Breakdown of Mijn moeder leest graag in de tuin.
lezen
to read
in
in
de tuin
the garden
mijn
my
graag
gladly
de moeder
the mother
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Questions & Answers about Mijn moeder leest graag in de tuin.
What does the verb leest mean in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?
Leest is the third person singular present tense form of the verb lezen, which means "to read". Since the subject is Mijn moeder (My mother), the verb is conjugated accordingly to match the singular subject.
What is the function of the adverb graag in this sentence?
The adverb graag indicates that the action is done with pleasure or that the subject enjoys it. In this sentence, it shows that Mijn moeder enjoys reading. In Dutch, graag is typically placed close to the verb it modifies.
How is the prepositional phrase in de tuin constructed, and why is the article de used?
In de tuin translates to "in the garden". The preposition in indicates location, and de tuin is composed of the definite article de with the noun tuin. The article de is used because tuin is a common gender noun in Dutch, which always takes de in the singular form.
How does the sentence structure of Mijn moeder leest graag in de tuin compare to English word order?
The structure is quite similar to English. Mijn moeder is the subject, leest is the verb, graag functions as an adverb modifying the verb, and in de tuin is a prepositional phrase indicating location. This resembles the English sentence "My mother likes to read in the garden", where the order of elements is comparable.
Why isn’t a direct object mentioned after leest? Shouldn't there be something indicating what is being read?
In both Dutch and English, it is perfectly acceptable to talk about the act of reading without specifying an object. Here, the sentence emphasizes that Mijn moeder enjoys reading in general, rather than reading a specific book or material. This makes the sentence focus on the activity itself rather than its object.