German Language Blog
Menu
Search

Tag Archives: german compound nouns

10 German Words That Describe Pandemic Life Posted by on Feb 2, 2022

pandemic

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…

Continue Reading

German Word of the Year 2019 Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

German Kofferwörter (Portmanteau Words) Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

Untranslatable German Words: der Kulturbeutel Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

Untranslatable German Words: Die Knoblauchfahne Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

Die Überfremdung and PEGIDA Posted by 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…

Continue Reading

Don’t take things so literally! … Unless you’re speaking German. Posted by 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…

Continue Reading