Breakdown of Ich muss mehr an meine Gesundheit denken.
ich
I
mein
my
müssen
to have to, must
an
at, on (vertical) / to (addressee) / of (in quantity/stock expressions)
denken
to think
mehr
more
die Gesundheit
the health
Questions & Answers about Ich muss mehr an meine Gesundheit denken.
The lesson is about the future tense with werden, so why does this sentence use the present tense muss?
While werden is used for future predictions and promises, German very often uses the present tense to talk about the future. Using a modal verb like müssen (must) or wollen (want to) in the present tense is the most natural way to express a future intention or plan. Adding werden to this sentence would actually sound unnatural.
Why is the preposition an used here for 'about'? Couldn't I use über?
In German, the verb denken (to think) almost always pairs with the preposition an when you mean 'to keep in mind' or 'to direct your thoughts toward' something. You generally only use über with denken when you are evaluating something or stating an opinion.
Why is it meine Gesundheit in this sentence?
The preposition an is a two-way preposition, but when it is locked to the verb denken, it always takes the accusative case. Because Gesundheit (health) is a feminine noun, the accusative possessive word for 'my' is simply meine.
Why does denken go at the very end of the sentence?
This is the standard word order rule for modal verbs in German. The conjugated modal verb muss takes the second position in the sentence, which pushes the main action verb (denken) to the very end in its basic infinitive form.
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