'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.

đź’ˇ 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 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 form of the noun 'Geist' best completes the sentence?

Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das ein Geist ist.

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'Geist' in this context is a German noun that translates to 'ghost' or 'spirit' in English. The other options, like 'Geistes' (genitive singular), 'Geiste' (dative singular), or 'Geisten' (dative plural), do not fit the grammatical structure of the sentence.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "träumen" to mean "to dream of"?

Sie träumt jede Nacht von ihrem Urlaub

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The correct preposition to use with "träumen" to convey the meaning of "to dream of" is "von", making the expression "träumen von". The sentence "Sie träumt jede Nacht von ihrem Urlaub" means "She dreams about her holiday every night".
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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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Beginner

Which word correctly indicates the thing being searched for?

Er macht sich auf die Suche nach Bienen.

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'Nach' is a preposition in German and in this context, it is used to express the thing being searched for, translating to 'for' in English. Other prepositions like 'im' (in), 'bei' (at) or 'von' (from) would not convey the correct meaning in this specific context.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "warten" to mean "to wait for"?

Ich warte auf den Bus

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The correct preposition to use with "warten" to convey the meaning of "to wait for" is "auf", making the expression "warten auf". The sentence "Ich warte auf den Bus" means "I am waiting for the bus." The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of waiting for something or someone.Did you know? Prepositions in German can change the case of the noun that follows them. In the case of "warten auf", the preposition "auf" requires the noun to be in the accusative case.
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Beginner

Which word best fits the sentence to mean 'onto'?

Sie legen das Buch auf den Tisch.

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In this context, 'auf' is a German preposition that translates to 'on' or 'onto' in English. It is used to describe the position of something in relation to a surface or a place. 'Auf' is the only option that fits the sentence's context and works grammatically. Other options ('an', 'aus', und 'ein') don't fit the context or are grammatically incorrect.
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Beginner

Which coordinating conjunction fits best in this sentence?

Er spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Französisch.

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The coordinating conjunction that is used to show a contrasting idea or correction is 'sondern', which means 'but/on the contrary'. 'Sondern' is used specifically after a negation to introduce an alternative or a contrasting statement, implying a correction or refinement of what was negated. It's similar to "but rather" or "but instead" in English.
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Intermediate

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

Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen.

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'Wachsen' indicates a change of state (to grow) which typically requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb in past tenses. Hence, 'Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen' (They grew very quickly yesterday) is the correct sentence. 'Haben' could be used with 'wachsen' in certain dialects or colloquial usage, but is generally considered less standard. Mastering the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' enhances the precision of expressing states and actions in the German language.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for a Neuter noun?

Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause

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The phrase indicates possession, using the genitive case. The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Hence, the sentence should be "Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause," which means "Because of the weather, we are staying at home" in English.
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