Adapting a Recipe When an Ingredient Is Missing | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Das Rezept braucht frisches Basilikum, aber wir haben nur getrocknete Kräuter.

   The recipe needs fresh basil, but we only have dried herbs.

   Rezept

   recipe

   braucht

   needs

   frisches

   fresh

   Basilikum

   basil

   aber

   but

   wir

   we

   haben

   have

   nur

   only

   getrocknete

   dried

   Kräuter

   herbs

   More detail

   Rezept means “recipe” here. Its base form is das Rezept, a neuter noun; the plural is die Rezepte. In this sentence, Rezept is the subject, so the definite article is nominative: Das Rezept .... braucht means “needs” here. It is the third-person singular present form of brauchen: ich brauche, du brauchst, er/sie/es braucht. The form braucht matches the singular subject Das Rezept. Example: Der Teig braucht Wasser. — “The dough needs water.” frisches means “fresh” here. The base adjective is frisch. Its ending shows that it describes Basilikum, which is neuter singular and the accusative object of braucht: frisches Basilikum. With a different noun, the ending changes, for example frische Kräuter — “fresh herbs.” Basilikum means “basil.” It is commonly used as a mass noun in this context, so the sentence refers to basil as an ingredient rather than asserting a particular number of leaves or bunches. The adjective and noun together form the needed ingredient: frisches Basilikum. aber means “but.” It connects two clauses with a contrast. Example: Ich habe Zeit, aber ich bin müde. — “I have time, but I am tired.” wir means “we.” It is the first-person plural subject of the second clause. The pronoun identifies the speaker together with at least one other person, while the supplied translation does not specify who the other person or people are. haben means “have” here. It is the first-person plural present form of haben: ich habe, du hast, wir haben. Example: Wir haben Wasser. — “We have water.” nur means “only.” It limits what is available: the speakers have dried herbs, and the sentence presents that as the available alternative to the fresh basil mentioned earlier. Its scope is the following ingredient phrase, getrocknete Kräuter. getrocknete means “dried” here. The base adjective is getrocknet, related to the verb trocknen (“to dry”), and it describes Kräuter. Because the plural noun has no article here, the adjective has the ending -e: getrocknete Kräuter. Example: Wir kaufen getrocknete Tomaten. — “We are buying dried tomatoes.” Kräuter means “herbs.” It is the plural of das Kraut; the umlaut and ending mark the plural form: das Kraut → die Kräuter. In this sentence, it is the accusative object of haben, meaning that the speakers have dried herbs available. The sentence has two contrasting clauses. Das Rezept braucht frisches Basilikum means “The recipe needs fresh basil”: Das Rezept is the subject, braucht is the verb, and frisches Basilikum is what is needed. aber wir haben nur getrocknete Kräuter adds the contrast: “but we only have dried herbs.” Together: “The recipe needs fresh basil, but we only have dried herbs.”

2. Wir können es trotzdem machen. Der Geschmack wird nur etwas anders sein.

   We can still make it; the flavor will just be a little different.

