to drive with the top down Literal: to drive with an open roof
jemandem eins aufs Dach geben
to show someone what's what Literal: to give someone a smack on the roof
etwas unter Dach und Fach bringen
to complete something, settle it More literal: to bring something into safety
Die Spatzen pfeifen es von den Dächern.
That's common knowledge. Literal: Sparrows whistle it from the roofs.
Da ist bei ihm gleich Feuer im Dache.
He flies into a passion. Literal: He right away has fire in his roof.
Du hast nicht alles unterm Dach.
You are crazy. Literal: You don't have everything under the roof.
I always wondered whether other cultures and languages have as many idioms using the "roof" as German. We'd be interested in any feedback and would welcome comments to info@gamesforlanguage.com or via our contact page.
A little Grammar:
• Mit offenem Dach fahren: the preposition "mit" always takes the dative case. So "das offene Dach" (the open roof) becomes "mit offenem Dach"
• Jemandem eins aufs Dach geben: the dual preposition "auf" takes the dative here. Note: "aufs Dach" is a contraction of "auf das Dach" (dual preposition "auf" + accusative of neuter noun).
• Etwas unter Dach und Fach bringen: "unter Dach und Fach" is set expression for something that's settled, where "Fach" literally means "a compartment or shelf".
• Die Spatzen pfeifen es von den Dächern: the preposition "von" always takes the dative case. Note: das Dach (singular) - die Dächer (plural), which becomes "von den Dächern" ("von" + dative plural of neuter noun).
• Da ist bei ihm gleich Feuer im Dache: the dual preposition "in" takes the dative here; "in dem" contracts to "im".
• Du hast nicht alles unterm Dach: the dual preposition "unter" takes the dative here; "unter dem" contracts to "unterm".
What are German Dual Prepositions?
German has 9 "dual prepositions": an (on, at); auf (on), hinter behind); neben (beside, next to); in (in, at, to); über (over, above, across, about); unter (below, under, among); vor (in front, before, prior to); zwischen (between, among).
Dual Preposition + Accusative case:
When the preposition answers the question "Wohin?/Wo ... hin?" (Where?/Where to?), i.e. motion/a change of location, you use the "accusative case".
• An den Strand. (I'm going) to the beach • Auf den Tisch. (I put the book) on the table. • Hinters Haus. (He's going to look) behind the house. • Neben den Lastwagen. (I put my car, over there) beside the truck. • Ins Haus. (She's walking) into the house. • Über die Brücke. (He's driving) across the bridge. • Unters Kissen. (I put my book) under the pillow. • Vors Fenster. (Please move my bed) in front of the window.
Dual Prepositions + Dative case:
When the preposition answers the question of location/where something is: "Wo?" (Were?), you use the "dative case".
• Am Strand. (I am) at the beach • Am Tisch. (My book is) on the table. • Hinterm Haus. (Our shed is) behind the house. • Neben dem Lastwagen. (That's my car over there) beside the truck. • Im Haus. (She's) in the house. • Über der Tür. (The picture hangs) above the door. • Unterm Kissen. (My book is) under the pillow. • Vorm Fenster. (My bed is) in front of the window.
With this post, we are starting a Quick Tip series with which to explain certain aspects of the languages we cover
Quick TIP: holen - TO GET, to fetch
• Er holt die Zeitung.[He's getting the paper.] **German simple present tense often translates into English "progressive" (is getting).
Quick TIP: abholen - TO GET, to pick up
• Er holt mich später ab. [He's going to pick me up later.] **ab- is a "separable prefix. In a simple sentence, "ab" goes at the end.
• Toll, dass du mich abholst. [Great, that you are picking me up.] **After a conjunction: "dass" etc., the full verb goes at the end.
CONJUGATION of abholen
• ich hole ab - I pick up • du holst ab - you pick up (familiar) • er, sie, es holt ab - he, she, it picks up • wir holen ab - we pick up • ihr holt ab - you (all) pick up • sie holen ab - they pick up • Sie holen ab - you pick up (formal)
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Disclosure: Some of the links above is to a partner's program with revenue sharing, if you decide to buy or subscribe.
