Archive for 'Culture'
The Types of Insurance you need in Germany Posted by Larissa on Apr 24, 2018
If you’re thinking about moving to Germany then this a helpful post to let you know what kind of insurance you need for day to day life. It’s also good to learn some new vocabulary about the different types of Versicherungen! Sozialversicherung – Social Insurance This insurance is actually made up of five different insurances…
The Curiosity of the Word “Handy” Posted by Sten on Apr 19, 2018
Last weekend, we looked at the word USB-Stick, a so-called Scheinanglizismus (pseudo-anglicism), an English-looking word, that actually has no, or not the same, meaning in the English language. I thought it would be fun to dive a little deeper into these Scheinanglizismen. Today, we look at the German word Handy. Handy? Yes. Handy. Previous installments of Curious Words The Curiosity…
Bavarian-German Postcard Phrases Posted by Constanze on Apr 16, 2018
Servus! That’s the informal, Bavarian way of saying hello or goodbye. And it’s relevant because today I’m bringing you a few more Bavarian phrases! If you’re anything like me, you collect postcards from all of the places you’ve visited. Whenever you visit a touristic region with a distinct dialect, you’re likely to find postcards in…
The Curiosity of the Word “USB-Stick” Posted by Sten on Apr 14, 2018
You know the words “flash drive”, “pen drive”, “thumb drive” – but “USB-Stick”? No, that is not a way to refer to the little, helpful memory – at least not in English. But in… German? How did such an English-sounding word make it in the German language, even though it is not related to the English…
Swearing In German Posted by Constanze on Apr 11, 2018
Guten Tag! First off, I’d like to thank Bjørn from the Danish blog for providing the inspiration for this post. Bjørn has written a very informative, interesting post about Danish swear words- which I’m hoping to replicate now with German swear words. So let’s get started. Swear words are called die Schimpfwörter in German. German…
The German Heimat Posted by Constanze on Apr 4, 2018
The concept of Heimat is often referred to as a uniquely German concept that cannot be adequately translated – even though it seems like a fairly straight-forward word. On first glance, you see the word das Heim (home) in there, and although Heimat does mean home, this word talks about quite a different concept of…
Karfreitag – Good Friday in Germany Posted by Sten on Mar 30, 2018
Today is Karfreitag (Good Friday)! It is a Christian holiday commemorating the Kreuzigung (crucifixion) of Jesus. It is celebrated, or commemorated, differently all over the world, but generally is regarded as a holiday. And so it is in Germany. Let’s find out what Germans do on this day! What does Karfreitag mean? In German, the word Kar does no longer have…