   Wir können

   we can

   es

   it

   trotzdem

   still; nevertheless

   machen

   make; do

   Geschmack

   flavor; taste

   wird … sein

   will be

   nur

   just; only

   etwas

   a little; somewhat

   anders

   different

   More detail

   Wir können means “we can” here. können is the modal verb “can / be able to”; its base form is können, and with wir the form is also können. A modal verb is followed by another verb in the infinitive, placed at the end of the clause: Wir können warten. — “We can wait.” es is a pronoun meaning “it” here. Its grammatical form is neuter singular, but the supplied sentence does not identify a separate noun that must be its referent. In this context, it stands for the thing or preparation being discussed. 'trotzdem` means “still” or “nevertheless.” It marks a contrast: despite the missing fresh basil and the use of dried herbs, the action remains possible. It does not itself mean “again.” machen is the infinitive “to make” or “to do.” Its base form is machen; after können, it stays in the infinitive and appears at the end of the clause. Example: Wir können das heute machen. — “We can do that today.” Geschmack means “flavor” or “taste.” It is a masculine noun: der Geschmack. German nouns are capitalized. In Der Geschmack, the article der marks this noun as masculine singular in the nominative, because it is the subject of the second sentence. wird ... sein means “will be.” wird is the third-person singular present form of werden, and sein is the infinitive “to be.” Together they form the future construction for the singular subject Der Geschmack: Der Geschmack wird anders sein. — “The flavor will be different.” The separated forms are normal German word order: the finite verb is early in the clause, while the infinitive is at the end. nur means “just” here. It limits the following description, making the change sound restricted: the flavor will be different, but only to a limited degree. In another context, nur can mean “only” in a more literal restriction, so its exact effect depends on what it modifies. etwas means “a little” or “somewhat” here. It softens the degree of the difference: etwas anders means “a little different.” In this use, it is not stating a precise amount. anders means “different” here. It is an adjective or adverb with its own form, not a regular comparative formed from another adjective. Unlike a regular comparison such as schnell → schneller, anders does not use a productive -er comparative pattern in this meaning. Here it describes the flavor as differing from the expected or previous flavor. It can also describe a different manner in another context. Together, Wir können es trotzdem machen means “We can still make it”: können expresses ability or possibility, es refers to the preparation or thing under discussion, and trotzdem signals that this remains possible despite the ingredient problem. Der Geschmack wird nur etwas anders sein means “the flavor will just be a little different.” The complete utterance therefore says that the preparation can still be made, with the limited consequence that its flavor will differ somewhat.

3. Sollen wir die getrockneten Kräuter früher dazugeben, damit sie in der Soße weich werden?

   Should we add the dried herbs earlier so they soften in the sauce?

   Sollen wir

   Should we

   getrockneten

   dried

   Kräuter

   herbs

   früher

   earlier

   dazugeben

   add

   damit

   so that

   sie

   they

   Soße

   sauce

   weich

   soft

   werden

   become

   More detail

   Sollen wir is the reusable question pattern “Should we …?” Here sollen is the present-tense form used with wir; together they ask for a suggestion or agreement. Compare Wir sollen gehen (“We are supposed to leave”), where the same modal expresses an expectation rather than a question. getrockneten means “dried” here. Its base adjective/participle is getrocknet, related to the verb trocknen (“to dry”). The ending -en is the adjective ending in the definite plural accusative phrase die getrockneten Kräuter; it reflects the phrase’s article, case, and number, not just plurality. Example: getrocknete Tomaten — “dried tomatoes.” Kräuter means “herbs.” It is the plural of Kraut. In this sentence it is the accusative object of dazugeben, while its visible plural form is the same as in the nominative: Kräuter. früher is the comparative form of früh (“early”): früh → früher (“earlier”). It compares the proposed adding time with a later or otherwise understood time; no comparison phrase needs to be stated. Example: Gib die Kräuter früher dazu. — “Add the herbs earlier.” dazugeben means “to add.” It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, Wir geben die Kräuter dazu means “We add the herbs.” After the modal sollen, the infinitive stays together at the end: Sollen wir die Kräuter dazugeben? damit introduces a purpose clause here, meaning “so that.” It sends the finite verb to the end of that subordinate clause. Example: Rühr um, damit die Soße glatt wird. — “Stir so that the sauce becomes smooth.” sie is a plural subject pronoun here, referring to the herbs identified by the fixed translation and context. Its plural form matches Kräuter, and it is the thing that becomes soft: sie werden weich — “they become soft.” Soße means “sauce.” The noun is feminine: die Soße; its plural is Soßen. In the surrounding phrase in der Soße, in describes a stationary location, so the feminine article appears as dative der. weich means “soft.” Here it is a predicative adjective after werden, so it has no adjective ending: Die Kräuter werden weich — “The herbs become soft.” werden means “become” in weich werden. Here it is the finite present-tense form for the plural subject sie; it is not functioning as the future auxiliary. In this subordinate clause, the finite verb is placed at the end, and the plural present form werden happens to look identical to the infinitive. Example: Die Bohnen werden weich. — “The beans become soft.” Together, Sollen wir asks whether the proposed action is appropriate. die getrockneten Kräuter is what should be added, früher specifies an earlier time, and dazugeben supplies the action. The damit clause gives the purpose: sie (the herbs) should in der Soße become weich. Thus the whole utterance means: “Should we add the dried herbs earlier so they soften in the sauce?” This is a natural, neutral question in a cooking context.

