vierteln
to quarter
To cut something into four roughly equal parts.
EXAMPLE
Für den Obstsalat musst du zuerst die Äpfel vierteln.
For the fruit salad, you first have to quarter the apples.
vierteln
to quarter
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Meanings
vierteln
to quarter
As a historical form of the death penalty, to cut a person into four parts, usually after their death.
EXAMPLE
Im Mittelalter war es eine grausame Praxis, verurteilte Verbrecher zu vierteilen.
In the Middle Ages, it was a cruel practice to quarter convicted criminals.
Usage tips
Word structure
The verb 'vierteln' (to quarter) is derived directly from the number 'vier' (four). It literally means to make something into four parts. This structure helps you understand the main meaning immediately.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte die Zitrone für den Tee vierteln?
Could you please quarter the lemon for the tea?
Context clue
The two meanings are very easy to distinguish. In everyday life, especially in cooking, 'vierteln' (to quarter) always means to cut something into four pieces. The cruel death-penalty meaning appears only in historical texts or discussions about the Middle Ages.
EXAMPLE
Ich viertele schnell die Tomaten für den Salat.
I'll quickly quarter the tomatoes for the salad.
Typical objects
In everyday life, the verb is usually used with food. Typical objects are: 'einen Apfel vierteln' (to quarter an apple), 'eine Zwiebel vierteln' (to quarter an onion), 'Kartoffeln vierteln' (to quarter potatoes), or 'einen Kuchen vierteln' (to quarter a cake).
EXAMPLE
Für das Rezept müssen Sie die Zwiebeln nicht hacken, sondern nur vierteln.
For the recipe, you do not need to chop the onions, just quarter them.
Compare with
vierteln vs teilen
to share / divide
Teilen does not specify how many parts are created without additional information. Vierteln already means dividing something into four roughly equal parts. Both work when something is divided into four parts, but vierteln directly expresses the number and approximate equality of the parts.
vierteln
Sie viertelt den Apfel.
She quarters the apple.
teilen
Sie teilt den Apfel in vier annähernd gleiche Stücke.
She divides the apple into four roughly equal pieces.
In real life
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