Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.

After the meal I want to keep reading in bed.

Breakdown of Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• das Essen: the meal
• nach: after
• das Bett: the bed
• wollen: want to
• im: in the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• weiterlesen: to keep reading

Questions & Answers about Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.

Why is it Nach dem Essen and not nach das Essen?

In German, the preposition nach always takes the dative case (for this meaning: after in time).

• The noun Essen (meal / eating) is neuter: das Essen in the nominative.
• In the dative singular neuter, das becomes dem.

So you must say:

• nach dem Essen = after the meal / after eating

nach das Essen is grammatically wrong because nach cannot be followed by the accusative.

Why is Essen capitalized here?

In this sentence, Essen is a noun, not a verb:

• As a verb: essen = to eat (lowercase)
• As a noun: das Essen = the food / the meal / the act of eating (uppercase)

After a preposition like nach with a definite article (dem), it must be a noun phrase, so it’s written Essen, capitalized.

What exactly does will mean here? Is it the same as English “will” (future)?

No. German will is the present tense of the modal verb wollen and usually means want(s) to:

• ich will = I want (to)

In Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen, will means:

• I want to continue reading in bed (after eating).

It does not express the future tense like English “will”. The future with “will” in English is usually translated with werden in German:

• Ich werde im Bett weiterlesen. = I will (I’m going to) continue reading in bed.

Why is the word order … will ich … and not … ich will …?

German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule: the conjugated verb must be in second position in the sentence, no matter what comes first.

Here:

1. Nach dem Essen = first position (a time phrase put at the front)
2. will = second position (conjugated verb)
3. ich im Bett weiterlesen = the rest of the clause

If you start with the subject, you would say:

• Ich will nach dem Essen im Bett weiterlesen.

Both are correct. The difference is only in emphasis and style, not in grammar.

Why is weiterlesen at the very end of the sentence?

weiterlesen is an infinitive verb governed by the modal verb will.

In German, when you have:

• a modal verb (like wollen, können, müssen)
• plus another verb in the infinitive

the modal goes in second position, and the infinitive goes to the end of the clause:

• Ich will weiterlesen.
• Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.

So will appears early (position 2), and weiterlesen is sent to the end.

Is weiterlesen one verb? Why is it written as one word?

Yes. weiterlesen is a separable prefix verb:

• Prefix: weiter- (meaning further, on, to continue)
• Base verb: lesen (to read)

As an infinitive or past participle, it is usually written as one word:

• weiterlesen (infinitive)
• Ich will weiterlesen.

In a normal present-tense main clause, the prefix splits off and goes to the end:

• Ich lese weiter. = I continue reading.

So the dictionary form (infinitive) is the single word weiterlesen.

Could I also write weiter lesen as two words?

You will sometimes see weiter lesen written as two words, especially in informal contexts or older texts, but the standard, especially in modern dictionaries and teaching materials, is to treat it as one separable verb: weiterlesen.

• As a single separable verb: weiterlesen

  • Ich will im Bett weiterlesen.

• As a looser combination: weiter lesen

  • Can suggest reading further (a bit more flexible in meaning), but in practice, most learners should stick with weiterlesen as a verb.

For learning purposes, it’s best to treat weiterlesen as one verb with the prefix weiter-.

What does the im in im Bett stand for?

im is a contraction of the preposition in plus the article dem:

• in + dem = im

Since Bett (bed) is neuter (das Bett) and used here with a static location (in bed), you use dative:

• in dem Bett → im Bett

So im Bett literally means in the bed, usually understood as in bed.

Why is im Bett in the dative case?

The preposition in can take dative or accusative, depending on the meaning:

• Dative = location (where?)
• Accusative = direction (into where?)

In this sentence, the meaning is where the reading happens, not movement into the bed:

• im Bett lesen = to read in bed (location → dative)
• ins Bett gehen = to go to bed (movement → accusative; in + das = ins)

So im Bett uses dative: in dem Bett → im Bett.

What is the difference between im Bett and ins Bett?

• im Bett = in dem Bett, dative → in bed (location).

  • Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.
    → After eating, I want to continue reading in bed.

• ins Bett = in das Bett, accusative → into bed (movement).

  • Nach dem Essen will ich ins Bett gehen.
    → After eating, I want to go to bed.

So:

• im Bett: where you are.
• ins Bett: where you are going (motion into).

Could I use möchte instead of will here? What would change?

Yes, you can say:

• Nach dem Essen möchte ich im Bett weiterlesen.

The difference is nuance:

• will (from wollen) = stronger, more determined: I want to (I intend to).
• möchte (from mögen) = more polite, softer: I would like to.

Both are grammatically correct. möchte often sounds more polite or tentative, will more direct or firm.

Does this sentence talk about the future even though it’s in the present tense?

Yes. German often uses the present tense to express future actions, especially when the context makes the time clear (because of adverbs or time phrases like nach dem Essen, morgen, etc.).

• Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.
  → The action is in the future (after the meal), but German uses the present tense of wollen.

You could use the future tense with werden, but it’s less common and not necessary here:

• Nach dem Essen werde ich im Bett weiterlesen.
  (Correct, but sounds more formal or emphasized.)

Does Nach dem Essen mean after the meal or after I have eaten?

It can mean both, depending on context:

• Literally: nach dem Essen = after the meal (after the eating event).
• Idiomatically, it is often understood like English after eating or after I’ve eaten.

So:

• Nach dem Essen will ich im Bett weiterlesen.
  Can be understood as:
  • After the meal, I want to continue reading in bed.
    or
  • After I’ve eaten, I want to continue reading in bed.

In normal conversation, there is no real difference; both readings are natural.