German-question
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Question: Check what applies to you:
#1
I'm a native German speaker
 
#2
I studied German and speak it (almost) fluently
 
#3
I know basic (vacation) German
 
#4
I'm currently learning it/know only a few words
 
#5
I want to learn it
 
#6
Don't speak German (but could imagine learning it)
 
#7
Don't speak German (and have no intention learning it)
 
#8
Other (post)
 
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Total Voters: 80

Author Topic: German-question  (Read 3873 times)
Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #25 on: April 09, 2020, 02:41:48 PM »

If you have any questions about German, don’t hesitate to ask me.

I have enough time today.

Question:  what advantage do you think learning German would have for your average English-speaking American?

It would be good for you if you visit DACH at some point, or immigrate.

Or if you bump into German speaking folk in the US.

Or if you want to read classical German literature or watch movies.
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parochial boy
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« Reply #26 on: April 09, 2020, 06:29:08 PM »

If you have any questions about German, don’t hesitate to ask me.

I have enough time today.

Question:  what advantage do you think learning German would have for your average English-speaking American?

It would be good for you if you visit DACH at some point, or immigrate.

Or if you bump into German speaking folk in the US.

Or if you want to read classical German literature or watch movies.

Plz don't lump Switzerland in Austria and Germany thx Nearly half of us are actually romance language speakers

But, well... for me, one of the joys of learning a new language is having this whole new world of culture, music, media, literature... that suddenly opens up to you. I find the idea of only being able to speak one language unaccountably sad to be honest - it just makes your experience of the world so much more limited.
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #27 on: April 09, 2020, 07:02:27 PM »


No, but the chances of me becoming a Baptist are roughly the same of me becoming a Roman Catholic: zero.

What is i that keeps you from being Baptist.  Not all Baptists are fundamentalist loonies, so is it the fundamentalism that is now de rigeur for Southern Baptists, the concept of needing to be an "adult" to be baptized, or some other factor.
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #28 on: April 09, 2020, 07:09:45 PM »

Between 2 and 3.

Took two years in college, using Babbel to keep up with it.
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The world will shine with light in our nightmare
Just Passion Through
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« Reply #29 on: April 09, 2020, 07:14:10 PM »


No, but the chances of me becoming a Baptist are roughly the same of me becoming a Roman Catholic: zero.

What is i that keeps you from being Baptist.  Not all Baptists are fundamentalist loonies, so is it the fundamentalism that is now de rigeur for Southern Baptists, the concept of needing to be an "adult" to be baptized, or some other factor.

Baptists are too conservative and too low-church, which is a bad combo for me.  Also, I don't agree with their views on the Eucharist, Purgatory, or forbiddance of prayer to the saints.

I would sooner join the ABC than the SBC, though.
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #30 on: April 09, 2020, 11:34:45 PM »

If you have any questions about German, don’t hesitate to ask me.

I have enough time today.

Question:  what advantage do you think learning German would have for your average English-speaking American?

It would be good for you if you visit DACH at some point, or immigrate.

Or if you bump into German speaking folk in the US.

Or if you want to read classical German literature or watch movies.

Plz don't lump Switzerland in Austria and Germany thx Nearly half of us are actually romance language speakers

But, well... for me, one of the joys of learning a new language is having this whole new world of culture, music, media, literature... that suddenly opens up to you. I find the idea of only being able to speak one language unaccountably sad to be honest - it just makes your experience of the world so much more limited.

That’s not correct:

2/3 Swiss are German speakers (among citizens more than 73%).

French is only spoken by 18-22%, Italian by 8%.
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President Punxsutawney Phil
TimTurner
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« Reply #31 on: April 09, 2020, 11:35:34 PM »

What would you say is the biggest difference between High and Low German?
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #32 on: April 09, 2020, 11:45:02 PM »

What would you say is the biggest difference between High and Low German?

There is not a „single“ biggest difference between the two ... it’s more the fact that Austrian/Bavarian or Swiss German speakers in a lot of sentences use completely different words that a North German would never understand. But Austrians and Swiss understand every single word a North German speaker says.

One such word that instantly comes to mind is the word „to look for/at something“:

In High German, it is dictionary translated into „schauen“ (which Austrians use), but North Germans say „schauen“ - but most of the time also „gucken“ (pronounced: „cookˋn“).

„Cookˋn“ is mostly used north the BY/BW line, „schauen“ south of it.

While the Swiss say „luaga“ (... which is actually phonetically the most similar of all 4 words used when compared to English).
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #33 on: April 09, 2020, 11:51:23 PM »

Other words:

English: last year, High German: letztes Jahr/voriges Jahr, my dialect: feascht
English: armpit, High German: Achsel, my dialect: Iaxn
English: immediately/quick, High German: sofort/schnell, my dialect: huseg
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President Punxsutawney Phil
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« Reply #34 on: April 09, 2020, 11:54:33 PM »

which Germanic language (besides German itself anyway) would say Low German is closest to?
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #35 on: April 09, 2020, 11:56:58 PM »

Native German speaker, obviously.

I can speak Standard German and Swabian (I kao schwäbisch schwätza).

Schwuhbisch is a cool dialect.

