Ik lees per week een boek.

I read a book per week.

Breakdown of Ik lees per week een boek.

• ik: I
• het boek: the book
• lezen: to read
• een: a, an
• per: per
• de week: the week

Questions & Answers about Ik lees per week een boek.

How do I translate “Ik lees per week een boek” into natural English?

The literal translation is “I read per week a book”, but a more natural rendering is “I read one book a week.”

What is the function of the phrase “per week” in this sentence?

The phrase “per week” is an adverbial expression that indicates frequency. It tells us that the action (reading) is performed on a weekly basis, similar to saying “every week.”

Why is the indefinite article “een” used before “boek”, and what does it imply?

“Een” in Dutch works the same way as the English indefinite article “a”. It signifies that the speaker is referring to a non-specific, single book each week, implying that it's a typical amount rather than a particular or known book.

How is the verb “lees” conjugated, and why is this form used in the sentence?

The verb “lees” is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb “lezen” (to read). It is used here with the subject “ik” (I) to denote a habitual action that the speaker performs regularly.

How does the word order in this Dutch sentence compare to English sentence structure?

Dutch typically follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) order similar to English. In this sentence, “ik” (I) is the subject, “lees” (read) is the verb, and “een boek” (a book) is the object. The adverbial phrase “per week” is inserted after the verb to indicate time, which closely mirrors how we might structure “I read one book a week” in English.