4. Gib sie früher dazu und nimm weniger, weil getrocknete Kräuter stärker schmecken können.

   Add them earlier and use less, because dried herbs can taste stronger.

   Gib

   add

   sie

   them

   früher

   earlier

   dazu

   to it; in

   nimm

   use; take

   weniger

   less

   getrocknete

   dried

   Kräuter

   herbs

   stärker

   stronger

   schmecken

   taste

   können

   can

   More detail

   Gib is the informal singular imperative of geben (“to give”). In this sentence, Gib ... dazu means “add ...”; the imperative addresses one person. Compare Gib etwas dazu. — “Add something.” sie means “them” here and is the pronoun referring to the herbs identified by the fixed translation and context. Its form is a third-person plural pronoun; the exact referent comes from the context, not from the pronoun alone. früher is the comparative form of früh (“early”): früh → früher (“earlier”) → am frühesten (“earliest”). It compares the proposed time with a later or otherwise different time. Gib sie früher dazu. means “Add them earlier.” dazu is an adverb meaning “to it” or, in a cooking instruction, “to the mixture/dish.” Together with geben, dazugeben expresses adding something. German may place the separable part apart in the imperative: Gib sie dazu. — “Add them to it.” nimm is the informal singular imperative of nehmen (“to take”). In this context, nimm weniger means “use a smaller amount,” not necessarily “take” in a literal physical sense. Compare Nimm mehr. — “Use more.” weniger is the comparative form of wenig (“little; not much”) and means “less” here. It refers to a smaller amount of the ingredient or mixture being used. Nimm weniger Salz. — “Use less salt.” getrocknete means “dried.” It is the inflected form of the adjective getrocknet and agrees with the plural noun Kräuter in this phrase. The ending -e here is not carried by the noun; it belongs to the adjective. Kräuter is the plural of Kraut, used here for “herbs.” The plural form is Kräuter; the definite plural article would be die Kräuter. Getrocknete Kräuter schmecken intensiv. — “Dried herbs taste intense.” stärker is the comparative form of stark (“strong”): stark → stärker (“stronger”) → am stärksten (“strongest”). Here it describes the taste as stronger, rather than describing the physical strength of the herbs. schmecken means “to taste.” In Kräuter schmecken, the herbs are the grammatical subject: “the herbs taste.” It can also mean that something tastes a particular way, as in Die Suppe schmeckt gut. — “The soup tastes good.” können is the present-tense form of the modal verb können (“can; be able to”) for sie/die Kräuter, and it combines with the infinitive schmecken. In this subordinate clause, the finite modal appears at the end: ..., weil die Kräuter stärker schmecken können. — “..., because the herbs can taste stronger.” The first instruction combines Gib + sie + früher + dazu: “Add them earlier.” The second, nimm weniger, says to use a smaller amount. The clause introduced by weil gives the reason: getrocknete Kräuter stärker schmecken können, “dried herbs can taste stronger.” Together, the utterance means: “Add them earlier and use less, because dried herbs can taste stronger.”

5. Im Rezept steht auch, dass man Sahne für eine glatte Konsistenz verwenden soll.

   The recipe also says to use cream for a smooth texture.

