Breakdown of Meine neue Gewohnheit ist, jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen.
sein
to be
neu
new
das Buch
the book
lesen
to read
der Abend
the evening
mein
my
jeder
every
die Gewohnheit
the habit
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Questions & Answers about Meine neue Gewohnheit ist, jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen.
Why is there a comma before jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen?
Because jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen is an infinitive clause functioning as a nominal predicate. German often sets off such zu-Infinitiv clauses with a comma to improve clarity. According to the official rules, commas before infinitive clauses are optional in many cases, but here the comma clearly marks the boundary between the main clause (Meine neue Gewohnheit ist) and the following infinitive construction.
Why does the verb lesen come at the very end of the sentence?
In German, verbs in subordinate clauses and in zu-Infinitiv constructions always go to the end. Since jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen is a subordinate infinitive clause (introduced by zu), lesen must appear in final position.
Why is jeden Abend in the accusative case?
Expressions of time like jeden Abend, diesen Morgen, letzten Sonntag typically take the accusative to indicate when something occurs. Here jeden Abend (each evening) answers the question “Wann?” and thus appears in the accusative.
Why do we say meine neue Gewohnheit and not mein neuer Gewohnheit or something else?
- Gewohnheit is a feminine noun.
- In the nominative singular, a feminine noun with a possessive pronoun (mein-, dein-, sein-, etc.) takes the ending -e for the accompanying adjective.
Hence: meine (feminine possessive) + neue (weak adjective ending -e) + Gewohnheit.
Why is ein Buch used instead of a definite article das Buch?
Using ein Buch makes the object indefinite – you’re not referring to one specific book, but to any book you choose each evening. If you said das Buch, it would imply you have a particular book in mind.
Could you include an es after ist, as in Meine neue Gewohnheit ist es, …?
Yes, that’s also perfectly correct. You can say:
Meine neue Gewohnheit ist es, jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen.
Adding es acts as a placeholder (or “anticipatory es”) for the infinitive clause. Omitting it is more concise but both versions are grammatical.
Can I move jeden Abend or ein Buch elsewhere in the infinitive clause?
Definitely. German word order within the infinitive clause is quite flexible:
- Meine neue Gewohnheit ist, ein Buch jeden Abend zu lesen.
- Meine neue Gewohnheit ist, zu lesen jeden Abend ein Buch. (less common)
- Mein neues Hobby ist, abends jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen. (with slight change)
However, the unmarked order is Time Object zu-Verb: jeden Abend ein Buch zu lesen.
What exactly is the function of the zu-Infinitiv here?
The zu-Infinitiv (ein Buch zu lesen) operates as a noun-like element that completes the meaning of ist. It tells us what your new habit is. In grammar terms, it’s a nominalisierte Infinitivkonstruktion (nominalized infinitive construction) acting as the predicate after ist.