Breakdown of Im Messbecher fehlt noch etwas Milch; dazu gebe ich einen halben Teelöffel Salz.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
ich
I
noch
still (up to now)
Questions & Answers about Im Messbecher fehlt noch etwas Milch; dazu gebe ich einen halben Teelöffel Salz.
Why is im used here, and what exactly does it mean?
im is a contraction of in dem.
- in = in
- dem = the, in the dative case
So im Messbecher literally means in the measuring cup.
German very often contracts:
- in dem → im
- an dem → am
- zu dem → zum
- zu der → zur
Why is it im Messbecher and not something else like in den Messbecher?
Because this sentence describes a location, not movement.
German uses:
- in + dative for where something is
- in + accusative for where to something goes
Here, the milk is missing in the measuring cup, so it is a static location:
- im Messbecher = in the measuring cup
If you were talking about putting something into the cup, you would use the accusative:
- Ich gieße die Milch in den Messbecher. = I pour the milk into the measuring cup.
Why does German say fehlt here? Why not just use ?