German Phrase
Nimm Sachen, die nicht gekocht werden müssen.
Meaning
‘Take things that don’t have to be cooked.’ The speaker is advising someone to choose items that can be eaten without any cooking, for example when packing for a picnic or a trip with limited kitchen facilities.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to give practical advice about packing food, especially in situations where cooking is inconvenient – picnics, hiking, camping, or a quick office lunch.
✦Grammar Breakdown
NimmSachen,dienichtgekochtwerdenmüssen.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Nimm’ is the imperative form of ‘nehmen’ used for giving a direct command to one person.
Relative clause
‘die … müssen’ is a relative clause that describes ‘Sachen’. The relative pronoun ‘die’ agrees in gender and number with ‘Sachen’ (plural, feminine).
Passive with modal verb
‘gekocht werden müssen’ combines the passive infinitive ‘gekocht werden’ with the modal ‘müssen’ to express ‘must be cooked’. In the negative it becomes ‘nicht gekocht werden müssen’ – ‘do not have to be cooked’.
Negation placement
In German, ‘nicht’ usually stands directly before the verb phrase it negates; here it negates the whole passive‑modal construction.
🗨In Conversation
Was soll ich für das Picknick mitbringen?
What should I bring for the picnic?
Nimm Sachen, die nicht gekocht werden müssen.
Take things that don’t have to be cooked.
✕Common Mistakes
Nehmen Sachen, die nicht gekocht werden müssen.
‘Nehmen’ is the infinitive; the correct imperative for ‘du’ is ‘Nimm’.
Nimm Sachen, die nicht gekocht werden muss.
The modal verb must agree with the plural ‘Sachen’; use ‘müssen’, not ‘muss’.
Nimm Sachen, die gekocht werden nicht müssen.
Negation must precede the verb phrase; the correct order is ‘nicht gekocht werden müssen’.
Nimm Sachen, die nicht gekocht werden müssen.
‘Sachen’ is informal; in formal contexts you might prefer ‘Dinge’ or ‘Lebensmittel’.
↔Alternatives
Nimm Dinge, die du nicht kochen musst.
Take things you don’t have to cook.
Packe Lebensmittel, die nicht gekocht werden müssen.
Pack food items that don’t need to be cooked.
Nimm nur das, was kalt gegessen werden kann.
Only take what can be eaten cold.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, picnics (Picknick) often feature ready‑to‑eat items like bread, cheese, cold cuts, fruits, and salads. It’s common to avoid heavy cooking on the spot, so the phrase fits everyday conversation about outdoor meals. Remember that ‘Sachen’ is a bit informal; ‘Dinge’ or ‘Lebensmittel’ sounds slightly more neutral.