Breakdown of Das Kind badet gern.
das Kind
the child
gern
gladly, like to
baden
to take a bath; to swim (in a lake or the sea)
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Questions & Answers about Das Kind badet gern.
Why is there no word for "likes" in the German sentence?
In English, you use the verb "to like" plus another action, such as "likes taking". In German, you express this by using the action verb (badet) and adding the word gern next to it. Literally, it means the child "bathes gladly".
Why does the verb badet end in "-et" instead of just "-t"?
The base form of the verb is baden. When you remove the "-en", the verb stem is "bad-". Because the stem ends in a "d", adding just a "-t" for the third-person form would be very hard to pronounce. German adds an extra "e" to make it easier to say. You will also see this rule in words like arbeiten (arbeitet).
Can baden also mean "to swim"?
Yes! While it usually means taking a bath in a bathtub, baden is also widely used for splashing around or swimming for fun in a lake or the ocean. If you are talking about swimming as a serious sport or exercise, you would use the verb schwimmen instead.