das Lesen
reading
The activity of taking in written or printed characters and understanding their content.
EXAMPLE
Das Lesen eines guten Romans entspannt mich.
Reading a good novel relaxes me.
das Lesen
reading
das Lesen
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Meanings
das Lesen
reading
The ability to decipher and understand written or printed characters.
EXAMPLE
In der ersten Klasse lernen die Kinder das Lesen.
The children learn to read in first grade.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Lesen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Lesens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Lesen | – |
| accusative | das Lesen | – |
| dative | dem Lesen | – |
| genitive | des Lesens | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Nominalized verb
'Das Lesen' (reading) is the nominalized verb 'lesen' (to read) and refers to the process or ability as a noun. It is therefore capitalized and can be used with articles and prepositions.
EXAMPLE
Beim Lesen schaltet er sein Handy aus.
While reading, he switches off his cell phone.
Typical collocations
For the activity, phrases such as 'beim Lesen' (while reading), 'zum Lesen' (for reading), and 'sich beim Lesen konzentrieren' (to concentrate while reading) are often used. It is often specified what or where someone is reading.
EXAMPLE
Beim Lesen der Zeitung trinkt sie morgens ihren Kaffee.
While reading the newspaper, she drinks her coffee in the morning.
Expressing ability
In the meaning of 'ability', 'das Lesen' (reading) is often used with expressions such as 'leichtfallen' (to come easily), 'schwerfallen' (to be difficult), or 'lernen' (to learn). The person is often mentioned using a dative form.
EXAMPLE
Dem Schüler fällt das Lesen langer Texte noch schwer.
The student still finds reading long texts difficult.
In real life
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