Breakdown of Du verbesserst dein Gedächtnis, indem du die Vokabeln oft wiederholst.
du
you (informal singular)
oft
often
dein
your (informal)
verbessern
to improve
wiederholen
to repeat
das Gedächtnis
the memory (faculty)
indem
by doing
die Vokabel
the vocabulary word
Questions & Answers about Du verbesserst dein Gedächtnis, indem du die Vokabeln oft wiederholst.
Why does the English translation use "by repeating" when the German sentence says du ... wiederholst (you repeat)?
The conjunction indem expresses the method or means by which something is done. In English, we usually express this with "by doing [something]", but German doesn't have an "-ing" verb form. Instead, indem starts a regular clause with a subject and a conjugated verb, translating literally to "by which you repeat".
Why is the verb wiederholst at the very end of the sentence?
indem is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (wiederholst) all the way to the end of that clause.
Why is it dein Gedächtnis and not deinen Gedächtnis?
Gedächtnis (memory) is a neuter noun (das Gedächtnis). Because it is the direct object being improved, it is in the accusative case. For neuter nouns, the accusative possessive remains dein (unlike masculine nouns, which would change to deinen).
Why use die Vokabeln instead of die Wörter here?
While both can mean "words", die Vokabel (plural: die Vokabeln) specifically refers to vocabulary words you are studying for a foreign language. Das Wort (plural: die Wörter) is the general term for any word.
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