Breakdown of Wir vereinfachen das Rezept und sieben das Mehl nicht mehr.
und
and
wir
we
das Rezept
the recipe
das Mehl
the flour
Questions & Answers about Wir vereinfachen das Rezept und sieben das Mehl nicht mehr.
Why does the German present tense here translate as “are simplifying” in English?
- German has no dedicated progressive tense. The simple present covers both simple and progressive meanings.
- Wir vereinfachen can mean “we simplify,” “we are simplifying,” or even “we will simplify,” depending on context.
- To stress the ongoing nature, Germans often add an adverb: Wir vereinfachen gerade das Rezept or Wir sind dabei, das Rezept zu vereinfachen.
Why is there no comma before und, and why is the second wir missing?
- und is a coordinating conjunction; a comma is usually not used in standard sentences. You may insert one to clarify long or complex clauses, but it isn’t required.
- In coordinated main clauses with the same subject, German often omits the repeated subject. The full version would be: Wir vereinfachen das Rezept, und wir sieben das Mehl nicht mehr. Both versions are correct.
Where should nicht mehr go, and can it move?
- nicht mehr (no longer, not anymore) typically appears late in the clause, after objects and before any final verb cluster.
- Here: Wir sieben das Mehl nicht mehr. Object (das Mehl) precedes nicht mehr.
- You can insert adverbs before it: Wir sieben das Mehl heute nicht mehr.
- Putting nicht mehr before the object changes focus and is unusual here: Wir sieben nicht mehr das Mehl sounds marked/contrastive and usually implies “not the flour anymore (but something else).”