lezen - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

Beginning
1 Dutch
2 Low German
- 2.1 Verb

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle Dutch lēsen (“to collect, gather, read”), from Old Dutch lesan (“to gather, read”), from Proto-West Germanic *lesan, from Proto-Germanic *lesaną (“to gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to gather”).

IPA(key): /ˈleːzə(n)/, (Netherlands) [ˈleɪ̯zə(n)]
Hyphenation: le‧zen
Rhymes: -eːzən

lezen

(transitive) to read
Ze houdt ervan om boeken te lezen in haar vrije tijd.
She enjoys reading books in her free time.
Hij heeft alle Harry Potter-boeken gelezen.
He has read all the Harry Potter books.
Kun je alsjeblieft deze zin voor me lezen?
Can you please read this sentence for me?
De studenten moeten de tekst zorgvuldig lezen voordat ze de vragen beantwoorden.
The students have to read the text carefully before answering the questions.
(transitive, archaic) to gather (esp. fruits)
(...) wij mogten in de gemeente vruchten lezen (...)
(...) we were allowed to gather fruit in the community (...)
(1834, Afscheidsrede te s̕ Gravenhage, [1])
(...) dan komt de beer (...) druiven lezen.
(...) then the bear comes (...) gathering grapes.
(Hollandsch penning-magazijn voor de jeugd, 1844, [2])
de arenleessters
the gleaners (Ear of wheat-gatherers)

Conjugation of lezen (strong class 5)
infinitive	lezen
past singular	las
past participle	gelezen
infinitive	lezen
gerund	lezen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	lees	las
2nd person sing. (jij)	leest, lees2	las
2nd person sing. (u)	leest	las
2nd person sing. (gij)	leest	laast
3rd person singular	leest	las
plural	lezen	lazen

subjunctive sing.1	leze	laze
subjunctive plur.1	lezen	lazen

imperative sing.	lees
imperative plur.1	leest

participles	lezend	gelezen
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

lezen

(especially Dutch Low Saxon) alternative form of lesen (“to read”)