Wir schmieren das Fahrradschloss.

We lubricate the bicycle lock.

Breakdown of Wir schmieren das Fahrradschloss.

• wir: we
• das Fahrradschloss: the bike lock
• schmieren: to lubricate or grease

Questions & Answers about Wir schmieren das Fahrradschloss.

What does schmieren mean here? Does it literally mean to smear?

Here, schmieren means something like to grease, to oil, or to lubricate.

Its basic idea is applying a greasy or oily substance to something. In other contexts, it can also mean to smear or to spread something on a surface, so the exact English translation depends on what is being treated.

With das Fahrradschloss, the natural meaning is that we are lubricating the bicycle lock.

Why is it Wir schmieren and not Wir schmierenen or something similar?

Because schmieren is the infinitive form of the verb, and in the sentence it has been conjugated for wir.

The verb is conjugated like this in the present tense:

• ich schmiere
• du schmierst
• er / sie / es schmiert
• wir schmieren
• ihr schmiert
• sie / Sie schmieren

So wir schmieren means we grease / we are greasing.

Why is das Fahrradschloss in that form?