One sentence of «Der süße Brei»

Sentence 2 of 6 · Der süße Brei, Brüder Grimm

Da ging das Kind hinaus in den Wald, und begegnete ihm da eine alte Frau, die wusste seinen Jammer schon und schenkte ihm ein Töpfchen, zu dem sollt es sagen „Töpfchen, koche,“ so kochte es guten süßen Hirsenbrei, und wenn es sagte „Töpfchen, steh,“ so hörte es wieder auf zu kochen.

So the child went out into the forest, and there an old woman met her who already knew her distress, and gave her a little pot; to it she was to say “Little pot, cook,” and then it would cook good sweet millet porridge, and when she said “Little pot, stop,” it would leave off cooking again.

Where it stands

Es war einmal ein armes frommes Mädchen, das lebte mit seiner Mutter allein, und sie hatten nichts mehr zu essen.

There was once a poor, pious girl who lived alone with her mother, and they had nothing left to eat.

Das Mädchen brachte den Topf seiner Mutter heim, und nun waren sie ihrer Armut und ihres Hungers ledig und aßen süßen Brei so oft sie wollten.

The girl brought the pot home to her mother, and now they were rid of their poverty and their hunger, and ate sweet porridge as often as they liked.

Auf eine Zeit war das Mädchen ausgegangen, da sprach die Mutter „Töpfchen, koche,“ da kocht es, und sie isst sich satt; nun will sie dass das Töpfchen wieder aufhören soll, aber sie weiß das Wort nicht.

One time the girl had gone out, and then the mother said “Little pot, cook,” and it cooks, and she eats her fill; now she wants the little pot to stop again, but she does not know the word.

Every word in it

As printed	Dictionary form	Meaning
Da	da	there, then (adv.); since, because (conj.)
ging	gehen	to go, walk (v.); with a stranded „auf“ (aufgehen) = to open, to come open; with a stranded „fort“ (fortgehen) = to go away
das	der	the (def. art.); who, which, that (rel. pron.); that one (dem. pron.)
Kind	Kind	child (n., n.)
hinaus	hinaus	out, outside (adv., outwards away from the speaker)
in	in	in, into (prep., dat./acc.)
Wald	Wald	forest, wood (n., m.)
und	und	and (conj.)
begegnete	begegnen	to meet, encounter (v., takes dative)
ihm	er	to it, here: to her (pers. pron., dat.)
eine	ein	a, an (indef. art.); one (num.); also the adverbial particle „in“ in „Gaß aus Gaß ein“ (art./adv.)
alte	alt	old (adj.); nominalised 'die Alte' = the old woman, 'die Alten' = the old folks
Frau	Frau	woman; wife (n., f.)
die	der	that one, who, which (dem. pron.)
wusste	wissen	to know (a fact) (v.)
seinen	sein	its, here: her (poss. det.)
Jammer	Jammer	misery, distress, wretchedness (n., m.)
schon	schon	already (adv.)
schenkte	schenken	to give (as a gift), to bestow, to present (v.)
Töpfchen	Töpfchen	little pot (n., n.; diminutive of Topf)
zu	zu	to, at (prep., dat.); too (adv.); the infinitive marker
sollt	sollen	to be supposed to, shall, ought to (modal v.)
es	es	it (pers. pron., 3rd sg. n.)
sagen	sagen	to say, tell (v.)
koche	kochen	to cook, boil (v.)
so	so	so, thus, such, as (adv.)
guten	gut	good (adj.); well (adv.)
süßen	süß	sweet (adj.)
Hirsenbrei	Hirsebrei	millet porridge (n., m.)
wenn	wenn	if, when, whenever (conj.)
steh	stehen	stand! stop! (command of stehen: «Töpfchen, steh» — little pot, stop)
hörte	hören	to stop, cease (with auf) (sep. v.)
wieder	wieder	again (adv.)
auf	auf	prefix of aufhören: to stop (sep. prefix)

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