"You eat the other apple."

Translation: Du isst den anderen Apfel.

[RobKitson]

Is it not acceptable to interpret this as a command? "Essen Sie den anderen Apfel."

[Menschenkind]

Without any context and only the english sentence given: yes, i think that should work, too.

[thecellery]

No, because the verb has to come second. "Sie essen den anderen Apfel." would be fine.

[lauren.redburn]

As a command though, the verb would be first.

[thecellery]

True, but I think that the English sentence would be worded differently if they wanted to convey that it was a command.

[travist]

Ugh, how can I tell if "Sie essen den anderen Apfel." means "You eat the other apple." or "They eat the other apple."?

[Menschenkind]

Context is the only way to distinguish they from you.

[absentblue]

I was curious about this too. What about the context tells me this is "you" and not "they"? I mean I would assume that THEY would not eat the other apple; apple being singular, but it's not nonsensical like some of the other questions that have been provided here.

[kinneas52]

Given that there is no real context provided I have noticed that the site will allow either translation, very nice considering it can be either one. Also note that if Sie is capitalized in the middle of a sentence it is automatically a formal you rather than they.

[travist]

Thanks!

[uhaz]

why is this wrong: Du isst den anderen Apfel.

[lauren.redburn]

Du isst den anderen Apfel is correct, but Ihr esst den anderen Apfel is also correct, so if you only chose the first one, it is marked as a wrong answer.