Schneiden Examples, Sentences and Quiz in German
How do you actually use schneiden — “to cut” — in a real sentence? This page shows you: twelve example sentences across the tenses, a short dialogue, the mistakes learners make most often with this verb, and a quiz to test yourself. Every German form on this page comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for schneiden. Start with the simplest sentence: “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I cut the bread with the knife.”
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for schneiden, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Schneiden in real sentences
Twelve sentences with schneiden, covering the present, the Präteritum, the Perfekt, the Plusquamperfekt, the future, Konjunktiv I and II, and the imperative. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Du schneidest das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “You cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Er schneidet das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “He cuts the bread with the knife.”
- “Ich schnitt das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Wir schnitten das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “We cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Ich habe das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “I have cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Du hast das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “You have cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Ich hatte das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “I had cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Wir werden das Brot mit dem Messer schneiden.” — “We will cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Ich werde das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten haben.” — “I will have cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass ich das Brot mit dem Messer schneide.” — “It is important that I cut the bread with the knife.”
- “Ich schnitte das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I would cut the bread with the knife if I could.”
- “Ich hätte das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “I would have cut the bread with the knife if I had been able to.”
- “Schneide das Brot mit dem Messer!” — “Cut the bread with the knife!”
A short dialogue with schneiden
Anna and Ben talk about their plans. Every form of schneiden in the dialogue comes from the verified tables — read it aloud, changing the person each time.
Anna: “Du schneidest das Brot mit dem Messer?” — “You cut the bread with the knife?”
Ben: “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I cut the bread with the knife.”
Anna: “Du hast das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten?” — “You have cut the bread with the knife?”
Ben: “Ich habe das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “I have cut the bread with the knife.”
Anna: “Du wirst das Brot mit dem Messer schneiden?” — “You will cut the bread with the knife?”
Ben: “Ich werde das Brot mit dem Messer schneiden.” — “I will cut the bread with the knife.”
Anna: “Schneide das Brot mit dem Messer!” — “Cut the bread with the knife!”
Ben: “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.” — “I cut the bread with the knife.”
Notice how the verb changes with the person and the tense while the meaning stays the same: schneide, schneidest, habe geschnitten, werde schneiden. If you can follow this dialogue without looking at the tables, you know schneiden well enough to use it.
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich schneiden das Brot mit dem Messer.”
✓ Right: “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.”
The infinitive schneiden never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form schneide.
2. Confusing schneiden with mischen
✗ Wrong: “Ich mischen das Brot mit dem Messer.” (using the wrong verb)
✓ Right: “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.”
schneiden means “to cut”; mischen means “to mix”. Keep the two verbs apart by their meaning, not by their sound.
3. Applying the regular pattern to schneiden
✗ Wrong: “Ich habe das Brot mit dem Messer geschneidt.” (a guessed regular participle)
✓ Right: “Ich habe das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.”
schneiden is irregular in present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. Its past participle is geschnitten, not the regular ge- + stem + -t form.
4. Using the indicative after a Konjunktiv I trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass er das Brot mit dem Messer schneidet.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass er das Brot mit dem Messer schneide.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use schneide here, not the indicative schneidet.
Quiz: test yourself
What is the ich form of schneiden in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) schneide
- B) schneidest
- C) schneiden
- D) schneidet
What is the er/sie/es form of schneiden in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) schneidest
- B) schneide
- C) schneidet
- D) schneiden
What is the du form of schneiden in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) schnittest
- B) schnitt
- C) schnittet
- D) schnitten
What is the wir form of schneiden in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) hast geschnitten
- B) hat geschnitten
- C) haben geschnitten
- D) habe geschnitten
What is the ich form of schneiden in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst schneiden
- B) werde schneiden
- C) werdet schneiden
- D) wird schneiden
What is the du form of schneiden in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) schnittest
- B) schnitte
- C) schnitten
- D) schnittet
What is the ich form of schneiden in the Conditional perfect?
- A) hättet geschnitten
- B) hätte geschnitten
- C) hättest geschnitten
- D) hätten geschnitten
What is the past participle of schneiden?
- A) geschnitten
- B) schnitt
- C) schneide
- D) schneidend
What is the present participle of schneiden?
- A) werde schneiden
- B) geschnitten
- C) schneide
- D) schneidend
What does schneiden mean in English?
- A) to do
- B) to come
- C) to mix
- D) to cut
Answer key
- A) schneide — the ich form of schneiden in the present tense is schneide.
- C) schneidet — the er/sie/es form of schneiden in the present tense is schneidet.
- A) schnittest — the du form of schneiden in the preterite is schnittest.
- C) haben geschnitten — the wir form of schneiden in the Perfekt is haben geschnitten.
- B) werde schneiden — the ich form of schneiden in the Futur I is werde schneiden.
- A) schnittest — the du form of schneiden in the Konjunktiv II is schnittest.
- B) hätte geschnitten — the ich form of schneiden in the conditional perfect is hätte geschnitten.
- A) geschnitten — the past participle of schneiden is geschnitten; perfect tenses use haben + geschnitten.
- D) schneidend — the present participle of schneiden is schneidend.
- D) to cut — schneiden means “to cut” in English.
Frequently asked questions
What does schneiden mean in English?
schneiden means “to cut”. The examples above show it in everyday situations — for example, “Ich schneide das Brot mit dem Messer.” (“I cut the bread with the knife.”).
Is schneiden regular or irregular?
schneiden is irregular, and it is irregular in these tenses: present, preterite, past-participle, imperative. The full tables are on the conjugation page.
How do I use schneiden in the Perfekt?
Use haben + the past participle geschnitten: “Ich habe das Brot mit dem Messer geschnitten.” — “I have cut the bread with the knife.” The full Perfekt table is on the schneiden in the Perfekt tense page.
Related pages
- schneiden conjugation — the full conjugation tables for this verb in every tense.
- schneiden in the Perfekt tense — the full table and uses for this verb in one tense.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- German irregular verbs — every common irregular German verb, grouped by pattern.
- Einladen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Treffen conjugation — another German verb to practise with.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- Verb Conjugator — practise schneiden with the interactive tool.
- Verb Quiz — practise schneiden with the interactive tool.
- Perfect Tenses Builder — practise the perfect tenses with the interactive tool.
- VerbFlow home — back to the start.