Breakdown of Mein Gedächtnis wird besser, indem ich mit Farben markiere.
ich
I
mein
my
die Farbe
the color
mit
with
werden
to become / to get (change of state)
besser
better
das Gedächtnis
the memory (faculty)
indem
by doing
markieren
to highlight
Questions & Answers about Mein Gedächtnis wird besser, indem ich mit Farben markiere.
Why does German use indem ich... markiere instead of an '-ing' word like 'by highlighting'?
English uses 'by' plus an '-ing' word to show the method. German doesn't use '-ing' forms this way. Instead, it uses the conjunction indem followed by a full subordinate clause with a subject (ich) and a conjugated verb (markiere). It literally translates to something like '...in that I mark with colors.'
Why is markiere at the very end of the sentence?
Because indem is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a subordinate clause, which always pushes its conjugated verb (markiere) to the very end of that clause.
Why is wird used for 'gets'? Wouldn't bekommt make more sense?
This is a common mix-up! You only use bekommen when you receive something, like a letter or a gift. When 'get' means 'to become' or describes a change of state (like getting better, getting tired, or getting old), you must use the verb werden. Since Mein Gedächtnis is a neuter noun, it uses the 'it' form wird.
Does markiere specifically mean using a highlighter?
Usually, yes! markieren means to mark or highlight text, typically with a colored marker. If you wanted to say you were underlining the text with colors, you would use the verb unterstreichen instead.
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