Tag Archives: German language
Going To The Optician: German Vocabulary Posted by Constanze on Nov 15, 2017
Guten Tag! Today I thought I’d give you the practical vocabulary and phrases that you need to visit the optician/get an eye test done in German. So without further ado, let’s get started! When you go for an eye test, the person who performs the test is called an optometrist. In German, an optometrist is…
Germany In Different Languages Posted by Constanze on Oct 30, 2017
Allemagne in French. Niemcy in Polish. Germany in English. Deutschland in German. Have you ever noticed how the word ‘Germany’ looks completely different in different languages? Have you ever wondered why that is? Germany has a very central position in Europe. Furthermore, before it became united it was home to many different tribes and states…
German-English Cognates Posted by Constanze on Oct 25, 2017
Guten Tag! In a recent post, Six Reasons To Learn German, I mentioned that German and English are from the same language family – the Indo-European family – which means both languages have taken words from Latin, Greek and French. Because of this, there are numerous cognates (words sharing a common source) that look and sound…
Untranslatable German Words: Verschlimmbesserung Posted by Constanze on Oct 18, 2017
Guten Tag, and welcome to another ‘untranslatable words’ post! This is a series where we look at words unique to the German language, and try to find an equivalent English translation for them. So without further ado, today’s word is: die Verschlimmbesserung. What does die Verschlimmbesserung mean? Die Verschlimmbesserung describes an action that is supposed…
Six Reasons To Learn German Posted by Constanze on Oct 5, 2017
If you’re reading this blog post, it’s safe to assume you’re either a) already learning German, or b) thinking about it. Maybe you have a specific reason to learn German (family, work, etc.) or you’re interested in language learning in general, and are considering German as the language you want to learn. Whatever your reason…
10 German Tongue Twisters Posted by Constanze on Sep 15, 2017
Guten Tag! Today we’re going to look at tongue twisters. In German, tongue twisters are called Zungenbrecher (which literally means ‘tongue breakers’!). Not only will I write the tongue twisters and their translations down for you, but I’ve recorded each one, too, so you can hear exactly how they are meant to be pronounced. Hopefully…
3 Lazy German Words Posted by Constanze on Aug 30, 2017
Guten Tag! Today I’d like to bring you not one, not two, but three ‘untranslatable German words’ for your amusement. These are words that do not have a direct translation in English, and are often rather interesting and/or quirky. It’s rainy and dull here today, and I’m sure many people just want to be at…