just as English does: “I cook soup.” If you said eine Suppe, it would mean “one (particular) soup,” focusing on a single portion.

What case is Suppe, and how can I tell without an article?

Suppe is the direct object in the accusative case. With feminine singular nouns, the form looks identical in nominative and accusative (die Suppe → Suppe), so you rely on its position (after verb/adverbs) to recognize it as the object.

Could I also say Ich koche abends oft Suppe?

Absolutely. Starting with the subject is very common. The verb still must stay in second position:
Ich (1) koche (2) abends oft Suppe.
The emphasis shifts slightly toward “I,” but the meaning is the same.

How do you pronounce koche, especially the ch sound?

In koche the vowel o is a back vowel, so ch is pronounced as the voiceless velar fricative (like in Bach). The full pronunciation is approximately [ˈkɔxə].