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How Did Germany Climb Out of Poverty In No Time? Posted by Sten on Aug 26, 2021
People are hungry and lost everything. They are perspektivlos (without prospects). But then, within 10 years, the GDP triples. There is Vollbeschäftigung (f, full employment). In fact, there are so many jobs, that people from other countries are urged to come to fill all the vacancies, the so-called Gastarbeiter (guest workers). Everybody can afford a car…
What is the German Deutsche Bahn? Posted by Sten on Aug 12, 2021
This week, Germany’s Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel (m, public transit) are defined by a Streik (m, strike) of Lokführer (m, train drivers) of the Gewerkschaft (f, labor union) GDL. Announced suddenly, the Streik put the Deutsche Bahn in a lot of trouble. But what is the Deutsche Bahn, and how does it work? And what’s with this Streik? What is the Deutsche Bahn? The Deutsche Bahn…
Untranslatable German Words: Multikulti Posted by Sten on Aug 5, 2021
In Germany, you might hear the term Multikulti sometimes. It is often used positively, but sometimes there is a rather disgruntled undertone as well. It is widely used! But what does it mean? And is there a proper English translation for it? What does Multikulti mean? Multikulti is a shorthand of Multikulturalismus (m, multiculturalism). It’s the idea that a Gesellschaft (f, society)…
German Idioms 31: The Sun Makes Us Feel Good Posted by Sten on Jul 30, 2021
Die Sonne (the sun). When we think of her warm rays and light, it puts a smile on our faces. The sun helps us be healthy, lets us grow our food, makes beach days fun! The sun is an all-around positive! And that’s also reflected in Redensarten (idioms). So let’s look at two German idioms that talk about…
Water Everywhere: How Did Germany Get Flooded? Posted by Sten on Jul 28, 2021
It all started as regular schlechtes Wetter (n, bad weather), but Tief Bernd (n, depression Bernd) just wouldn’t move. Regenerating the Regenwolken (f, rain clouds) with water from the Mittelmeer (n, Mediterranean Sea) and the Atlantik (m, Atlantic Ocean). The Regen (m, rain) just wouldn’t stop, and . It was der perfekte Sturm (the perfect storm). Together Against the Flood The Regen turned into Flut (f, flood)…
How do you pronounce the gender-neutral German Gendersternchen? Posted by Sten on Jul 15, 2021
Gender-neutral language is being used more and more. Some cities have started using it, the University of Leipzig decided to use the weibliche Form (feminine form) as the basic form instead of the männliche Form (male form). This led to some “erhitzte Gemüter” (raised tempers). In Germany, the discussion about the use and necessity of gendered language is…
Why The German National Anthem Has Only One Stanza Posted by Sten on Jul 1, 2021
Two days ago, the German Fußballelf (f, national football team) played England in the Wembley Stadium as part of the Euro 2020. Before the game, each team sings their Nationalhymne (f, national anthem). The German one came on, and despite the booing from some disrespectful fans, they sang their Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit. The Dutch subtitles…