Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.

Abroad I like to learn a new language.

Breakdown of Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.

• neu: new
• ich: I
• gern: gladly
• im: in the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• lernen: to learn
• die Sprache: the language
• eine: a; (feminine, accusative)
• das Ausland: abroad

Questions & Answers about Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.

What does im Ausland literally mean, and why don’t we just say in Ausland?

Im Ausland literally means in the foreign country / abroad.

• im is a contraction of in dem (in + the).
• Ausland is a noun (it means “foreign country / abroad”), so in German it normally takes an article: das Ausland (neuter).

So:

• in dem Ausland (dative) → contracted to im Ausland.

You cannot say in Ausland, because common nouns in German usually need an article; Ausland is not used like an English uncountable noun here.

What exactly is im in grammatical terms?

im = in + dem.

• in is a preposition.
• dem is the dative singular article for masculine and neuter nouns (“the”).

Because Ausland is neuter (das Ausland), and the preposition in here answers the question “Where?” (location, so dative), you get:

• in dem Ausland → contracted to im Ausland.

This contraction is very common and sounds more natural than the full form in everyday speech.

Why does the sentence start with Im Ausland instead of Ich? Is that normal word order?

Yes, it’s normal, and it follows a key German rule: the conjugated verb must be in second position in a main clause.

German word order is often described as:

1. Vorfeld (anything: time, place, object, etc.)
2. Verb (conjugated)
3. Subject and the rest.

So:

• Im Ausland (fronted adverbial of place = position 1)
• lerne (verb = position 2)
• ich gern eine neue Sprache (rest of the sentence)

You could also say:

• Ich lerne im Ausland gern eine neue Sprache.

Both are correct. Putting Im Ausland first puts the emphasis on being abroad: “When I’m abroad…” / “Abroad, I like to…”

Can I also say Ich lerne im Ausland gern eine neue Sprache or Ich lerne gern im Ausland eine neue Sprache? Are these all correct?

Yes, all of these are grammatically correct:

1. Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.
2. Ich lerne im Ausland gern eine neue Sprache.
3. Ich lerne gern im Ausland eine neue Sprache.

The differences are about emphasis and rhythm, not correctness:

• Starting with Im Ausland (version 1) highlights where.
• Placing gern earlier (version 3) slightly highlights the liking aspect.
• Version 2 is a fairly neutral, natural everyday order.

All three would be understood the same way in most contexts.

What does gern mean here, and why is it used instead of a special verb like “to like”?

gern is an adverb meaning roughly “with pleasure / gladly / enjoy doing”.

The common German pattern is:

• Ich lerne. – I learn.
• Ich lerne gern. – I like learning / I enjoy learning.

So gern doesn’t mean “like” as a verb; instead, it modifies the main verb to express enjoyment or preference.

Alternative structures that are possible but less basic:

• Ich mag es, eine neue Sprache zu lernen. – I like to learn a new language.
• Es gefällt mir, eine neue Sprache zu lernen. – I like learning a new language.

For everyday speech, Ich lerne gern … is the most natural and common way to say “I like learning …”.

Where can I put gern in this sentence? Is its position fixed?

Its position is quite flexible but must stay inside the middle field (between the conjugated verb and the verb-final elements, if any).

In your sentence, natural options include:

• Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.
• Im Ausland lerne ich eine neue Sprache gern.
• Ich lerne im Ausland gern eine neue Sprache.
• Ich lerne gern im Ausland eine neue Sprache.

All are possible and correct. The most neutral/common choices are:

• Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.
• Ich lerne im Ausland gern eine neue Sprache.

Moving gern slightly shifts focus, but meaning stays essentially the same.

What is the difference between gern and gerne?

In modern standard German, gern and gerne mean the same thing.

• Ich lerne gern eine neue Sprache.
• Ich lerne gerne eine neue Sprache.

Both are correct and equally understood.

Minor nuances:

• Some speakers feel gerne sounds a bit softer or more polite, especially in short answers:
  • Magst du Kaffee? – Gerne!
• gern may sound a bit more compact or neutral in writing.

But this is subtle. You can treat them as interchangeable.

Why is it eine neue Sprache and not eine neuen Sprache?

This is about adjective endings.

• Sprache is feminine: die Sprache.
• In this sentence, eine neue Sprache is the direct object of lerne, so it’s accusative singular feminine.
• After the indefinite article eine in accusative feminine, the adjective ending is -e.

Pattern:

• eine (indefinite article, fem. acc.)
• • neu- (adjective stem)
• • -e (correct ending for this case/gender)

So:

• eine neue Sprache = correct
• eine neuen Sprache = wrong for this case; -en would be used in different grammatical environments (e.g. plural, or certain dative/genitive forms), but not here.

Why is eine neue Sprache in the accusative case?

Because eine neue Sprache is the direct object of the verb lernen.

• Ask: What do I learn? → eine neue Sprache.
• In German, the direct object of most action verbs is put into the accusative case.

So:

• Ich lerne eine neue Sprache.
  Ich → subject (nominative)
  eine neue Sprache → direct object (accusative)

What is the difference between lernen and studieren? Why is it lerne here?

Both can translate as “to study”, but they’re used differently:

• lernen

  • To learn, to study in the sense of acquiring a skill or knowledge.
  • Used with languages, vocab, for tests, in school:
    • Ich lerne Deutsch. – I’m learning German.
    • Ich lerne für die Prüfung. – I’m studying for the exam.

• studieren

  • To study a subject at university / to be enrolled in that field.
  • Typically used with fields of study:
    • Ich studiere Medizin. – I’m studying medicine (at university).
    • Sie studiert Physik.

So for learning a new language generally, especially as a learner, you say:

• Ich lerne eine neue Sprache.
  not Ich studiere eine neue Sprache.

What exactly does Ausland mean, and can it be plural?

Ausland is a neuter noun (das Ausland) meaning roughly:

• “foreign country/foreign countries”
• “abroad” as a general concept (not a specific country)

It is usually uncountable and singular in meaning: it refers to the world outside one’s own country, not to particular countries one by one.

• Ich bin im Ausland. – I am abroad.
• Ich fahre ins Ausland. – I’m going abroad.

German does have a plural form Ausländer/Auslandsgebiete for slightly different meanings, but Ausland itself in the sense of “abroad” is treated as singular and mass-like, not like “one foreign land, two foreign lands” in everyday usage.

Why is Ausland capitalized?

Because all nouns are capitalized in German.

• das Ausland → a noun meaning “abroad / foreign country”.
• Therefore: Im Ausland with a capital A.

This is a basic orthographic rule: every noun, including abstract nouns like Ausland, must start with a capital letter in correct German spelling.

Why is the present tense lerne used, instead of a future form, even though English might say “When I’m abroad, I like to learn…”?

German uses the present tense more broadly than English:

• Im Ausland lerne ich gern eine neue Sprache.
  • Can mean:
    • “When(ever) I’m abroad, I like to learn a new language.” (habitual)
    • “Right now, while I’m abroad, I like learning a new language.”

You only need a future tense (werde lernen) when you want to emphasize a specific future intention:

• Im Ausland werde ich eine neue Sprache lernen. – I will (definitely) learn a new language when I go abroad.

For general habits or typical behavior, the simple present lerne is the normal and idiomatic choice.