Meaning and Usage
The German verb lesen means to read. It is an important verb used to describe the act of looking at and understanding written or printed words. This verb is commonly used in everyday conversations when talking about reading books, articles, emails, or any text.
Verb Type and Irregularity
Lesen is an irregular verb in German. This means that its conjugation does not follow the regular patterns seen in many other German verbs. Irregular verbs often have stem changes in some forms, and lesen is one of these verbs with vowel changes in the present tense.
Present Tense Conjugation
The present tense of lesen changes its stem vowel from e to ie in the second and third person singular forms. The other forms use the stem les-.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | lese | I read | Ich lese jeden Tag ein Buch. | I read a book every day. |
| du | liest | you read | Du liest die Zeitung. | You read the newspaper. |
| er/sie/es | liest | he/she/it reads | Er liest einen Roman. | He reads a novel. |
| wir | lesen | we read | Wir lesen zusammen. | We read together. |
| ihr | lest | you (pl.) read | Ihr lest oft im Park. | You (plural) often read in the park. |
| sie/Sie | lesen | they/you (formal) read | Sie lesen die Anweisungen. | They/You (formal) read the instructions. |
Past Tense and Other Forms
The past tense (preterite) of lesen is las (first and third person singular). The past participle is gelesen, used in perfect and pluperfect tenses with the auxiliary verb haben. This is typical for irregular verbs and is important for expressing past actions related to reading.
Examples:
- Ich las das Buch gestern. (I read the book yesterday.)
- Wir haben die Zeitung gelesen. (We have read the newspaper.)
Usage Notes
Due to its irregular nature, the stem change is crucial to remember for correct conjugation. Lesen is a common verb and useful in many contexts related to education, media, and daily communication. It is often found in idiomatic expressions and compound verbs but always retains its core meaning related to reading.
