Schnitten

Schnitten is a German noun form that appears as a plural of Schnitt in some contexts, but it is not the standard plural in modern High German. The primary, widely accepted plural of Schnitt is Schnitte. Because of this, Schnitten is often encountered in dialectal speech, historical texts, or as part of fixed expressions and brand names. The word itself originates from the verb schneiden, meaning to cut or to slice.

In everyday language, Schnitt and Schnitte most commonly relate to cutting or dividing something. When used with food, a Schnitt can denote a portion or slice, such as a piece of cake, bread, or pastry, though many speakers prefer Scheibe for a single slice in standard usage. In culinary contexts, compounds like Fruchtschnitten or Schokoladenschnitte may appear, where the sense of “slices” or “cut portions” is conveyed by the compound rather than by the standalone plural.

Beyond food, Schnitt and Schnitte have technical meanings in other fields. In medicine, a Schnitt refers to an incision, with Schnitte used to describe multiple incisions. In fashion and tailoring, Schnitt denotes a pattern or cut of a garment, with Schnitte used when speaking about multiple pattern styles. In film and video, Schnitt denotes a cut or edit between shots; Schnitte can refer to several edits or the editing style of a project.

Summary: Schnitten is a less common plural form related to Schnitt, primarily appearing in dialect, historical usage, or specific compounds. For standard German, Schnitte is the preferred plural across most domains. See also Schnitt for broader meanings and disambiguation.