В течение дня я читаю газету.

I read the newspaper during the day.

Breakdown of В течение дня я читаю газету.

• я: I
• читать: to read
• день: the day
• газета: the newspaper
• в течение: during

Questions & Answers about В течение дня я читаю газету.

What does в течение дня literally mean in Russian?

Literally, в течение means “in the course (or flow)” and дня is the genitive of “day.” Together в течение дня literally reads “in the course of the day,” i.e. “during the day.”

Why is дня in the genitive case?

The preposition в течение always requires the genitive case for the noun that follows. That’s why день changes to дня.

Could I just say днём instead of в течение дня?

Yes. днём is an adverbial form meaning “in the daytime” or “during the day.” It’s shorter and more colloquial. в течение дня is slightly more formal or emphasizes the duration.

Why is газету used instead of газета?

газету is the accusative singular form of the feminine noun газета (“newspaper”). It’s required because it’s the direct object of the verb читаю (“I read”).

Why doesn’t Russian use articles like “a” or “the” in this sentence?

Russian has no articles. Context alone tells you if it’s “a newspaper” or “the newspaper.” Here it could mean either, depending on what you know about the situation.

Does читаю refer to an ongoing action or a habitual one?

The imperfective present tense читаю can express both: • A habitual/repeated action (“I read the newspaper regularly during the day”).
• A current ongoing action (“I am reading the newspaper right now, during the day”).
Context clarifies which.

Why not use a perfective verb like прочитал?

Perfective verbs (e.g., прочитать) cannot form a present tense in Russian. They describe completed actions. To talk about reading as an ongoing or habitual process, you must use the imperfective читать (here читаю).

Can I change the word order? For example, say Я читаю газету в течение дня?

Yes. Russian word order is flexible. Putting в течение дня at the beginning emphasizes the time span; placing it at the end is more neutral. Both sentences are correct.

What’s the difference between в течение дня and на протяжении дня?

Both mean “during the day” and take the genitive.
• в течение is more commonly used in everyday speech and writing.
• на протяжении sounds a bit more formal or academic.
In most contexts they’re interchangeable.