   Rezept

   recipe

   steht

   says; is written

   man

   one; people in general

   Sahne

   cream

   glatte

   smooth

   Konsistenz

   texture; consistency

   verwenden

   use

   soll

   should; is supposed to

   More detail

   Rezept means “recipe” here. Its base form is das Rezept; the plural is die Rezepte. In Im Rezept, im is the contraction of in dem, meaning “in the”; it identifies the recipe as the source of the written information. steht is the present-tense third-person singular form of stehen. Literally, stehen means “stand,” but with written content, in einem Rezept steht ... naturally means “a recipe says/contains ...”. The subject is das Rezept, so the verb is singular. Compare: Im Rezept stehen zwei Hinweise. — “The recipe contains two notes.” man is an impersonal pronoun meaning “one” or “people in general.” It does not identify a particular person. It normally takes a third-person singular verb: Man verwendet Sahne. — “People use cream / One uses cream.” Sahne means “cream.” It is usually used as a mass noun: die Sahne; in this sentence it appears without an article because the statement concerns cream as an ingredient in general. The word is the object of verwenden. glatte is the adjective glatt, “smooth,” in an inflected form. It describes Konsistenz, so it agrees with that noun in feminine singular; the ending also reflects the noun phrase’s case after für. glatt can describe a smooth surface or, as here, a smooth texture. Its comparative is glatter (“smoother”) and its superlative is am glattesten or, attributively, die glatteste. Konsistenz means “consistency” or “texture.” The noun is feminine: die Konsistenz. In für eine glatte Konsistenz, für introduces an accusative noun phrase. The phrase means that the intended result is a smooth texture. Eine is an indefinite article here; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. verwenden is the infinitive “to use.” Its base form is also verwenden; the finite present forms include ich verwende and man verwendet. Here it is kept in the infinitive because it follows the modal verb soll in a subordinate clause. Example: Wir verwenden Joghurt. — “We use yogurt.” soll is the third-person singular present form of the modal verb sollen, “should” or “be supposed to.” In this sentence it expresses the instruction reported by the recipe: the general subject man is supposed to use cream. The form agrees with man; it is not the form of verwenden. Compare Wir sollen Sahne verwenden. — “We are supposed to use cream.” Together, Im Rezept steht auch means “the recipe also says,” and dass man Sahne für eine glatte Konsistenz verwenden soll reports the content of that statement. Dass introduces the subordinate clause, where the modal verb soll comes at the end and the lexical verb verwenden stands immediately before it. The complete meaning is: “The recipe also says to use cream for a smooth texture.”

6. Wenn wir stattdessen Joghurt verwenden, sollten wir die Hitze reduzieren.

   If we use yogurt instead, we should lower the heat.

   Wenn

   if

   stattdessen

   instead

   Joghurt

   yogurt

   verwenden

   use

   sollten wir

   we should

   Hitze

   heat

   reduzieren

   reduce; lower

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition: “if/when.” In this sentence it starts a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb moves to the end of that clause. A useful pattern is Wenn + subject + ... + verb, as in Wenn wir Zeit haben ... — “If we have time ...”. stattdessen means “instead” and refers to choosing an alternative. It is an adverb, so it is not part of the noun phrase Joghurt verwenden; it modifies the choice of using yogurt. Joghurt is the noun “yogurt.” Its usual standard-gender article is der Joghurt; in this sentence it is the direct object of verwenden, so the masculine accusative form is den Joghurt, although the article is omitted here. The noun itself has no visible change in this form. Example: Wir kaufen Joghurt. — “We are buying yogurt.” verwenden is the base-form infinitive “to use.” In the wenn-clause, it remains an infinitive while wir is the subject and the conjugated modal verb sollten appears in the other clause. German commonly places an infinitive at the end after a modal verb, but here the infinitive belongs to the conditional clause: Wenn wir ... verwenden — “If we use ...”. sollten wir contains sollten, the form of sollen used here with wir, plus the subject pronoun wir, “we.” In this context, sollten is the Konjunktiv II form used for “should,” expressing a recommendation rather than a direct command. The present indicative form is wir sollen, “we are supposed to / we are to.” Compare Wir sollten warten. — “We should wait.” Hitze means “heat.” It is feminine: die Hitze; as the direct object here, the form is still die Hitze because feminine accusative has the same article form as feminine nominative. The noun refers to the heat being applied, not to a person or an object that produces it. reduzieren is the base-form verb “to reduce,” and here it means “to lower” the heat. It follows the modal verb sollten, so it stays in the infinitive and appears at the end of the main clause. Example: Wir sollten die Temperatur reduzieren. — “We should lower the temperature.” Together, Wenn wir stattdessen Joghurt verwenden means “If we use yogurt instead.” The conditional clause places verwenden at its end. sollten wir die Hitze reduzieren means “we should lower the heat”: sollten expresses the recommendation, wir is the actor, die Hitze is what is lowered, and reduzieren is the infinitive required with the modal. The complete utterance therefore means: “If we use yogurt instead, we should lower the heat.”

7. Sonst könnte sich die Soße trennen und seltsam aussehen.

   Otherwise the sauce might separate and look strange.

