Breakdown of Ich mache Fortschritte, indem ich mir die Vokabeln aufschreibe.
ich
I
machen
to make, to do
mir
me / to me (dative)
aufschreiben
to write down
indem
by doing
die Vokabel
the vocabulary word
der Fortschritt
the progress
Questions & Answers about Ich mache Fortschritte, indem ich mir die Vokabeln aufschreibe.
How does indem translate to English here, and why does it change the word order?
indem translates to "by [verb]-ing" in English (here, "by writing"). It is a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb to the very end of the sentence. That is why aufschreibe comes last.
Why is the separable verb aufschreiben written as one word (aufschreibe) at the end of the sentence?
In a regular main clause, a separable verb splits, sending the prefix to the end (like Ich schreibe Vokabeln auf). However, because indem pushes the conjugated verb (schreibe) to the end of the clause, it bumps into its prefix (auf) waiting there. When they meet at the end of a dependent clause, they recombine into a single word: aufschreibe.
Why do we need the word mir in this sentence?
mir is the dative word for "to/for myself". Germans frequently use the reflexive construction sich etwas aufschreiben to emphasize that you are writing something down for your own use. Because the vocabulary words (die Vokabeln) are the direct object in the accusative case, the reflexive pronoun "for myself" takes the dative case (mir).
Why is Fortschritte plural? Do Germans not say "make progress" in the singular?
In German, the set phrase for "to make progress" is almost always plural: Fortschritte machen. While the singular der Fortschritt exists, it is mostly used for broad, general progress (like technological advancement). For personal improvement, you should always use the plural.
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