Learn Hardcore German: Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.

In spoken and written German, this contraction is standard and much more common than saying „bei dem Lernen“.
You only use the full „bei dem“ if you want to emphasize dem for some reason, which is rare.

Is „Lernen“ a noun here? Why is it capitalized?

Yes. „Lernen“ here is a noun derived from the verb „lernen“.

As a verb: lernen = to learn / to study
As a noun: das Lernen = the act of learning / the studying

In German, all nouns are capitalized, including these “verbal nouns.”

This structure (beim + nominalized infinitive) is very common:

beim Kochen – while cooking
beim Arbeiten – while working
beim Lesen – while reading

What case is used in „beim Lernen“, and why?

„beim Lernen“ uses the dative case.

Reason:
The preposition „bei“ always takes the dative:

bei + dem Lernen → beim Lernen (dative singular)

So Lernen is a dative noun here (though its form doesn’t change visibly).

Could I say „Während des Lernens zu Hause trinke ich Tee“ instead?

Yes, grammatically that is correct, but it sounds more formal and heavier.

während + Genitive → während des Lernens = during the studying

In everyday speech, „beim Lernen“ is more natural and common.
So:

Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee. – neutral, everyday style
Während des Lernens zu Hause trinke ich Tee. – more formal, written style

Why does the sentence start with „Beim Lernen zu Hause“ and not with „Ich“?

German word order rule: the conjugated verb must be in second position in a main clause.

You can choose what comes first for emphasis:

Ich trinke beim Lernen zu Hause Tee.
Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.

In sentence 2, the entire phrase „Beim Lernen zu Hause“ is in the first position, so the verb „trinke“ must be second, and „ich“ moves after the verb.

Both are correct; the second one simply emphasizes the situation (learning at home) more.

What changes if I say „Ich trinke Tee beim Lernen zu Hause“?

The meaning is essentially the same: you drink tea while studying at home.

Differences are mostly about rhythm and emphasis:

„Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.“
– Focus on the circumstances (while studying at home).
„Ich trinke Tee beim Lernen zu Hause.“
– Slightly more neutral; the first information is „I drink tea“.

All of these are grammatically fine:

Ich trinke beim Lernen zu Hause Tee.
Ich trinke Tee beim Lernen zu Hause.
Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.

The verb just has to stay in second position.

What is the difference between „zu Hause“ and „nach Hause“?

zu Hause = at home (location, where you are)
nach Hause = (to) home (direction, where you’re going)

Examples:

Ich bin zu Hause. – I am at home.
Ich gehe nach Hause. – I’m going home.

In your sentence, „Beim Lernen zu Hause…“, we’re talking about something happening at home, so „zu Hause“ is correct.

Why is it „zu Hause“ and not „zu Haus“ or „zu dem Haus“?

„zu Hause“ is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning „at home“.

Historically, „Hause“ is an old dative form of „Haus“.
You do sometimes see „zu Haus“, but it is less common and a bit more poetic/colloquial.

„zu dem Haus“ would mean „to the house“ (a specific building), not “at home,” and it focuses on a direction, not a location:

Ich gehe zu dem Haus. – I go to the house.

Is „zu Hause“ also dative?

Yes. „zu“ always takes the dative case, and in the fixed phrase „zu Hause“, Hause is dative.

You can compare:

zu mir – to me
zu dir – to you
zu Hause – at home (literally: at home, dative form)

But for „zu Hause“, learners can simply treat it as a frozen phrase meaning „at home“.

Why is there no article before „Tee“ in „trinke ich Tee“?

Because „Tee“ is treated here as a mass noun (an unspecified amount of tea).

In German, with things like drinks/foods in a general or indefinite amount, you often omit the article:

Ich trinke Kaffee. – I drink coffee.
Ich esse Brot. – I eat bread.
Ich trinke Tee. – I drink tea.

If you specify the amount or make it more specific, the article reappears:

Ich trinke einen Tee. – I drink a (cup of) tea.
Ich trinke den Tee. – I drink the tea (a specific one).

What gender is „Tee“, and how would it change with an article?

„Tee“ is masculine: der Tee.

Examples:

Nominative: der Tee ist heiß. – The tea is hot.
Accusative: Ich trinke den Tee. – I drink the tea.
Dative: Ich gebe dir dem Tee etwas Zucker. (rare; better: Ich gebe in den Tee etwas Zucker.)

In your sentence, with no article, „trinke ich Tee“ keeps Tee in its base form.

Could I say „Wenn ich zu Hause lerne, trinke ich Tee“ instead?

Yes, that is fully correct and very natural.

Comparison:

Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.
– Uses „beim + noun“, sounds a bit more compact.
Wenn ich zu Hause lerne, trinke ich Tee.
– Uses a subordinate clause with „wenn“ and the verb at the end (lerne).

Both mean something like „When I study at home, I drink tea.“
Style difference only; use whichever you find easier.

Can „zu Hause“ be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. German word order is quite flexible with adverbials. All of these are correct:

Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee.
Beim Lernen trinke ich zu Hause Tee.
Zu Hause beim Lernen trinke ich Tee.

The differences are subtle and about emphasis/rhythm, but the core meaning remains: you’re at home, studying, and drinking tea.

How does „beim Lernen“ relate to English „-ing“ forms like “while studying”?

German doesn’t have a direct equivalent of the English “-ing” continuous form, but „beim + nominalized infinitive“ is one of the closest constructions:

Beim Lernen – while studying / while learning
Beim Essen – while eating
Beim Fahren – while driving

So „Beim Lernen zu Hause trinke ich Tee“ corresponds nicely to:

„While studying at home, I drink tea.“

Can I use „beim“ with other verbs in the same way?

Yes, very productively. Just take the infinitive, capitalize it as a noun, and use „beim“:

beim Arbeiten – while working
beim Lesen – while reading
beim Kochen – while cooking
beim Aufstehen – when getting up / while getting up

This pattern (beim + noun-from-verb) is extremely common and worth memorizing.