I’m preparing for a written exam at a beginner level and trying to expand a simple sentence, (He) wears glasses:
めがね を かけて います。
Into: “he wears glasses to read”, as in not all the time.
My first thought was:
めがね を かけて よんで います。
, but it means, I think: (He) is wearing glasses and reading.
I appreciate the answer might be a bit out of my depth, but it really bothers me now. Please help.
The easiest way to say this would be:
よむのに めがねを かけて います。
の after よむ is a nominalizer. に is a particle that can mark a purpose. So よむのに is like "for reading" in English.
You can also say:
- よむために めがねを かけて います。
- よむときは めがねを かけて います。
～ために is another way of saying "in order to" (see this). ～とき is "when ～" (see this). There are small difference in meaning, but I think you can choose which is best in your case.
As you have correctly guessed, "めがね を かけて よんで います。" is a correct Japanese sentence, but it means "He is reading wearing glasses."
