Telling the Time in German Posted by Larissa on Jul 27, 2015
If is often said that German people are very pünktlich (on time), I’ve written a list of basic vocabulary to help you tell the time, and to ask what the time is in German so that you’ll never be spät (late)! First of all here are a few numbers in German: Eins One Zwei Two…
Refugees Welcome? Germany’s Reactions Posted by Constanze on Jul 24, 2015
Hallo! Wie geht’s? 🙂 In März I wrote this post on PEGIDA and the German word Überfremdung (‘over-foreignisation’). Since that time, the topic of immigration in Germany has been making headline news – mostly due to the refugees coming to live in Germany. According to the interior minister, Germany is expected to receive a record…
How Twitter Can Help You Learn German Posted by Constanze on Jul 15, 2015
Since social media is a big part of modern life, it only makes sense to use it to its full potential. Yes, it might seem like a place reserved for angry rants and photos of people’s breakfasts, but if you use it in the right way it can be extremely useful, too! And this is…
How To Stay Safe During A Hitzewelle Posted by Constanze on Jul 5, 2015
Over the weekend temperatures in Germany hit 40⁰C, and everybody has been, quite rightly, out enjoying the Hitzewelle while it lasts. The reason it is so hot in Europe at the moment is because the hot Saharaluft (air from the Sahara desert) is blowing in our direction, causing heiße Tage – and tropische Nächte! I…
Untranslatable German Words: Die Knoblauchfahne Posted by Constanze on Jun 30, 2015
Today I’m going to talk about bad breath. As you do. Let me introduce you to your new, untranslatable German word: Die Knoblauchfahne. What does Knoblauchfahne mean? Die Knoblauchfahne means, quite simply, garlic breath! I know this seems like an easy word to translate and in some ways it is, but like all quirky…
Frida Kahlo’s German Roots Posted by Constanze on Jun 28, 2015
I have been a fan of Künstler (artist) Frida Kahlo for a long time. If you don’t know her for her Kunst (art), you’ll most likely know her for her Augenbrauen (eyebrows) or for the Affäre (affair) she had with Leon Trotsky. She was a pretty fascinating woman in all respects. But did you…
Traditional German Apfelkuchen Recipe Posted by Larissa on Jun 27, 2015
Here is a recipe for a traditional German Apfelkuchen (apple cake) that I baked yesterday. This is great übung (practice) for your German, expanding your vocabulary, practicing how to follow a German recipe and at the end of it you can reward yourself with homemade Apfelkuchen! I’ve written the recipe in German and English in case you get…