The word „schwätza“ is also one that is Alemannic and just used in Switzerland, BW and parts of BY. All others say „red(e)n“ or „sprech(e)n“.
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #36 on: April 10, 2020, 12:02:06 AM »

which Germanic language (besides German itself anyway) would say Low German is closest to?

I think such variations exist in every broader Germanic language group.

I’m no expert, but Norwegian is different to Swedish, which is different to Danish, but they still might understand each other during some/most sentences (or at least did a couple hundred years ago).

Same with the English dialects, but the fact that different regions use completely different words for the same thing is not as widely known in English.
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Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan
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« Reply #37 on: April 10, 2020, 01:37:30 AM »

Like most of the people who had German in primary/secondary school I obviously do not know German but basic phrases and words like "guten Tag", "hände hoch", "raus", "schnell".
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Obama-Biden Democrat
Zyzz
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« Reply #38 on: April 10, 2020, 03:02:18 AM »

My great grandparents made sure I wouldn’t have to speak german.

Murrica.
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Lechasseur
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« Reply #39 on: April 10, 2020, 03:07:38 AM »

Basic vacation German
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Zinneke
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« Reply #40 on: April 10, 2020, 03:20:53 AM »

HABEN WIR NOCH PEPS?
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President Johnson
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« Reply #41 on: April 10, 2020, 05:14:24 AM »
« Edited: April 10, 2020, 05:21:30 AM by President Johnson »

Other words:

English: last year, High German: letztes Jahr/voriges Jahr, my dialect: feascht
English: armpit, High German: Achsel, my dialect: Iaxn
English: immediately/quick, High German: sofort/schnell, my dialect: huseg

I actually like Austrian much better than Bavarian. Austrians often spell a T like D, for example Dag instead of Tag ("day").


My favorite Swabian sentence is Mach mal langsam schnell (translation word by word: "Make/go slowly fast!"), what basically means "Hurry Up!". Another beaty is Frucht, what means "fruit" in Standard German. In Swabian, it's another word for "grain" (Standard German: Getreide).
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #42 on: April 10, 2020, 05:45:41 AM »

Other words:

English: last year, High German: letztes Jahr/voriges Jahr, my dialect: feascht
English: armpit, High German: Achsel, my dialect: Iaxn
English: immediately/quick, High German: sofort/schnell, my dialect: huseg

I actually like Austrian much better than Bavarian. Austrians often spell a T like D, for example Dag instead of Tag ("day").


My favorite Swabian sentence is Mach mal langsam schnell (translation word by word: "Make/go slowly fast!"), what basically means "Hurry Up!". Another beaty is Frucht, what means "fruit" in Standard German. In Swabian, it's another word for "grain" (Standard German: Getreide).

„Tag“ (Day) is actually pronounced like „Dog“ (the animal) 🐕 here.

Just that the „o“ is longer, like in „doggy“ (without the y).

...

Another cool word is „znaxt“ (Pinzgauerisch-German).

It is a word that doesn’t even exist in Standard-German and means something like „a while ago“.

The time frame is roughly 1-3 weeks ago, but not earlier or longer ago (because otherwise you’d say „a week ago“ or „a month ago“).

Another word is „potatoes“ (Standard German: Kartoffeln 🥔). But here we call them Erdäpfel (earth apples or soil apples).
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #43 on: April 10, 2020, 05:56:09 AM »

Other examples:

„Useless“/„not worth bothering“ - Standard German: umsonst/wertlos/nicht der Mühe wert - here: lafeschteg

„Rock slide/hang slide“ - Erdrutsch/Mure - Bloak

„Urgent“ - dringend - gnetteg

„Not fitting“/„inappropriate“ - unpassend - uplanneg
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #44 on: April 10, 2020, 05:59:40 AM »

A baby or infant is also called Baby or „Kind“ in Standard German.

Most Austrians also say Baby/Kind - but here in western Austria it’s called „Buzzaö“ ... Smiley
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #45 on: April 10, 2020, 06:02:56 AM »

A railing is called Geländer in German, but here pronounced „Glanna“.
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #46 on: April 10, 2020, 06:05:19 AM »

An annual car inspection sticker is called „TÜV-Prüfplakette“ in Standard German.

In Austria, we simply call it „Pickerl“ (sticker).

Wink
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President Punxsutawney Phil
TimTurner
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« Reply #47 on: April 10, 2020, 06:06:51 AM »

Kindergarten apparently is a word in German.
The more you know...
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Tender Branson
Mark Warner 08
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« Reply #48 on: April 10, 2020, 06:10:41 AM »

If a German orders a cake at an Austrian restaurant and the waitress asks: „Do you also want Schlag on top ?“ the German will be puzzled ... 🧐🤔

„Schlag“ on top of my apple strudel ? What’s that ?

Waitress: „Sahne“. Do you want Sahne for your Strudel ?“

Guest: „Yes, please. I want cream for my Strudel.“
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #49 on: April 10, 2020, 06:12:08 AM »

Other words:

English: last year, High German: letztes Jahr/voriges Jahr, my dialect: feascht
English: armpit, High German: Achsel, my dialect: Iaxn
English: immediately/quick, High German: sofort/schnell, my dialect: huseg

How intelligible is your dialect with regular German? (Hochdeutsch I believe it is called?)
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