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…
Do More with the German Word of the Day Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 11, 2016
How many of you subscribe to our German Word of the Day? (If you’re not subscribed—don’t miss out!) How many of you open the email religiously, read and listen to the new word and phrase, then close the email and forget all about it? We’re not judging—you’re not the only one! That minute or two…
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…
The school system in Germany (Bavaria) Posted by Larissa on Jul 25, 2016
The school system differs region to region; I always found it very confusing as there are so many different types of schools to choose from. I’ll be using the Bavarian school system as an example in this post to give you an insight on the topic. It all starts with die Grundschule: die Grundschule is…