The German Phrase ‘Es Passt’ Posted by Constanze on Feb 26, 2019
Guten Tag! In my last post I talked about the phrase ‘Es steht dir (gut)’, the German way of saying ‘It (really) suits you’. A question people often have when they learn this phrase is: What is the difference between saying ‘Es steht dir’ (it suits you) and a similar phrase, ‘Es passt dir’ (it…
Don’t Let It Confuse You! – Dose Posted by Sten on Feb 23, 2019
Today, we start a new series on the blog, called Don’t Let It Confuse You! In this series, we will look at words or phrases that seem to mean the exact same thing in English, simply because they are spelled the same or sound the same. These are also known as “false cognates”, in German known as Fauxami (a “false…
German: It Suits You! Posted by Constanze on Feb 13, 2019
Guten Tag! How do you tell someone in German that something ‘suits them’? Read on to find out! So you’re out shopping with a German friend and they want your opinion on the t-shirt they’ve just tried on. It looks really good. What do you tell them? You could say “Es sieht gut aus!” (“It…
Save the Bees in Bavaria! Posted by Larissa on Feb 12, 2019
In the last few weeks there has been a whirlwind of advertising through banners, flyers and social media posts about saving the bees. Unless you have been living under a rock the past few years, then you will know it is common knowledge that our bees are dying out in the whole world. Why are…
Did JFK Really Call Himself A Doughnut In German? Posted by Constanze on Feb 8, 2019
It happened way back in 1963, but still the question comes up: Did John F. Kennedy really call himself a doughnut during his famous speech in West Berlin? At the end of a speech in which the president showed solidarity with the citizens of West Berlin following the erection of the Berlin Wall, Kennedy said…
100 Years Of Women’s Suffrage In Germany Posted by Constanze on Jan 30, 2019
Guten Tag! There has been uproar in German politics recently because a German mayor was not invited to a charity event – simply because she is a woman. This comes shortly after Germany celebrated 100 years of women having the vote. Karoline Linnert is the finance senator and substitute mayor for the city of Bremen…
Two of the Longest Words in German Posted by Larissa on Jan 22, 2019
As an English speaker we are used to short, simple words, which means it can be quite intimidating when reading German words that are three times as long as what they are in English! Here’s a post with two of the longest German words, what they mean, and some tips on helping you decipher those…