Breakdown of Anna kann Spanisch lesen und Französisch sprechen.
und
and
lesen
to read
sprechen
to speak
Anna
Anna
können
can / to be able to
Spanisch
Spanish
Französisch
French
Questions & Answers about Anna kann Spanisch lesen und Französisch sprechen.
Why are lesen and sprechen at the end of their phrases?
This is the sentence bracket rule in action. When you use a modal verb like kann in the second position, the main action verbs are pushed to the very end of their phrases in their dictionary form (infinitive).
Why is the verb kann instead of könnt for Anna?
Modal verbs are irregular. For können (to be able to), the singular forms change the vowel from ö to a. Also, the he/she/it form (Anna) does not get the usual -t ending. It shares the exact same form as the I form: ich kann, sie kann.
Why is it Französisch sprechen and not sprechen Französisch after und?
The sentence bracket rule applies to both actions connected by und. Think of it as two blocks sharing the same modal verb: Anna kann [Spanisch lesen] und [Französisch sprechen]. The action verb always goes to the very end of its own block.
Why are the words Spanisch and Französisch capitalized?
In German, all nouns must be capitalized. Names of languages are treated as nouns, so they always start with a capital letter, no matter where they appear in the sentence.
Learn Anna kann Spanisch lesen und Französisch sprechen 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