Archive for 'Language'
Untranslatable German Coffee: Kaffeeklatsch and Kaffeefahrt Posted by Constanze on Nov 21, 2014
Today I’m talking about two words centred around one of my favourite things – coffee! Coffee in German is Kaffee. Just the mere mention of this word brings a smile to my face. I’m sure you’ve heard of the German Kaffee und Kuchen Kultur (‘coffee and cake culture’) – they’re absolutely mad for it. So…
“Liebe Mauer” and debate: Are films effective language learning aids? Posted by Constanze on Nov 14, 2014
Hallo! Wie geht’s? 🙂 Inspired by the recent events in Berlin, I’d like to recommend a German film I watched a while back. It is called Liebe Mauer. PLOT OUTLINE Liebe Mauer (“Beloved Wall” in English) is set in Berlin in 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story is about a…
What is Halloween like in Germany? Posted by Constanze on Oct 26, 2014
In some ways, Hallowe’en is the same in Germany as it is in the UK or the USA. You can expect nightclubs offering Halloween themed nights for adults, horror movies shown on TV, children dressing up and going trick or treating (although this aspect of Hallowe’en is not as common in Germany as it is…
Du kannst mich!! 11 ways to express anger in German Posted by Constanze on Oct 22, 2014
You ever have one of those days where you just want to tell everyone to go to hell? Let’s do that now – in German. How is this useful, I hear you ask? Well, maybe the next time a co-worker irritates you, you can scream your desired comeback at them in German (since German is…
Untranslatable German Words: Nervensäge Posted by Constanze on Oct 17, 2014
Hello and welcome to another post on untranslatable German words! I can’t believe how many words we’ve covered already – Torschlußpanik, Geisterfahrer, Gemütlichkeit, Waldeinsamkeit, Putzfimmel, Schattenparker… to name just a few! It may not have a reputation as being romantic or sexy, but if you’re a language lover then you’ll quickly realise what an interesting…
How To Use Sauerkraut In Cooking – An Easy Recipe Posted by Constanze on Oct 10, 2014
I love food. I’m sure you do, too. My guess is that, if you’re reading this blog, then you’re probably on an educational journey into German language and culture. What sort of a journey would that be if it didn’t include eating German food? The great thing about visiting another country is that you…
Key: Forming sentences with the German verb “hören” (Video) Posted by Sandra Rösner on Oct 6, 2014
Here is the key for the exercise on conjugating the German verb “hören”. In case you would like to listen to the correct sentences: check out the video. Präteritum – Preterit (equals simple past) 3a. I listened to the radio. Ich hörte Radio. 3b. I listened to music. Ich hörte Musik. 3c. I…