Archive for 'Language'
Das deutsche Gesundheitssystem – The German health system Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 21, 2011
Some days ago, I realized that I have Zahnschmerzen (toothache). So, I went to see a doctor. This incident made me realize how important it is to know some basic phrases with which you can express that you are filling ill. Moreover, I would like to take the opportunity to explain how the procedure of…
The words “mal”, “ja”, and “doch” in German speech Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 13, 2011
There are three words in German that are frequently used as filler words in speech. That is to say, they are inserted in a sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence but only the tone of voice, so to speak. These words are: “mal”, “ja”, and “doch”. 1. “ mal” You can hear…
Tense: Present – Das Präsens Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 8, 2011
Learning tenses of a language can be a thorn in one’s side, but learning these rules is crucial to an effective study, since tenses display essential word orders, which enable you to handle a language more freely. There is only one present tense form in German and this one corresponds to all three forms that…
Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungs-auftragübertragungsgesetz – Compounding nouns in German Posted by Sandra Rösner on May 30, 2011
One of the most striking characteristics of the German language is that you can virtually combine an unlimited number of nouns to form a new noun. Such long words can confuse learners of German to a great extend. First, German orthography uses closed compounds, whereas in English most compounded nouns are separated by spaces or…
Audiovisual comprehension – Toms Fahrrad Posted by jan on May 29, 2011
Today I got a new audiovisual comprehension for you. I hope you´ll understand it. To help you a little bit, here´s the spoken text: Das ist Tom. Er hat ein neues Fahrrad bekommen. Die Reifen sind viel größer als die von seinem letzten Fahrrad. Und der Sattel ist viel höher. Das ist die Vorderbremse. Diese…
Die königliche Hochzeit – The Royal Wedding Posted by Sandra Rösner on Apr 29, 2011
In celebration of the royal wedding, I would like to take the opportunity to give you some vocabulary on that topic. Before two people sich das Ja-Wort geben (tie the knot) they verloben sich (get engaged). The symbol of the Verlobung (engagement) in the Verlobungsring (engagement ring). On the Hochzeitstag (wedding day), the two…
Writing a Letter in German: Informal Letters Posted by Sandra Rösner on Apr 20, 2011
In one of my previous posts I told you how to write a formal letter in German. Now, I want to continue with how to write an informal letter in German. Whereas there are rather strict guidelines for writing formal letters, there is more ample scope for you for writing informal letters. The address of…