Tag Archives: Curious Words
Don’t Let It Confuse You: The German Words All and Sämtlich Posted by Sten on Mar 11, 2022
When you see the German word All, you might easily see the English word all – however, this appears to be a false friend! So, what does All mean? And how do you say all? And what’s with sämtlich? There are multiple answers to these questions, so let’s have a look at the German word All and all. Click here…
What’s the difference between the German Hähnchen and Hühnchen? Posted by Sten on Feb 24, 2022
We have a confusing situation on German menus: Sometimes, you encounter die Hühnerbrust (chicken breast), other times it’s der Hähnchenbraten (chicken roast). But what is the difference between Hühnchen and Hähnchen? Are they used interchangeably, or should you be careful which one to use? Here’s all you need to know about these curious German words. Click here for more posts…
How Corn Flakes Conquered the German Language Posted by Sten on Nov 11, 2021
First a breakfast favorite in the States, then spread all over the world: Corn flakes! Created by the Kellog brothers, the light breakfast ahs seen many varieties. In the US, these are widely known as “cereal”, or “breakfast cereal”. But how do you translate that to German? Maybe you simply don’t… Here’s the curiosity of…
The German Phrase ‘Ich Habe Zu Tun’ Posted by Constanze on Oct 20, 2021
Guten Tag! Today we’re going to look at a slightly unusual-sounding phrase in the German language. Maybe you’ve come across this phrase before, but thought a word was missing, or that it didn’t sound quite right. The phrase in question is this one: Ich habe zu tun. Ich habe zu tun This phrase, literally translated…
A Sample Of German: Das Kostehäppchen Posted by Constanze on Sep 1, 2021
Guten Tag! Today we’re going to look at a quirky German word, das Kostehäppchen. We will look at its meaning, how to use it, the breakdown of the word itself, and some alternative/related words you may also find useful! What is das Kostehäppchen? Simply put, a Kostehäppchen is a small sample of food you get…
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…
The German Word ‘Volk’ Posted by Constanze on Jun 9, 2021
Guten Tag! We have talked before on the blog about words with loaded meanings/stigma attached to them – such as this post, German words associated with Nazism. Today we’re going to look at another such word in more detail. It’s a very small, simple word, but sometimes even these words have a surprising amount of…