Breakdown of Ich lese einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel über Gesundheit.
ich
I
lesen
to read
interessant
interesting
über
about
der Zeitungsartikel
the newspaper article
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Questions & Answers about Ich lese einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel über Gesundheit.
Why is the article einen used before interessanten Zeitungsartikel, and why does the adjective end in -en?
The verb lesen takes a direct object in the accusative case. Zeitungsartikel is masculine, so the indefinite article ein changes to einen in the accusative singular. After an article like einen, adjectives follow the weak declension pattern and receive the ending -en, turning interessant into interessanten.
What case is Gesundheit in, and why?
The preposition über (meaning “about”) governs the accusative case. Gesundheit is a feminine noun whose accusative form is identical to its nominative (die Gesundheit). That’s why you simply see Gesundheit without any extra ending—it’s already in the required case.
Why is über used here instead of von or another preposition?
In German, über is the standard preposition to express “about” when you talk or read on a topic. While von can mean “of” or “from,” you would not say lesen von to mean “read about.” Use lesen über whenever you want to indicate the subject matter.
Why is Zeitungsartikel written as a single word?
German often forms compounds by gluing nouns together. Zeitung (“newspaper”) + Artikel (“article”) = Zeitungsartikel (“newspaper article”). There are no spaces or hyphens in standard German orthography for such compounds.
Why does the sentence start with Ich and then the verb lese?
German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. The finite verb (lese) must occupy the second position in the sentence. By placing the subject Ich first, lese naturally comes second. You could also begin with another element (e.g. Heute lese ich …), but the V2 principle remains.
Why is Gesundheit capitalized?
In German, all nouns are always capitalized, wherever they appear in a sentence. Gesundheit (“health”) is a noun, so it must start with a capital letter.
Can I put über Gesundheit before einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel for emphasis?
Yes. German allows some flexibility in object and adverbial order.
Example: Ich lese über Gesundheit einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel.
Here you emphasize the topic (über Gesundheit). However, the original order (direct object first, then the prepositional phrase) sounds more neutral and common.
How would I express this sentence in the past tense?
For spoken or informal writing, use the present perfect:
Ich habe einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel über Gesundheit gelesen.
In written or formal German, you might also see the simple past:
Ich las einen interessanten Zeitungsartikel über Gesundheit.