'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

Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the indefinite article "a/an" in the dative case for a neuter noun.

Ich gebe einem Kind ein Spielzeug.

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The sentence indicates the indirect object in the dative case. We are giving a toy to a child. The correct form of the indefinite article for neuter nouns in the dative case is "einem." Therefore, the sentence should be "Ich gebe einem Kind ein Spielzeug," which means "I give a toy to a child" in English.
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Beginner

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' in the genitive case.

Das ist das Haus meiner Schwester.

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The genitive case form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' (my) corresponding to a feminine noun is 'meiner'. In the sentence, "Das ist das Haus meiner Schwester," the word 'meiner' is showcasing possession, translating to 'That is the house of my sister' in English.
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Intermediate

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

Er hat nur wenig Geld in seiner Tasche.

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In this context, 'wenig' is used as a pronoun that means 'little' in English. The word 'wenig' does not change based on declination in this context. When used with countable objects in a negative context, 'wenig' typically indicates a smaller than expected quantity. The other options are grammatically incorrect declinations of 'wenig' and do not fit in this particular sentence.
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Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "müssen" to fit the sentence below

Er muss nach Hause gehen.

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The correct form for 'müssen' in the third person singular is 'muss'. For the sentence "Er muss nach Hause gehen", the full translation is "He has to (must) go home."
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the neuter noun "Haus" (house)?

Die Farbe des Hauses ist rot.

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The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Hence, the sentence should be "Die Farbe des Hauses ist rot," which means "The color of the house is red" in English.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "liegen" in this sentence?

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch

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The correct preposition to use with "liegen" is "auf", making the expression "liegen auf". The sentence "Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch" means "The book is on the table". Did you know? Prepositions in German can change the case of the noun that follows them. In the case of "liegen auf", the preposition "auf" requires the noun to be in the dative case.
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Intermediate

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

Er hat einen Brief geschrieben.

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For the verb 'schreiben' (to write), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense, not 'sein'. So the correct sentence is 'Er hat einen Brief geschrieben' which means 'He has written a letter'. When you use 'schreiben', it is about an action that has been done, in this case, writing a letter, thus 'haben' is used. Understanding this distinction is crucial in conveying the intended action in the German language.
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Intermediate

Which word correctly indicates multiple entities?

Im Theater sehen sie einige seltsame Kreaturen auf der Bühne.

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'Kreaturen' is the correct plural form of the noun 'Kreatur', which means 'creature' in English. In the context of the sentence, the plural is needed to refer to multiple strange entities on the stage. The other options are incorrect; 'Kreatur' is singular and doesn't match the context of indicating multiple entities. 'Kreatüre' and 'Kreature' are simply not correct forms of the noun in German.
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Intermediate

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

Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen.

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'Laufen' is an action verb that indicates movement, thus it generally requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. So, the correct sentence would be 'Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen', which means 'I ran home'. 'Haben' would generally be incorrect in this context. Understanding the appropriate application of 'haben' and 'sein' with different verbs is fundamental in constructing accurate sentences in the German language.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'achten' to mean 'to pay attention to'?

Wir achten auf die Details

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The correct preposition to use with 'achten' to convey the meaning of 'to pay attention to' is 'auf', forming the phrase 'achten auf'. The sentence 'Wir achten auf die Details' translates to 'We pay attention to the details.' The other prepositions cannot be used to express the concept of paying attention to something. Fun Fact: 'Achten auf' requires the accusative case.
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