Zum Abendessen schneide ich Knoblauch in Scheiben.

For dinner I slice garlic into pieces.

Breakdown of Zum Abendessen schneide ich Knoblauch in Scheiben.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• zu: to
• das Abendessen: the dinner
• in Scheiben schneiden: to slice
• der Knoblauch: the garlic

Questions & Answers about Zum Abendessen schneide ich Knoblauch in Scheiben.

What does zum stand for here, and why not zur?

zum is the contraction of zu dem. Abendessen is neuter (das Abendessen), so you need dem, hence zum.

• zur = zu der (used with feminine nouns).
• Examples: zum Haus (das Haus), zur Schule (die Schule), zu den Kindern (Plural).

Why does zum Abendessen mean “for dinner,” and how is it different from für das Abendessen, beim Abendessen, am Abend, and abends?

• zum Abendessen: for/as part of the dinner (purpose/occasion). Very idiomatic when preparing food for that meal.
• für das Abendessen: for the dinner (allocation/benefit). Possible (“Ich kaufe Brot für das Abendessen”), but for preparation wording, zum is more idiomatic.
• beim Abendessen: during/at dinner (while eating). Example: Beim Abendessen rede ich wenig.
• am Abend: in the evening (that particular evening).
• abends: in the evenings (habitually).
• Regional note: zum Abendbrot can be used like zum Abendessen in some areas.

Which case does zu take, and what is the case of Abendessen in zum Abendessen?

zu always governs the dative. So it’s zu dem Abendessen (dative), contracted to zum Abendessen. Other forms: zur Schule (= zu der), zu den Eltern.

Why is it schneide ich (verb before the subject) after Zum Abendessen?

German main clauses are verb-second. If you put Zum Abendessen first, it occupies the first position, so the finite verb schneide must be second, and the subject ich comes after it:

• Zum Abendessen schneide ich …
• Neutral alternative: Ich schneide … (zum Abendessen).

Why is there no article before Knoblauch?

Knoblauch is typically a mass noun in German, like “garlic” in English, so an article is often omitted for a non-specific amount. Use an article when you mean a specific garlic:

• Generic/unspecified: Ich schneide Knoblauch …
• Specific/definite: Ich schneide den Knoblauch …
• For quantities: eine Zehe Knoblauch, ein Kopf/eine Knolle Knoblauch (a clove / a head of garlic).

What case is Knoblauch in, and how could I make that visible?

It’s the direct object, so accusative. Because there’s no article, you don’t see the case marking. If you add an article, it becomes clear:

• Zum Abendessen schneide ich den Knoblauch in Scheiben. (masculine accusative: den)

Why in Scheiben? Which case does in take here, and why no article?

With a change of state/result (cutting something into a new form), in takes the accusative: in Scheiben = “into slices.” It’s an indefinite result, so no article is used. Saying in die Scheiben would imply specific, already-known slices, which doesn’t fit here.

• Other patterns: in Würfel (into cubes), in Stücke (into pieces), in feine Scheiben (into thin slices).

Can I say zu Scheiben schneiden or auf Scheiben schneiden?

No. For a resulting form/shape, German uses in + Akkusativ: in Scheiben schneiden.

• auf would mean “on top of” (a surface), not a result.
• zu is not used to express the resulting shape here.

Where can I put zum Abendessen in the sentence?

Several places are possible; keep the verb second:

• Zum Abendessen schneide ich Knoblauch in Scheiben. (time fronted; very natural)
• Ich schneide zum Abendessen Knoblauch in Scheiben.
• Ich schneide Knoblauch zum Abendessen in Scheiben. (also fine) General guideline: time elements often come early (Time–Manner–Place), but word order is flexible for emphasis.

How do I say this in the past or future?

• Spoken past (Perfekt): Zum Abendessen habe ich den Knoblauch in Scheiben geschnitten.
• Simple past (Präteritum, more written style): Zum Abendessen schnitt ich den Knoblauch in Scheiben.
• Future: Zum Abendessen werde ich Knoblauch in Scheiben schneiden. (Present with a time word is also common: Morgen schneide ich …)

Any pronunciation tips for Knoblauch, schneide, Scheiben?

• Knoblauch both sounds in Kn; final ch is the back sound (like Scottish “loch”).
• schneide is [ʃ] (“sh”); ei is [aɪ] like “eye.”
• Scheiben sch = sh, ei = eye, final -en is a reduced schwa sound.

Why are Abendessen, Knoblauch, and Scheiben capitalized, and why is Abendessen one word?

All nouns are capitalized in German. Abendessen is a compound noun: Abend + Essen. The gender is determined by the last part (das Essen → das Abendessen). Compounds are written as one word.

Is in Scheiben schneiden a fixed expression? What other cooking collocations are useful?

Yes, in Scheiben schneiden is a very common collocation. Others include:

• in Würfel schneiden (dice), in Streifen schneiden (cut into strips), in Stücke schneiden (cut into pieces)
• fein/grob hacken (chop finely/coarsely)
• pressen (garlic press), reiben (grate; less common for garlic), schälen (peel) For garlic specifically: Knoblauch in Scheiben schneiden, Knoblauch fein hacken, Knoblauch pressen.

What are the principal forms of schneiden?

• Present: ich schneide, du schneidest, er/sie/es schneidet
• Simple past: ich schnitt, du schnittest, er/sie/es schnitt
• Past participle: geschnitten (with haben → ich habe geschnitten)

If I refer back to Knoblauch with a pronoun later, which one do I use?

Knoblauch is masculine (der Knoblauch), so the accusative pronoun is ihn:

• Zum Abendessen schneide ich Knoblauch in Scheiben. Danach brate ich ihn kurz an.