Home › German › Glossary › read
German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "read" in German?
lesen
In German, "read" is lesen.
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free German learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Pronounced 'LAY-zen', stress on the first syllable, with a long a sound.
Grammar notes
lesen is a verb (infinitive form). Use it after modal verbs, or conjugate it to match the subject.
Example sentence
Ich habe vor dem Schlafengehen ein Buch gelesen.
I read a book before bed.
Test your German knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember lesen
Lesen is related to English 'lesson', since both trace back to the idea of reading and studying a text.
Related words
- run laufen
- walk gehen
- jump springen
- climb klettern
- crawl kriechen
- swim schwimmen
- fall fallen
- eat essen
- chew kauen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about lesen
How do you say "read" in German?
In German, "read" is lesen. It is a verb.
How is lesen used in a sentence?
Use lesen as you would use the equivalent verb in English. For example: Ich habe vor dem Schlafengehen ein Buch gelesen. (I read a book before bed.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
You can play free German minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the German glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Read" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the German language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town