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WHO is doing that to WHOM with WHAT and WHOSE is it at all? – The four German cases Posted by Sandra Rösner on Aug 6, 2010
Most learners of German seem to struggle with the language’s grammar cases. In this post I am going to explain why these cases exist and what they mean. The crucial element of every sentence is the verb, since it names a particular action. In this action, there are always specific subjects and objects (nouns) involved…
The “Trabant”: the “VolksWagen” of the former German Democratic Republic Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 29, 2010
Since Germany is known for its car industry, I am sure most of you have at least heard about brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, VW, Audi, Opel, Ford, and Porsche. But have you ever heard of a car called Trabant? If not, let me turn your gaze toward past times. After the division of Germany, both…
Lost in translation: The funny Germans Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 26, 2010
It is a prevalent belief that we Germans have little or even no sense of humor (Sinn für Humor). Especially British people often suppose that Germans are humourless (humorlos). But why is that? First of all, of course, Germans love to laugh just as any other nation. But humor is always connected with language and…
Mastering German word order II: main clauses Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 22, 2010
In my previous post, I explained the word order of a basic German sentence, containing the following grammatical entities: S = subject: ich (I) V = verb: schreibe (am writing) O = object: einen Brief (a letter) T = time: heute (today) L = location: im Büro (at the office) My example sentence was: Ich…
Mastering German word order I: main clauses Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 13, 2010
German word order may appear to be very random and confusing for foreign learners. Thus, I want to try to help you to overcome this challenge. To make it as easy as possible for you to follow my explanation, I am going to start with the easiest and most basic sentence structure (containing less information)…
Die Deutschen und ihre Biere – The Germans and their beers Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 2, 2010
Germany is often associated with its beer, or should I say beers? There are so many verschiedene Sorten (different sorts) and Marken (brands) that you actually need a Dimplom (diploma) to be able to distinguish them all. By the way, I am only joking. There is not something like a beer-diploma! So, versteht mich bitte…