"Er hört auf Zeitungen zu lesen."

Translation: He stops reading newspapers.

[Kai_E.]

the phrase "aufhören, etwas zu tun" is being used here, which means to stop doing something. So you put in the subject, er, and since aufhören is a seperable prefix verb, the prefix "auf" moves to the end. Then the "etwas" would be "Zeitungen" and instead of "tun" this sentence uses "lesen". Hope that helps

[Nerdator]

Thanks, a comma after 'auf' would have made it clear that it is not a preposition.

[nateVONgreat]

Are you sure it needs the comma? "auf" is part of the word, like saying "beat up" in english is different than "beat" and "up", but when you put them together, you don't need a comma.

I am going to beat you, up. <--see, it just doesn't look right.

and in like in german

i am going to beatup you.

no need for a comma, german's say it without a pause or break for a breath.

[Nerdator]

After 'auf'. And commas don't always (or usually) represent intonation, especially in German.

[nateVONgreat]

I suppose, but my example of course was not the best, nor does it explain anything really. But if you say so, thanks!

[Nerdator]

These kinds of German expressions (complex objects, actually) with 'zu' always take commas to avoid exactly the kind of confusion that people here have.

If it's easier, try translating this sentence to English literally, with its weird (for English) word order:

'He stops newspapers to read.' Here, he stops newspapers.

'He stops, newspapers to read.' Here you immediately see that something's odd (or maybe it's a line from poetry), but you definitely won't take it as him stopping the newspapers.

[Riqi_Tang]

why is the comma not required? it seems to me like it should be

[Nerdator]

It is required. I just meant that if there were a comma in this sentence (there is none in Duo's version), there wouldn't be a problem.

[raconteur]

as far as i knw, its incorrect without the comma. if so, it cud be reported.

[tsakis87]

Could it also be
"Er hört Zeitungen zu lesen auf"?
where 'Zeitungen zu lesen' is the object

[jaye16]

KaiEngle This was the first exercise I was forced to "skip" and thought I'd never understand. But now I do after your thorough explanation. Many thanks. Please have a lingot.

[juliennelachance]

awesome, thank you

[phle]

Thank you kaiengle! It helps a lot! Just one thing I don't get. How do you get from "hören" - "to hear" just with adding auf "aufhören" - "to stop" - completely different meaning. I always try to find connections in meanings to better remember things, but I can't see any here.

[Kai_E.]

Hi phle, there's no real connection to "hearing" to be made with the verb "aufhören".

However, to help you remember the meaning, you can think of someone who was working, heard a noise, and then "horchte auf", which means "to perk one's ears up/ sit up and take notice", and then stopped working to see what made the noise. This verb sounds similar to "aufhören" and has to do with hearing, so you can relate with it the action of stopping to investigate the sound. I hope that helps, and I definitely hope it didn't confuse you more. I tried my best to come up with a good example.

[phle]

Yeah I got you. I always come up with things like this. Different kinds of silly stories to remember new words :). I will remember this one, I'm just really surprised there's no connection whatsoever and it's basically just altered word with a prefix - from my perspective.

[MKB1234]

I'm still not getting this.... Er hört auf Zeitungen - translates to he listens to the newspapers. I don't see how these few words can be interpreted other than this. What word is the clue?

[Levi]

@MKB1234 : "aufhören" means 'to stop' - read KaiEngle's comment at the very top carefully.

[MKB1234]

I did read it "very carefully" and that is why I asked my question. Aufhören is a word that is not in the sentence. If it was then maybe KaiEngle's reply would have made sense to me. Er hört auf Zeitungen zu lesen is the sentence I'm asking about. I'm not sure which one you may be looking at.

[Kai_E.]

aufhören is a seperable prefix verb, so it gets split. The prefix "auf" gets put at the end of the clause. There should actually be a comma after "auf": "Er hört auf, Zeitungen zu lesen."

[MKB1234]

That's a big help. Thanks! Does that work like that with other verbs and auf?
BTW - I plugged this sentence into Google Translate and as soon as I put the comma in the word "hear" changes to "ceases". Amazing.

[tsakis87]

There are specific prefixes, such as auf, aus, zu, ... that separate from the verb when used in a sentence. You can read a short introduction here http://coerll.utexas.edu/gg/gr/v_04.html
or just search for "trennbare verben" or "separable verbs"

[JMBarrett52]

aufhoren is a separable verb. You conjugate the "horen" part (e, t, st, en, t, en) and it becomes hort. And when you separate auf from horen, the auf part comes later....Hence: Er "hort" "auf" zeitungen.... I'm only learning myself, so I could be way off base, except that I have learned the key to separable verbs is to place the the first part of the ver AFTER the second part, strange as it is.

[Lesley-IV]

As a separable prefix, why doesn't auf go at the very end: Er hört Zeitungen zu lesen auf"? Unless it is functioning both as a prefix (aufhören) and as a preposition?

[PaulMcCann6]

Because of the missing comma :-) "Er hört auf, Zeitungen zu lesen". So the "auf" is at the end of the first clause.

[whenturtlesfly]

Hi, could anyone tell me what the proper translation is? None is provided by Duolingo.

[whenturtlesfly]

Never mind, it now pops up. "He stops reading newspapers."

[BlairScots]

Thanks KaiEngle u cleared things up for me.

[Jano-18]

Could it also be "Er hört Zeitungen zu lesen auf"? where 'Zeitungen zu lesen' is the object?