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Spell it Well: German Words Starting with s/sch Posted by Sten on May 6, 2021
English spelling is a mess. I don’t think that anybody would argue with that. German spelling, on the other hand, is pretty straightforward! Simply pronounce every single letter, and you’re already halfway there. However, German is not free from some confusing spelling itself. Let’s take a look at some of that. For example, the s/sch. Why…
Curious German Words: Die K-Frage Posted by Sten on Apr 29, 2021
Like I wrote in a previous post, Germany is going through a Superwahljahr (n, “Super election year”, a year with many regional and national elections). A year like that comes with its own lingo, of course. Let’s look at a word that was pretty relevant this past week in this regard: Die K-Frage (f, the K-question). Mysterious, right? Laschet…
The Curiosity of the German Word “Mütend” Posted by Sten on Apr 22, 2021
Ah, the Pandemie (f, pandemic). We’re still in the middle of it, especially with the relatively slow vaccination rate in Europe. Between opening up the country and new Lockdowns (m, lockdown), continuing economic hardship and mentally trying times, there is a lingering frustration among Germans. And there’s a new word for that: Mütend. What’s mütend? Yes, Mütend! As…
The Petersglocke: Germany’s Massive Cathedral Bell Posted by Sten on Apr 19, 2021
The Petersglocke (f, St. Peter’s Bell) is one of the largest swinging bells in the world. It has its home in the Kölner Dom (m, Cologne Cathedral), a breath-taking cathedral with a long history and many records of its own. Known locally also as Dicker Pitter (Big Peter), the Glocke weighs about 24.000 kilograms (53.000 pounds) and measures 3.22 meters (10.5 feet) across…
Why Germany’s Record-Breaking Cathedral Is So Impressive Posted by Sten on Apr 16, 2021
Right next to the Hauptbahnhof (m, central station), the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) is one of the first things you’ll see when visiting the city in Nordrhein-Westfalen (North-Rhine Westphalia). It’s a cathedral with many world records in its name. What makes it so impressive? It’s been a long time coming The massive Kathedrale (f, cathedral) was only…
The German Genitive Case Ending Explained Posted by Sten on Apr 8, 2021
For all the German learners out there, I probably don’t need to say this. Grammar in German is a pain. In the jungle of articles, conjugations and cases, it can be daunting to get it all right. We’ve written about the Genitiv (Genitive) jungle before. And today, I want to focus on a small patch in that…
German Idioms 30: The Court and The Water Posted by Sten on Apr 1, 2021
Last week, we talked about the Osterruhe (f, Easter rest) and how it was revoked within one day. Two German idioms were prominent that week, and so I want to explain them here today. In the 30th edition of German Idioms! For older posts, please follow this link. Hart/scharf mit jemandem ins Gericht gehen Literally: to go hard…