Archive for 'Culture'
Rumspringa With Pennsylvania German Posted by Constanze on Aug 5, 2015
It was some years ago when watching a documentary on Amish teenagers that I heard the word Rumspringa for the first time. But that sounds like a Bavarian word!, I thought. At this time I knew nothing about the Amish, let alone their German roots. Everyone knows that German is spoken in Germany and Austria…
Untranslatable German Words: der Kulturbeutel Posted by Constanze on Jul 31, 2015
Guten Tag! Welcome to another edition of German untranslatable words, dedicated to teaching you quirky German words, their meanings, and how to use them! Today the word is der Kulturbeutel. What does Kulturbeutel literally translate to? This German compound noun is made up of the words die Kultur (culture) + der Beutel (bag/pouch). Its literal…
How To Stay Safe During A Hitzewelle Posted by Constanze on Jul 5, 2015
Over the weekend temperatures in Germany hit 40⁰C, and everybody has been, quite rightly, out enjoying the Hitzewelle while it lasts. The reason it is so hot in Europe at the moment is because the hot Saharaluft (air from the Sahara desert) is blowing in our direction, causing heiße Tage – and tropische Nächte! I…
Traditional German Apfelkuchen Recipe Posted by Larissa on Jun 27, 2015
Here is a recipe for a traditional German Apfelkuchen (apple cake) that I baked yesterday. This is great übung (practice) for your German, expanding your vocabulary, practicing how to follow a German recipe and at the end of it you can reward yourself with homemade Apfelkuchen! I’ve written the recipe in German and English in case you get…
10 German Proverbs and Their Meanings Posted by Larissa on Jun 23, 2015
I got inspiration for this post from a comment on an earlier post of mine Useful Vocabulary for Everyday Life in Germany asking if I could translate a German proverb. Here are 10 common German proverbs, some of them you might recognise in English, and some not! Wer im Glashaus sitzt sollte nicht mit…
Urban German Graffiti: Berlin Posted by Constanze on Jun 21, 2015
Berlin has been called the most bombed city in Europe. It has also been called the “graffiti capital of Europe” . Coincidentally (or perhaps not so coincidentally), Berliners have a slang term known as Das Bombing, referring to the act of ‘bombing’ the streets with graffiti. This should be enough to tell you that Berlin…
Urban German Graffiti Posted by Constanze on Jun 10, 2015
I’ve been quite interested in graffiti as of late. I like the way words are used in it, and I like the political, cultural meanings these words take on in their public settings. But I also just like the power of language that is contained in these scribbles. I thought that showing you some German…