2

is this correct ?

In meiner Freizeit ich gern Bucher lesen

or this?

In meiner Freizeit lesen ich gern Bucher

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  • 2
    Please elaborate what exactly you have doubts about. Any source text book or online grammar site will clearly give you the answer. The fact that you have the examples that you have also suggests that you have come across this topic before. So why do you have doubts?
    – Emanuel
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 18:22
  • 1
    Btw, you need to conjugate the verb "lesen". Sentence structure is nothing to worry about if conjugation isn't an automatism yet.
    – Emanuel
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 18:22
  • I don't understand where to place the verb "lesen".so you are saying I firstly need to understand verb conjugation?
    – Amrapali
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 18:30
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    There are three mistakes: (1) German is a V2 language: In "regular" sentences the verb comes in second position, so it is: (In meiner Freizeit) (lese) (ich) (gerne.) (Verb is second). (2) You have to conjucate verbs: ich lese, not: ich lesen. (3) If you cannot type the Umlaut 'ü' in 'Bücher', then you should replace it by 'ue' - do not simply leave out the umlaut dots! -- I suppose you concentrate on one of these mistakes and rephrase your question so that it isn't about proofreading anymore.
    – Chris
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 19:39
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    As for conjugation... you don't have to know conjugation to understand sentence structure but sentence structure, and especially this subject verb switch takes time to sink in even if you've grasped it consciously. Conjugating however is very very basic and if you can't do that that is a real problem. Not because you can't be understood but because it sounds really really bad.
    – Emanuel
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 23:12

1 Answer 1

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In German, the verb always comes second in a statement. That seems to be the gist of your question, using your example. Next time, spell it out that way.

So it begins correctly, "In meiner Freizeit" (adverbial clause).

The next thing that needs to come is the verb "lesen." But it's not the infinitive you need to use but the conjugated version (with ich), which is "lese." So of the two constructions, the second is more correct. Now the phrase reads "In meiner Freizeit lese ich gern..."

The last word is the plural of the word Buch, of which, the "pluralization" is as follows: ein Buch, zwei Buecher (if you don't have Umlauts on your keyboard), or zwei Bücher if you do.

So the correct, complete sentence is: "In meiner Freizeit lese ich gern Bücher."

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  • Oder "Ich lese in meiner Freizeit gern[e] Bücher." oder "Ich lese gern[e] Bücher in meiner Freizeit."
    – Robert
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 20:32
  • @Robert: Those constructions follow correct word order. "Lese" is always second after "ich."
    – Tom Au
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 20:34
  • @Robert.. or "Lesen tu ich in meiner Freizeit gerne Bücher ";)
    – Emanuel
    Commented Oct 29, 2014 at 23:14
  • @TomAu "Lese is always second after ich" -> I know that this is clear to you, but just for the reference: a sentence does not need to start in "subject + verb". "Bücher lese ich in meiner Freizeit gern" is also a valid German sentence.
    – Em1
    Commented Oct 30, 2014 at 11:18
  • got it!!..ich lese..beacuse it's ich ,Buecher and verb comes always second..so it is "In meiner Freizeit lese ich gern Buecher"..thankyou all!!:)
    – Amrapali
    Commented Oct 30, 2014 at 13:55

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