German Phrase
Schmelz die Butter, gib die gleiche Menge Mehl dazu.
Meaning
Melt the butter, then add the same amount of flour. The sentence is a typical step in a cooking or baking recipe, giving two consecutive actions in the imperative mood.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving a cooking instruction, especially in informal settings like a home kitchen, a cooking class, or a video tutorial. It works well in written recipes and spoken step‑by‑step directions.
✦Grammar Breakdown
SchmelzdieButter,gibdiegleicheMengeMehldazu.
Imperative (schmelzen)
For regular verbs ending in -en, the singular informal imperative is formed by dropping -en and optionally adding -e: schmelzen → schmelz (or schmelze).
Imperative (geben)
Geben is irregular; the singular informal imperative is gib (no -e ending).
Definite article + adjective
After the definite article die, the adjective takes the weak ending -e: die gleiche Menge.
"dazu" as a particle
"dazu" means ‘to it/along with it’ and is used after the verb to indicate that something is added to the previous ingredient.
Comma between two imperatives
A comma can separate two short imperative clauses, especially in recipe instructions.
🗨In Conversation
Schmelz die Butter, gib die gleiche Menge Mehl dazu.
Melt the butter, add the same amount of flour.
Alles klar, ich mache das gleich.
Got it, I’ll do that right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Schmelzen die Butter, gib die gleiche Menge Mehl dazu.
The infinitive "schmelzen" cannot be used as a command; you need the imperative form "Schmelz" (or "Schmelze").
Schmelz die Butter, gib die gleiche Menge an Mehl dazu.
While "an" is not wrong, the original phrase omits it for brevity; learners often add "an" unnecessarily, changing the rhythm of the recipe.
Schmelz die Butter, gib gleiche Menge Mehl dazu.
Missing the article "die" before "gleiche Menge" makes the sentence sound incomplete.
↔Alternatives
Schmelze die Butter und füge die gleiche Menge Mehl hinzu.
Melt the butter and add the same amount of flour.
Butter schmelzen, dann die gleiche Menge Mehl dazugeben.
Melt the butter, then add the same amount of flour.
Schmelz die Butter, dann das Mehl in gleicher Menge dazu.
Melt the butter, then add the flour in the same amount.
Cultural Tip
In German recipes the informal singular imperative (du‑form) is common, especially in home cooking videos and blogs. If you’re addressing a professional or a larger audience, you would switch to the polite form: "Schmelzen Sie die Butter, geben Sie die gleiche Menge Mehl dazu." Also, "dazu" is a concise way to say "add it to the mixture" and is preferred over the longer "hinzufügen" in everyday speech.