Archive for October, 2019
German Sayings + Expressions 26: Geister! Posted by Sten on Oct 31, 2019
Finally, Halloween is here! But do you want to use some ghostly sayings and expressions? Then you’re in the right place! Where I looked at the word Geist last week, we now use it in a Sprichwort (saying) and an Ausdruck (expression). Let’s go! For older posts, please follow this link. Der Geist ist willig, aber das Fleisch ist schwach Literally: The spirit…
The Austrians on The Germans Posted by Constanze on Oct 30, 2019
Guten Tag! Recently we talked about the word Kraut which, as well as being the German word for ‘herb’, is an offensive term for a German person. In this mini-series, we will look at some words the Swiss, Germans, Bavarian-Germans, and Austrians use to describe one another. Some are meant in a derogatory way, whilst…
The World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival Posted by Larissa on Oct 29, 2019
There is nothing that screams Autumn (and Halloween) more, than pumpkins! Although pumpkins originate from South America, I was surprised to find out that the world’s largest pumpkin festival is actually held in Germany – in Ludwigsburg Castle. This year marks the twentieth year that the Kürbisaustellung (pumpkin exhibition) has been held, with over 400,000…
Loaded German Words: Kraut Posted by Constanze on Oct 25, 2019
Guten Tag! Recently there was an uproar here in the UK when the official party for the pro-Brexit campaign put out a poster showing a photo of Angela Merkel, accompanied by the words ‘We did not win two world wars to be pushed around by a Kraut’. This was in reference to a phone call…
The Curiosity of the German Word “Geist” Posted by Sten on Oct 25, 2019
In Spuktober (Spooktober – we don’t actually say that in Germany, but I guess I’ll go with it anyway), you hear all kinds of Halloween-related words. Also in Germany! Yet there is one specific word in Germany that is kind of curious – let’s have a closer look at the word Geist. Click here for previous entries in…
How and Why To Write The ß in All Caps In German Posted by Sten on Oct 10, 2019
If you’ve been learning German, you’ve probably come across the weird symbols in German. From the Umlauts ä, ö, ü to the Eszett (ß). When it comes to großschreiben (capitalizing) these special symbols, it’s pretty easy with the Umlauts: Ä, Ö, Ü. But the ß? There’s more of a story than you might think! Let’s dive in. First of all, what would…
Germany’s ‘Free Body Culture’ Posted by Constanze on Oct 9, 2019
Guten Tag! Today the topic is die Nacktheit (nudity) in German culture, which is otherwise known as die Freikörperkultur or FKK – ‘free body culture’. Germany has a fairly relaxed attitude towards nudity and therefore you will see people go nude on beaches and in parks and saunas. There are saunas, for instance, where as…