Archive for 'Vocabulary'
How Did Germany Climb Out of Poverty In No Time? Posted by Sten on Aug 26, 2021
People are hungry and lost everything. They are perspektivlos (without prospects). But then, within 10 years, the GDP triples. There is Vollbeschäftigung (f, full employment). In fact, there are so many jobs, that people from other countries are urged to come to fill all the vacancies, the so-called Gastarbeiter (guest workers). Everybody can afford a car…
Untranslatable German Words: Multikulti Posted by Sten on Aug 5, 2021
In Germany, you might hear the term Multikulti sometimes. It is often used positively, but sometimes there is a rather disgruntled undertone as well. It is widely used! But what does it mean? And is there a proper English translation for it? What does Multikulti mean? Multikulti is a shorthand of Multikulturalismus (m, multiculturalism). It’s the idea that a Gesellschaft (f, society)…
Water Everywhere: How Did Germany Get Flooded? Posted by Sten on Jul 28, 2021
It all started as regular schlechtes Wetter (n, bad weather), but Tief Bernd (n, depression Bernd) just wouldn’t move. Regenerating the Regenwolken (f, rain clouds) with water from the Mittelmeer (n, Mediterranean Sea) and the Atlantik (m, Atlantic Ocean). The Regen (m, rain) just wouldn’t stop, and . It was der perfekte Sturm (the perfect storm). Together Against the Flood The Regen turned into Flut (f, flood)…
All German Football Vocabulary You Need Posted by Sten on Jun 17, 2021
Germany played the current Weltmeister (World Champion) France, and lost. With 1-0, an Eigentor (own goal) by Germany. Whoops. But let’s not give up, there are many more games to come! If you want to get some vocabulary down for the next game, look no further – here’s a list of some essential football vocabulary, so you can follow…
The German Expression ‘Vitamin B’ Posted by Constanze on Jun 16, 2021
Guten Tag! Today we’re going to look at a term that isn’t what it seems in German! The term in question is Vitamin B. What is Vitamin B? In one context, the phrase Vitamin B is exactly what it looks like: the German translation of vitamin B. In German, the word Vitamin is spelt the…
Don’t Let It Confuse You! – Bekommen Posted by Sten on May 27, 2021
There are always words in a language that sound familiar, and so you may be tempted to think that the word must mean something similar to what you already know. These words are known as false friends or false cognates. In the series Don’t Let It Confuse You!, we take a look at such words in…
Curious German Words: Kommilitone Posted by Sten on May 21, 2021
Like any other language, German has some odd words. But also beautiful ones. In Curious German Words, we take a look at some odd words and their origins. Today, let’s take a look at a German word that might remind you of your time in school or college, a memory to your fellow students –…