Tag Archives: german compound nouns
10 German Words That Describe Pandemic Life Posted by Constanze on Feb 2, 2022
Guten Tag! As we know, the German language is full of words that are unique, creative, intelligent and fun! Due to its ability to connect several nouns to create one, new compound noun, new words are always popping up in the German language. Today, we’re going to take a look at just some of the…
German Word of the Year 2019 Posted by Constanze on Dec 11, 2019
Guten Tag! Today we will look at the Wort des Jahres in Germany. Each year, the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (GfdS) – The German Language Association – picks a word as their Wort des Jahres – ‘Word of the Year’. This is often a word related to a prominent topic in the country during the…
German Kofferwörter (Portmanteau Words) Posted by Constanze on May 9, 2018
Today the topic is all about German Kofferwörter. These are words that mix two or more existing words together to create a new word with a blended meaning. These are what the English call portmanteau words. Examples in English include Brexit (Britain + Exit, to describe Britain exiting the EU), smog (smoke + fog), and…
Untranslatable German Words: der Kulturbeutel Posted by Constanze on Jul 31, 2015
Guten Tag! Welcome to another edition of German untranslatable words, dedicated to teaching you quirky German words, their meanings, and how to use them! Today the word is der Kulturbeutel. What does Kulturbeutel literally translate to? This German compound noun is made up of the words die Kultur (culture) + der Beutel (bag/pouch). Its literal…
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…
Die Überfremdung and PEGIDA Posted by Constanze on Mar 4, 2015
Guten Tag! Often when I write posts about ‘untranslatable’ German words I try to include references to German culture (where applicable) or add in extra information relating to those words. Today I’ve chosen a word that is relevant to the current political situation in Germany. Die Überfremdung. What does Überfremdung mean? Überfremdung describes excessive…
Don’t take things so literally! … Unless you’re speaking German. Posted by Constanze on Aug 13, 2014
You can learn a lot about Germany from its language. There are many nouns in the German language that have very literal meanings to them. Their pattern is that they are made up of two or more separate words put together to form a new word. These are called compound nouns. Some examples are: Das…