Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

We slowly build up our endurance.

Breakdown of Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

• wir: we
• langsam: slowly
• unser: our
• die Ausdauer: the endurance
• aufbauen: to build up

Questions & Answers about Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

Why is auf at the end of the sentence and not together with bauen?

Aufbauen is a separable verb in German (a verb with a separable prefix).

• Infinitive form: aufbauen
• Conjugated in a main clause: the prefix auf moves to the end of the clause.
  
  • Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.
• In structures where the verb stays in the infinitive or goes to the end (e.g. with a modal verb, or in subordinate clauses), aufbauen stays together:
  
  • Wir wollen unsere Ausdauer langsam aufbauen.
  • …, weil wir unsere Ausdauer langsam aufbauen.

So bauen … auf is just the normal main‑clause form of the verb aufbauen.

Can I change the position of langsam? For example: Wir bauen langsam unsere Ausdauer auf. Is that correct?

Yes, you can move langsam, and it’s still grammatical. Common options:

• Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf. (neutral, very common)
• Wir bauen langsam unsere Ausdauer auf. (slight focus on the slowness of the process)
• Langsam bauen wir unsere Ausdauer auf. (stronger emphasis: Slowly is what we are doing this way)

All of these are correct. The differences are about emphasis and rhythm, not grammar.

Why is it unsere Ausdauer and not unser Ausdauer?

Ausdauer is feminine in German: die Ausdauer.

The possessive unser- must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun:

• Feminine accusative: unsere Ausdauer

If it were masculine accusative (e.g. unser Hund), you would say unseren Hund. But because Ausdauer is feminine, you use unsere.

Why is Ausdauer in the accusative case here?

In Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf, the structure is:

• Subject (nominative): wir
• Verb: bauen … auf
• Direct object (accusative): unsere Ausdauer

The verb aufbauen (to build up) normally takes a direct object, so that object goes into the accusative case. That’s why it is unsere Ausdauer in the accusative.

What exactly does Ausdauer aufbauen mean compared to something like Ausdauer verbessern or Ausdauer trainieren?

All three are related but with slightly different nuances:

• Ausdauer aufbauen – build up stamina from a lower level to a higher one, usually over time. Emphasizes the gradual construction of stamina.
• Ausdauer verbessern – improve stamina. Focus on making it better, without necessarily highlighting the process from almost nothing.
• Ausdauer trainieren – train your stamina. Focus on the training activity (running, cycling, etc.) rather than the result.

In many contexts, they can overlap, but aufbauen highlights a gradual buildup.

Why does the German present tense Wir bauen … auf translate as We are building … up in English? There is no separate progressive form in German?

German normally uses one present tense where English has two:

• Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.
  
  • We build up our stamina slowly.
  • We are building up our stamina slowly.

Context tells you whether it’s a general statement, a current ongoing action, or even a planned future. German does not usually form a special progressive tense like are building; the simple present covers that meaning.

Could I say Wir bauen uns langsam Ausdauer auf? I’ve seen sich etwas aufbauen before.

Yes, that is also possible, but it has a slightly different structure and nuance:

• Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

  • Direct object: unsere Ausdauer
  • Focus: our stamina is what we’re building up.

• Wir bauen uns langsam Ausdauer auf.

  • uns = reflexive dative (for whom?)
  • Ausdauer = object (what?)
  • Literally: We are building stamina up for ourselves (over time).

The version with uns is quite idiomatic in contexts like building up a life, career, savings, etc. Both are correct; choose based on whether you want to stress the object (our stamina) or that we are acquiring something for ourselves.

How does the word order change in a subordinate clause with weil or dass?

In subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb goes to the end, and the separable prefix stays attached:

• Main clause:

  • Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

• With weil (because):

  • …, weil wir unsere Ausdauer langsam aufbauen.

• With dass (that):

  • …, dass wir unsere Ausdauer langsam aufbauen.

Notice: aufbauen stays together at the very end of the subordinate clause.

What is the difference between langsam and langsame?

• langsam is the basic form:

  • As an adverb:
    
    • Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf. (We build our stamina up slowly.)
  • As an adjective in its dictionary form:
    
    • ein langsamer Läufer (a slow runner – here it gets an ending).

• langsame is an inflected adjective form, used before a noun where the ending shows gender, number, and case:

  • die langsame Musik (feminine nominative singular)
  • eine langsame Steigerung (feminine accusative singular)

So use langsam by itself (especially as an adverb), and langsame before a noun where grammar requires that ending.

Is Ausdauer countable in German? Can I say something like eine Ausdauer or zwei Ausdauern?

Ausdauer is generally treated as an uncountable noun in German, like stamina or endurance in English.

• Normal use:
  
  • Ich habe viel Ausdauer. (I have a lot of stamina.)
  • Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf.

You would not normally say eine Ausdauer or zwei Ausdauern. To talk about different kinds or levels, you’d rephrase:

• unterschiedliche Grade von Ausdauer (different levels of endurance)
• kardiorespiratorische Ausdauer (cardiorespiratory endurance), etc.

How do I pronounce Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf?

Rough pronunciation (IPA):

• Wir – /viːɐ̯/
• bauen – /ˈbaʊ̯ən/ (like English bow-en)
• unsere – /ˈʊnzəʁə/
• Ausdauer – /ˈaʊ̯sˌdaʊ̯ɐ/ (stress on Aus, then secondary on da)
• langsam – /ˈlaŋzaːm/ (the g is like ng in singer)
• auf – /aʊ̯f/

Spoken smoothly, it flows as:
Wir bauen unsere Ausdauer langsam auf. (main stress on Ausdauer and auf in many contexts).