Things to Consider When Reading a Novel in German: Making Sense and Using a Dictionary
Reading novels in German can be fun, but it can sometimes be difficult to understand the meaning. Using a dictionary can sometimes help, but it can also be very tiring to look up the meaning of every word in a dictionary. In this blog post, you will learn tips on how to use a dictionary and how to make sense of German novels.
Before Reading a Novel
Why Should You Read German Novels?
Studying German is very important for those who want to travel or do business in Germany and other German-speaking countries. In addition, there are world-famous authors of German literature, such as Goethe, Kafka and Brecht. By studying German, you can read the works of these authors in their original language.
Coping with Challenges
German is a difficult language to learn. Grammar and pronunciation can be complicated. Also, every word in German has a gender. This is a difficult feature to learn.
Tips for Making Sense
Understanding Similar Words
Some German words are similar to English words. Understanding the meanings of these words can be very helpful for making sense. For example, the word “Mutter” means “mother”. Therefore, when the word “Mutter” occurs in a sentence, you can think that it is where the word “mother” occurs.
Understanding the Sentence as a Whole
Understanding the meaning of a word is also about fully understanding the sentence. To fully understand the meaning of a word, you must also take into account other words in the sentence. For example, the sentence “Die Katze sitzt auf dem Stuhl” means “The cat is sitting on the chair”. However, the word “sitzen” means “to sit” in English, but the phrase “auf dem Stuhl” in the sentence means “on the chair”. Therefore, it is important to understand that the word “sitzen” means “to sit on a chair”.
Tips for Using a Dictionary
important. In some dictionaries you can find more information about the different meanings and uses of the word. Some dictionaries also show uses of the word with example sentences. Therefore, when choosing a dictionary, it is important to choose the one that suits you best.
Exercises for Reading Comprehension
You can do some exercises to improve your German reading comprehension skills.
Reading Comprehension Exercise
To improve your German reading comprehension skills, you can read a novel or story in German. While reading, identify words that you don’t know the meaning of and then use a dictionary to find out the meaning. This will help you improve your German reading comprehension skills.
Creating Word Cards
You can improve your German vocabulary by creating word cards. Write the German spelling of a word on the front side and the English meaning of the word on the back side. By repeating these cards regularly, you can improve your vocabulary.
Learning Foreign Words
It is also important to learn the foreign words you encounter while reading German. Look these words up in the dictionary and learn their meanings. Once you have learned the words, you can add them to vocabulary cards and repeat them regularly.
Useful Resources
You can use the following resources to improve your German reading skills:
Dictionaries
- Pons (https://de.pons.com/)
- Langenscheidt (https://www.langenscheidt.com/)
- Reverso (https://www.reverso.net/)
Language Learning Applications
- Duolingo (https://www.duolingo.com/)
- Babbel (https://www.babbel.com/)
- Memrise (https://www.memrise.com/)
Summary
understanding as a whole are some tips you can use to understand German novels. Also, the use of a dictionary is important. Understanding word roots, understanding other meanings in the dictionary and making the right choice of dictionary will help you improve your German reading comprehension skills. To improve your German reading comprehension skills, you can do reading comprehension exercises, create word cards and learn foreign words. Dictionaries and language learning apps are also useful resources.