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Check out this delicious German treat! Posted by Sten on Mar 28, 2017
I bet you have not heard of this German treat! It is delicious, sweet shortbread filled with marzipan, but it was not always like that… So, before 1876, the Leipziger Lerche was a popular specialty enjoyed all over the world – from Spanien (Spain) to Russland (Russia). It was a Lerche (lark), which was filled with all kinds of Gewürze (spices) and Kräuter (herbs). These were roasted…
The Curiosity of the German Word “Cousin” Posted by Sten on Mar 23, 2017
Hi everybody! Welcome to another post that looks at the curiosity of a certain word. Today, we will have a look at the German word cousin. Check out the video below that explains the post, if you prefer watching instead of reading! French? Cousin looks very un-German. Because it is. It was adapted to German…
Untranslatable German Words: Wichteln Posted by Sten on Feb 9, 2017
In the pre-Christmas time, many groups throughout Germany practice an old tradition: Das Wichteln. But what is that? Find out here, in another post in the awesome series on untranslatable words in German that Constanze started on this blog! What does Wichteln mean? Wichteln is a tradition where all participants get a gift for someone else in the group. Mostly, the originality…
How To Remember What German Letters Sound Like Posted by Sten on Feb 2, 2017
Recently, a reader of the blogs commented that it is difficult to remember what German letters sound like. Really, it is, just like most about learning a language, all about Übung (practice). Übung. How do you say that? Sounds like a good word to start with! How to pronounce Übung Ok. That is Übung. I am sure, when you listen…
The Curiosity of “mein Freund” Posted by Sten on Jan 30, 2017
Der Freund, die Freundin. The friend. A simple German word, but one that can lead to confusion. Why? Find out here, and find out what to do about it. Freund: What Does It Mean? First and foremost, Freund is friend. Nothing more, nothing less. However, if you make it possessive, things change. If you say…
Sayings + Expressions 11: Sweet! Posted by Sten on Jan 27, 2017
Süß, süß, süß. Such a beautiful German word! It describes a sweet taste, it describes something cute, it lets you know whether somebody is sweet or cute… So naturally, there are Sprichwörter (sayings) and Redewendungen (idioms) related to this great word. Let’s explore two of them. Rache ist süß Revenge is sweet Rache ist…
Grand Opening of the Elbphilharmonie Posted by Sten on Jan 20, 2017
Last week on Wednesday, one of the largest, most modern and acoustically best Konzerthäuser (concert halls) in the world had its Eröffnungsfeier (inaugural ceremony) in Hamburg – the Elbphilharmonie (Elbe Philharmonic Hall). It was highly anticipated, and the opening was a great Erfolg (success). However, there were some issues with building it. And is it really that toll (nice)? Is it worth the millions of Steuergelder (tax…