Reading · C2 · Text 39

Saturn

48 words1 min read100% known at C2

Er fliegt um die Sonne wie die Erde .

He orbits the Sun like the Earth.

Für eine Runde um die Sonne braucht der Saturn fast 30 Jahre.

It takes Saturn almost 30 years to orbit the Sun once.

Wäre die Sonne ein großer Gymnastik-Ball, dann wäre der Saturn ein Apfel und die Erde eine Kirsche.

If the Sun were a large exercise ball, then Saturn would be an apple and the Earth a cherry.

Man kann also nicht wie bei uns auf einem Boden stehen.

So one cannot stand on a surface as we do.

11 words above C2

fliegt← fliegen

to move through the air; here: to travel in an orbit fliegen, flog, geflogen (strong verb) to fly; to travel by air; to rush; to fly; to go quickly; to fly; to pilot A1/ˈfliːɡn̩/

Runde

circuit, lap; here: one complete orbit plural: Runden round (of drinks); circle, group (constellation of friends or colleagues engaging in a shared activity); round (circular or repetitious route) B1[ˈʁʊndə]

braucht← brauchen

to need, to require regular verb: brauchen, brauchte, gebraucht to need, to be in need of, to require; to need to, to have to A1/ˈbʁaʊ̯xən/

fast

almost, nearly almost; nearly; hardly; extremely, very much A2/fast/

großer← groß

big, large declined form: großer (masculine nominative singular) big, large, large-scale; great, grand; tall A1/ɡʁoːs/

Gymnastik-Ball

exercise ball, gym ball compound noun; plural: Gymnastik-Bälle

Apfel

apple plural: Äpfel apple (fruit); apple tree; breasts A1/ˈapfəl/

Kirsche

cherry plural: Kirschen cherry; a ball, especially a football; bullet C2/ˈkɪrʃə/

bei uns

in our case, on Earth fixed expression

auf einem Boden

on a ground/floor prepositional phrase; 'Boden' is masculine

stehen

to stand irregular: stehen, stand, gestanden to stand (to be upright, support oneself in an erect position); to be, to stand (to be placed or located somewhere in an upright position); to be… A2/ʃteːn/

Grammar in this text

Subjunctive II for hypothetical comparisons

Wäre die Sonne ein großer Gymnastik-Ball, dann wäre der Saturn ein Apfel und die Erde eine Kirsche.

The subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) is used to express unreal or hypothetical situations. It is formed with 'wäre' (from 'sein') and often appears in conditional sentences. Here it sets up a comparison that is not true in reality.

Prepositional phrases with dative after 'auf' (Wechselpräposition)

Man kann also nicht wie bei uns auf einem Boden stehen.

The preposition 'auf' is a two-way preposition (Wechselpräposition) that takes dative when indicating location (where something is). Here 'auf einem Boden' uses dative (einem) because it describes a static position.

Modal verb 'können' + infinitive at end of sentence

Man kann also nicht wie bei uns auf einem Boden stehen.

In German, modal verbs (like 'können') are conjugated in the second position, and the main verb appears as an infinitive at the end of the sentence. This is a basic but essential word order rule.

Keep going

C2 · Text 38 Tierquälerei 100% known · 48 words Read C2 · Text 40 Verfassung 100% known · 48 words Read Practice C2 reading questions Comprehension and true/false items on texts like this one. Test yourself

Text from Saturn — Klexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.