All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| schneiden | cut | Food, material, hair and editing | Irregular, nonseparable: schneidet, schnitt, hat geschnitten. |
| entscheiden | decide; settle | A choice, disputed question or outcome | Inseparable: entscheidet, entschied, hat entschieden. |
| unterscheiden | distinguish; differ | Recognizing contrasts and comparing things | Inseparable: unterscheidet, unterschied, hat unterschieden. |
schneiden
Meaning and usage: Schneiden describes cutting or dividing with a cutting tool. It also covers trimming and editing, among other uses. The thing cut is commonly its direct object. A phrase may describe the pieces or the desired result. It does not normally mean decide or distinguish, even though the other verbs contain visually similar letters.
Grammar: Irregular, nonseparable: schneidet, schnitt, hat geschnitten. Accusative object; sich in sich schneiden is accusative; sich die Haare schneiden adds a dative reflexive pronoun.
Ich schneide die Paprika in schmale Streifen.
I cut the pepper into narrow strips.
Beim Kochen habe ich mich am Finger geschnitten.
While cooking I cut my finger.
entscheiden
Meaning and usage: Entscheiden can settle a matter or determine an outcome. Sich entscheiden describes someone choosing among options. A direct object is possible in den Fall entscheiden, but Ich entscheide mich für … is the everyday pattern for selecting an option. The reflexive pronoun is therefore not an optional extra in that sentence frame.
Grammar: Inseparable: entscheidet, entschied, hat entschieden. Sich entscheiden für/gegen + accusative; über etwas entscheiden uses über + accusative.
Nach dem Gespräch entscheide ich mich für den Abendkurs.
After the conversation I choose the evening course.
Die Jury entscheidet morgen über den Preis.
The jury will decide on the award tomorrow.
unterscheiden
Meaning and usage: Unterscheiden describes recognizing a difference between things or telling them apart. Sich unterscheiden says that the things are different. This grammatical shift separates what an observer does from a property of the things compared. The verb can also mean make a distinction, so identifying the comparison and the subject is crucial.
Grammar: Inseparable: unterscheidet, unterschied, hat unterschieden. Etwas von etwas unterscheiden: accusative object + von/dative; sich von etwas unterscheiden: reflexive + von/dative.
Ich kann die beiden Stimmen kaum unterscheiden.
I can hardly tell the two voices apart.
Die Wohnungen unterscheiden sich in der Größe.
The apartments differ in size.
Overlap and context
Entscheiden may require you to unterscheiden between options first, but these remain different actions. Recognizing a contrast does not entail making a choice. Reflexive constructions deserve particular attention: the subject makes a choice in sich entscheiden and has a difference in sich unterscheiden.
Common mistakes
- Say Ich entscheide mich für diesen Kurs, including mich; do not copy the English choose structure word for word.
- To say the two things differ, use Sie unterscheiden sich. Without sich, the sentence needs an observer or another relevant construction.
- Distinguish hat geschnitten, hat entschieden and hat unterschieden. Their participles are related in appearance but are not interchangeable.
Memory aid: Cut with schneiden; choose with sich entscheiden; tell apart with unterscheiden; differ with sich unterscheiden.
Try it
Complete: Die beiden Modelle ___ sich nur im Preis: entscheiden or unterscheiden?
Show the answer
unterscheiden
The models differ. The subject is the compared items, so the reflexive unterscheiden construction fits.