   Sonst

   otherwise

   könnte

   might

   Soße

   sauce

   trennen

   separate

   seltsam

   strange

   aussehen

   look; appear

   More detail

   Sonst means “otherwise” and connects this sentence to an alternative to the preceding action. It introduces the result that could occur if that alternative is not followed. It is also commonly used in warnings and conditional statements: Beeil dich, sonst verpassen wir den Zug. — “Hurry up, otherwise we’ll miss the train.” könnte is the form of können used here for a possible consequence: “might” or “could.” The ending -te marks the subjunctive II form, which often expresses a hypothetical possibility or a cautious prediction. The form agrees with the singular subject die Soße; the same form is also used with er, sie, or es in this tense: Es könnte regnen. — “It might rain.” Soße is the noun “sauce.” Its base form is die Soße, with the feminine article die; the plural is die Soßen. In this sentence it is the subject of the two coordinated verb phrases, so it is the sauce that might undergo both results. trennen means “to separate.” With sich, the expression sich trennen means that something separates into parts or layers, rather than that someone actively separates it from something else. The infinitive appears after the modal verb könnte: Die Mischung könnte sich trennen. — “The mixture might separate.” seltsam is the adjective “strange” or “odd.” Here it describes the appearance of the sauce after the possible separation. The related opposite normal means “normal,” but seltsam itself does not change in this sentence because it follows aussehen as a predicate adjective rather than directly modifying a noun. aussehen means “to look” or “to appear” in the sense of having a particular appearance. It is a separable verb: in a finite main clause, aussehen becomes sieht ... aus, while after a modal verb it remains the infinitive aussehen. For example, Die Soße sieht seltsam aus. — “The sauce looks strange.” Together, könnte sich ... trennen expresses a possible process affecting the sauce, and und seltsam aussehen adds a second possible result of that same subject. Thus the whole utterance means: “Otherwise the sauce might separate and look strange.”

8. Das langsame Einrühren gegen Ende sollte helfen.

   Stirring it in slowly near the end should help.

   langsame

   slow

   Einrühren

   stirring in

   gegen Ende

   near the end

   sollte

   should

   helfen

   help

   More detail

   langsame describes the noun Einrühren here: “slow stirring-in.” It is the attributive form of langsam (“slow”). The ending -e is the weak adjective ending used after the definite article das in this nominative singular neuter noun phrase. Compare langsames Einrühren after an indefinite article or without an article in a suitable context. Example: Das langsame Rühren hilft. — “The slow stirring helps.” Einrühren is a noun meaning “stirring in” or “incorporating by stirring.” It is related to the verb einrühren; the separable prefix ein- conveys stirring something into a mixture. The noun is neuter, as shown by das. Example: Das Einrühren der Milch dauert nicht lange. — “Stirring in the milk does not take long.” The fixed sentence does not identify what “it” refers to; it says only that slow stirring-in should help. gegen Ende is a temporal expression meaning “near the end” or “toward the end.” In this idiomatic expression, Ende appears without an article. gegen can also introduce an accusative noun phrase in other uses, for example gegen das Ende des Films — “toward the end of the film,” but the fixed expression is simply gegen Ende. Example: Gegen Ende wird die Soße dicker. — “Toward the end, the sauce becomes thicker.” sollte is the third-person singular form of sollen in the subjunctive II, used here for a cautious expectation: “should.” It does not express a firm guarantee. The subject is the singular noun phrase Das langsame Einrühren, so sollte has third-person singular marking. Example: Das sollte helfen. — “That should help.” helfen means “to help.” It remains in the infinitive because sollte is a modal verb: the modal is conjugated, while the following verb stays in the infinitive. helfen normally takes a dative recipient when one is stated, as in Ich helfe dir. — “I help you.” No recipient is specified in the fixed sentence. Together, Das langsame Einrühren is the subject, gegen Ende specifies when the action should be done, and sollte helfen expresses a cautious expected result. The complete meaning is: “Stirring it in slowly near the end should help.”

9. Wenn das Ergebnis gut wird, schreibe ich auf, womit wir die Zutat ersetzt haben.

   If the result turns out well, I will write down the substitution.

