Breakdown of Ich verstehe diesen Text nicht.
ich
I
nicht
not
verstehen
to understand
der Text
the text
diesen
this
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Questions & Answers about Ich verstehe diesen Text nicht.
Why is the verb verstehe in the second position of the sentence and not at the end?
Because German main clauses follow the so-called V2 rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Since ich is the first element (the subject), verstehe comes immediately after it.
Why is diesen Text in the accusative case, and why isn’t it dieser or dieses?
Verstehen is a transitive verb that takes a direct object, which requires the accusative case. Text is masculine (der Text), so its singular accusative form with the demonstrative dies is diesen Text. Dieser Text would be nominative; dieses would be neuter.
Why does nicht appear at the end of the sentence rather than before the verb?
In German, nicht generally comes immediately before the element it negates. Here you’re negating the entire action “understand this text,” so nicht goes after the direct object at the end.
Can I use kein instead of nicht in this sentence?
No. Kein negates nouns without a determiner or with an indefinite article (for example, kein Brot). Because you have the demonstrative diesen, you must use nicht to negate the verb phrase.
How do I say “I didn’t understand this text” in the past tense in German?
You have two common options:
• Simple past (literary/narrative): Ich verstand diesen Text nicht.
• Conversational perfect: Ich habe diesen Text nicht verstanden.
Can I replace diesen Text with a pronoun?
Yes. Since Text is masculine, you can substitute ihn:
Ich verstehe ihn nicht.
Or more generally use das as a placeholder for “that/this”:
Ich verstehe das nicht.
What’s the difference between Ich verstehe den Text nicht and Ich verstehe diesen Text nicht?
Den Text (“the text”) refers back to a text you’ve already mentioned or introduced. Diesen Text (“this text”) points directly to a specific text you’re looking at or discussing right now, adding emphasis/demonstration.
Is there a more colloquial way to express “I don’t understand this text”?
Yes. You can use slang verbs:
• kapiere – Ich kapiere diesen Text nicht.
• checke – Ich checke diesen Text nicht.
These are informal; verstehen remains the standard verb.
How do you say Don’t you understand this text? in German?
Invert verb and subject:
Verstehst du diesen Text nicht?
For the formal “you” use:
Verstehen Sie diesen Text nicht?