Archive for November, 2018
Es Sei Denn: The German For ‘Unless’ Posted by Constanze on Nov 28, 2018
Guten Tag! Sometimes when learning a language you will come across little turns of phrase that you just can’t get your head around. Maybe they look like they should mean one thing, but they actually mean something totally different. We have looked at false friends on the blog before, which is a similar topic you might…
How to apply for a German Citizenship Posted by Larissa on Nov 27, 2018
I am a british citizen living in Germany and as we all know, Brexit is looming around the corner. Because of this I have been researching this topic on how to get to a German citizenship and passport. Luckily for me it isn’t too hard as my mother is German, but I thought I would…
Germany’s Youth Word of 2018 Posted by Constanze on Nov 21, 2018
Guten Tag! Every year, the Langenscheidt dictionary selects a word it calls the Jugendwort des Jahres – the Youth Word of the Year. People have the opportunity to vote from a selection of shortlisted teen slang, and then the winner is picked by a jury. The Jugendwort des Jahres for 2018 was revealed recently, so…
November 9 in German History Posted by Constanze on Nov 14, 2018
Guten Tag! November is a big month in German history, as many significant historical events happened on or around November 9th. In fact, so many things have happened throughout history on November 9th in Germany that this date is now known as der Schicksaltag – the ‘fate day’. Today I’m writing about two events from…
The Origin of the Panzer Posted by Sten on Nov 11, 2018
It is Armistice, the English word for the German Waffenruhe (“weapon rest”). It marks the end of der Erste Weltkrieg (World War I), which was exactly 100 years ago today. At the time, Soldaten (soldiers) still fought on horseback, frequently used bayonets on their rifles and machinery was scarce. This changed on September 15, 1916, when the British brought a novelty to…
Who’s Who In German Politics Posted by Constanze on Nov 7, 2018
Guten Tag! As you may have heard in the news, Angela Merkel will not be running for re-election as Bundeskanzlerin (Chancellor) of Germany in 2021 – nor will she be running to be elected as CDU party leader. She has been the German chancellor for almost 13 years, starting way back in 2005. So as…
The Curiosity of the German Word “Spannend” Posted by Sten on Nov 2, 2018
noAn interesting lecture that you would like to attend – let’s hope it is spannend! A movie that you watched on Halloween – spannend! This German word has two different meanings: exciting, thrilling; and interesting. However, what baffles me is how it is used – for basically anything and everything! Let’s look at this word today…