   Wenn

   if

   das Ergebnis

   the result

   gut

   good

   wird

   turns out / becomes

   schreibe … auf

   write down

   womit

   with what

   Zutat

   ingredient

   ersetzt

   replaced

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition: the main statement applies if the following situation occurs. In German, a clause beginning with wenn normally places its finite verb at the end. Example: Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause. — “If it rains, I stay at home.” das Ergebnis means “the result.” Ergebnis is a neuter noun: its base form is das Ergebnis, and the plural is die Ergebnisse. The article and noun together show the singular nominative subject here. gut describes the result’s condition or quality. After a form of werden used in this way, the adjective remains in its basic form: Das Ergebnis wird gut. — “The result turns out well.” wird is the third-person singular present form of werden. Here werden means “become” or “turn out,” not future time: Das Ergebnis wird besser. — “The result turns out better.” The subject is das Ergebnis, so the singular form wird is used. schreibe ... auf is the separable verb aufschreiben, “to write down.” With ich, its present form is ich schreibe; the particle auf moves to the end of the main clause: Ich schreibe die Nummer auf. — “I write down the number.” In this sentence, schreibe is also the first-person singular form, matching the explicitly stated writer ich. womit asks or refers to the thing used for an action: “with what” or “with which thing.” It is a pronominal adverb used for things or means; a person would normally be referred to with mit wem instead. Here it introduces the information that is written down: what was used as the substitution. Zutat means “ingredient.” The observed form is singular; its common full noun phrase here is die Zutat. Its plural is die Zutaten. The feminine article belongs to the noun phrase, while the noun itself is Zutat. ersetzt is the past participle of ersetzen, “to replace.” In womit wir die Zutat ersetzt haben, it combines with the auxiliary haben to form the perfect: wir haben ... ersetzt — “we replaced ...”. The participle stays at the end of this subordinate clause. Example: Wir haben die Milch ersetzt. — “We replaced the milk.” The condition is Wenn das Ergebnis gut wird: “If the result turns out well.” The main clause is schreibe ich auf, with the separable verb meaning “I will write down”; in this context, the present form refers to the intended future action. The subordinate clause womit wir die Zutat ersetzt haben specifies the substitution—what was used to replace the ingredient. Together, the utterance means: “If the result turns out well, I will write down the substitution.”

10. Dann müssen wir beim nächsten Mal nicht raten.

    Then next time we will not need to guess.

    Dann

    then

    müssen wir

    we must / need to

    beim

    at the / on the

    nächsten

    next

    Mal

    time / occasion

    nicht

    not

    raten

    guess

    More detail

    Dann means “then” here, marking a later point in time or a consequence. Example: Dann gehen wir nach Hause. — “Then we’ll go home.” müssen wir combines the modal verb müssen (“must, need to”) with its subject wir (“we”). In the present tense, the form is muss with ich and er/sie/es, but müssen with wir and sie/Sie; other subjects have their own forms, such as musst with du and müsst with ihr. A modal verb is followed by another verb in the infinitive, placed at the end of this clause. Example: Wir müssen warten. — “We need to wait.” beim is the contraction of bei dem. In beim nächsten Mal, bei introduces a dative phrase, and the phrase has a temporal meaning: “next time.” Beim is not a separate base article; it combines the preposition bei with the definite article dem. nächsten is the attributive form of the adjective nächst, meaning “next.” It describes Mal. Its -en ending is required here by the dative phrase with the definite article dem: bei dem nächsten Mal. The fact that Mal is neuter singular determines the form dem, while the dative definite-article pattern gives the adjective its -en ending. Compare the different form in the example Nächstes Mal komme ich früher. — “Next time I’ll come earlier.” Here nächstes is not a comparative; it is the adjective’s neuter singular form in a different grammatical construction. Mal is a neuter noun meaning “time” in the sense of an occasion or instance. In this phrase, it refers to a future occasion, not to a measurement of duration. Its plural is Male, as in zwei Male (“two times”). nicht negates the need or action expressed with müssen and raten, producing the meaning “not need to guess.” raten is the infinitive “to guess” here. It follows the modal verb müssen, while müssen carries the present-tense agreement with wir. The same form raten can have other meanings in other contexts, including “to advise”; the intended meaning here is identified by this sentence and its translation. Together, Dann sets the time or consequence, müssen wir expresses what is necessary for “we,” beim nächsten Mal specifies the next occasion, and nicht raten negates the need to guess. The complete meaning is: “Then next time we will not need to guess.”