'Lesen' Definition

What is the meaning of the German word 'Lesen'?

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The word 'Lesen' is a German word that can mean 'Read' in English. You can find example sentences below to help you understand how to use the word in context.

Definition of 'Lesen' in English

Lesen - To read

verb

The verb 'lesen' means 'to read' in German. It is commonly used to refer to the action of reading text or literature.

Example Sentences:

  • Er öffnet das Buch und beginnt die komplizierten Texte zu lesen. - He opens the book and starts reading the complicated texts.

💡 Silly memory trick! To remember 'lesen,' think of the 'L' as opening a book and 'esen' as 'eyes.' So, 'lesen' can be associated with opening your eyes to read.

German Challenges

Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen.

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'Gehen' indicates movement, so 'sein' is often used as the auxiliary verb in its past tense. Therefore, 'Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen' ('My sister went to the supermarket') is the appropriate sentence. While 'haben' is used with most past tense verbs in German, 'sein' is used with certain intransitive verbs that indicate a change of location or state, like 'gehen'. It's these nuances that can help make your German more fluent and accurate.
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Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "wollen" to fit the sentence.

Ihr wollt tanzen lernen

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The correct form for 'wollen' in the second person plural is 'wollt'. The full translation is "You (plural) want to learn to dance".
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Intermediate

What is the correct form of the indefinite article "a" in the genitive case for the feminine noun "Stadt" (city)?

Die Schönheit einer Stadt ist atemberaubend

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The correct indefinite article for feminine nouns in the genitive case is "einer." Thus, the sentence should be "Die Schönheit einer Stadt ist atemberaubend," which translates to "The beauty of a city is breathtaking" in English.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' in the dative case.

Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief

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The dative case form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' (my) when used with a masculine noun is 'meinem'. The definitive masculine noun 'Onkel' changes the possessive pronoun 'mein' to 'meinem' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence 'Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief', translating to 'I write a letter to my uncle' in English.
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Advanced

Which word best completes the sentence to mean 'supplies'?

Es ist wichtig, genügend Vorräte für den langen Winter zu haben.

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In this context, 'Vorräte' is the plural form of the noun 'Vorrat', which means 'supplies' or 'provisions' in English. This noun is commonly used to refer to food, drink, or other necessary items for survival or specific purposes, and it often implies a state of preparedness or readiness for a future event or period of time. The other options are either singular ('Vorrat') or decline incorrectly in the plural ('Vorräten', 'Vorrätes') according to the rules of German grammar.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the dative case for a Feminine noun.

Ich helfe der Frau

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In German, the dative case form of the feminine article "die" is "der." For example, in the sentence "Ich helfe der Frau," which translates to "I help the woman" in English, the word "Frau" (woman) is in the dative case as the indirect object of the verb "helfen" (to help), so the article changes from "die" to "der."
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'wir' in the dative case.

Der Lehrer hat uns die Hausaufgaben aufgegeben

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The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'wir' (we) is 'uns'. In the sentence "Der Lehrer hat uns die Hausaufgaben aufgegeben," 'uns' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'aufgeben' (to assign) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the homework is assigned. 'Wir' changes to 'uns' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence.
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Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken.

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'Backen' is a transitive action verb, hence it requires 'haben' to form the perfect past tense. So, the correct sentence is 'Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken', which means 'I baked a cake'. 'Sein' is typically used with intransitive verbs which involve a change in state or movement, which is not the case with 'backen'. Understanding the differential usage of 'haben' and 'sein' is crucial to forming accurate sentences in German.
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Beginner

Which verb completes the sentence to mean 'wear'?

Sie trägt immer schöne Kleider.

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In the context of the sentence, the word 'trägt' is a German verb that means 'wears' in English. The subject 'sie' (she) and the context of clothes makes 'trägt' the only suitable choice among the given options since all the other options are not connected with the context.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'sprechen' to mean 'to talk about'?

Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder

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The correct preposition to use with 'sprechen' to convey the meaning of 'to talk about' is 'von'. The phrase formed is 'sprechen von'. The sentence 'Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder' translates to 'She always talks about her brother.' The other prepositions cannot be used to express the concept of talking about something. Note that 'sprechen von' requires the dative case.
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