Archive for 'Language'
German Garden Vocabulary Posted by Constanze on Aug 29, 2016
Guten Tag! Today I’d like to teach you all about German garden vocabulary! We’ve had a great couple of posts on here about what things are called around the home, but nothing really focusing on the garden. As summer is in full swing (finally!) you’re probably spending more time outdoors, so here are the German…
Going Back To Basics in German Posted by Constanze on Aug 18, 2016
Guten Tag! If you’ve ever checked out our archives, you’ll notice this blog has been going for a long time – since 2008, in fact! That means there are many hidden gems of posts that often get lost. Many of these deal with some of the more basic aspects of German language. Sometimes it’s good…
How My Brother Became an Old Sock Posted by Sten on Jul 30, 2016
A few days ago, my brother turned 25. Socks were hung up everywhere to make it clear: He is now an Alte Socke (“old sock”)! The Alte Socke receives a Sockenkranz (sock wreath), which is hung up outside the house, so everyone can see that a member of the household has turned 25. Old Socken are filled with Stroh (straw) or something else like…
German Vocab: Cleaning and Care Products Posted by Constanze on Jul 29, 2016
Guten Tag! You may recall Larissa writing some very helpful vocabulary posts (here and here) to take with you when you go grocery shopping. But what about the German words for all the other essentials we buy week in, week out? In this post we’ll go over some common Reinigungsmittel (cleaning products) and Pflegeprodukte (care…
You Won’t Expect The Thing Germans Say If Somebody Burps! Posted by Sten on Jul 27, 2016
Rülpsen (burping). It is a thing we all do, to save our Magen (stomachs) from having to deal with all the air we swallow with food and drinks. For Niesen (sneezing), people of many cultures tell the sneezing person something like Gesundheit! (literally: “health!”, meaning “bless you!”). It is usually some way to wish that person good health, as Niesen is often associated with an Erkältung (cold)…
How To Say “Don’t” In German Posted by Constanze on Jul 26, 2016
Sometimes I get asked how to say single English words or phrases in German, and more often than not I find myself having to explain my translation because it’s not what the person asking expected to hear. They usually say, “Oh, but doesn’t that word mean…?” to which I usually reply “Yes, it does mean…
German Children’s Stories 1 Posted by Constanze on Jul 22, 2016
Guten Tag! A little while ago somebody requested posts on children’s books and stories. I thought, where better to start than the German books my mum used to read to me as a child! DER STRUWWELPETER Der Struwwelpeter is a very famous German children’s book by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann. Hoffmann wrote it because he couldn’t…