Questions & Answers about Wir lesen jetzt die E-Mail.
Is die E-Mail in the accusative case here?
Yes! Wir (we) is the subject doing the action, and die E-Mail is the direct object receiving the action (being read). However, because E-Mail is a feminine noun, its article is die. Feminine, neuter, and plural articles look exactly the same in the accusative case as they do in the basic nominative case. Only the masculine article changes from der to den.
Why does jetzt come before die E-Mail? Can I say Wir lesen die E-Mail jetzt?
In standard German word order, time words like jetzt (now) generally come right after the conjugated verb and before the direct object. While putting jetzt at the very end might be understood, the Time-before-Object rule makes your German sound much more natural.
The English translation says are reading, but doesn't lesen just mean read?
German does not have a separate continuous tense like English does with am/is/are doing. The phrase Wir lesen can mean either We read as a general habit, or We are reading right now. Adding the word jetzt (now) makes it perfectly clear that the action is happening at this very moment.
How do we know the gender of English loan words like E-Mail in German?
When German borrows English words, they often take the gender of their closest German equivalent. Because the traditional German word for mail or post is feminine (die Post), die E-Mail is also feminine. As a fun fact, in Switzerland and Austria you might sometimes hear das E-Mail, but die E-Mail is the standard in Germany.
Learn Wir lesen jetzt die E-Mail and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free