During our recent visit to Switzerland, we had lunch at a restaurant in Saanenmöser, a town located above Gstaad in the Berner Oberland. My sister, who had eaten in the restaurant frequently before, had often enjoyed the filet de boeuf, and she and I ordered it.
My wife, who prefers veal, ordered the côtelette de veau. My sister had alerted us that the waiter would cut the meat to size in front of us, and we did not pay much attention to the quoted price per gram on the menu.
My sister and I selected a small piece each of the "filet de boeuf". My wife was a little puzzled, however, as the "côtelette de veau", which she had translated as a "veal cutlet", turned out to have a bone, therefore was actually a veal chop, and she selected the smallest piece.
A Delicious and Expensive "Veal Cutlet"
We enjoyed our meal (the picture on the left is not my wife's côtelette), but we were certainly surprised when we saw the check: The côtelette de veau, being 240g, including bone and fat, came in at sfr 50.40.
Compared to our two delicious, lean filets de boeuf of 120g and 140g, priced at sfr 33.60 and 39.20 respectively (and, while also expensive, we could accept their pricing), a sfr 50.40 côtelette de veau seemed out of proportion. (I should add that these prices did not include any sides, which had to be ordered separately.)
Swiss Pricing and Guest Choices
We paid our check, but after complaining by e-mail, I received the following explanation from the restaurant owner:
"Thank you very much for your mail concerning the veal cutlet for sfrs 50.40.Meat from veal is not a cheap meat. We pay a price of sfrs. 59.50 for one Kilogram of prime quality with fat and bone. For the cooking, salaries, service, special refrigerator and so on, we have a calculation of 3.5 multiplicator. For this reason the price for 100 gram is sfrs. 21.00. A veal cutlet has from nature (size of the bone) at least 220 grams. It is not possible to cut it thinner.
The range for a veal cutlet in Switzerland is between sfrs. 65.00 and sfrs 75.00. The quality of this “Swiss prime meat Grand Cru” warranted the documentary evidence of origin, is selected by the meat man in the slaughterhouse, and stays in minimum for 6 weeks adolescence. We know the name of the farmer who bred the animal. Lean filet de boeuf costs in this prime quality sfrs. 80.00 for one Kilogram. 100 gram costs with the same calculation sfrs 28.00. Fillet of beef can be cut even in less than 100 gram. The guest makes his choice like for the veal cutlet."
Beware of "False Friends" and Innovative Pricing Strategies
I could not argue with the owner's pricing explanation above. Although, for an American, the relative pricing between a côtelette de veau (with bone) and a lean filet de boeuf just does not seem right.
But did you notice that the restaurant owner also used the term "veal cutlet"? "Cutlet" and "côtelette" are indeed "false friends". You can find the definition for "cutlet" in various on-line dictionaries, but it is invariably defined as a small piece of meat.
The moral of the story: Pay attention to the prices per weight on the menu, especially in high-priced countries like Switzerland, and don't get fooled by "false friends" like "côtelette" and "cutlet".
With high meat prices, (especially premium veal) having the guest make the weight/size choice, may be the only way for certain restaurants to sell their dishes. But travelers better beware. These pricing strategies can quickly add up and surprise you unless you carry a pocket scale.
This was based on Scene 4.5 of our German 1 course and our conjecture that Mark Twain liked the name "Heidelberg" because Heidelberg in English means Huckleberry mountain.
Actually, more correctly, Heidelberg is an abbreviation of "Heidelbeerenberg" (huckleberry mountain).
Huckleberry Adventures
We found it interesting that Twain had stayed in Heidelberg with his family for several months in 1878.
Twain had unsuccessfully tried to learn German in 1850 at age fifteen. He resumed his study 28 years later in preparation for a trip to Europe." [Wikipedia: "Mark Twain"]
Mark Twain had published his novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” in 1876 and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in1884.
A little further digging found several German sites which also describe his love of Heidelbeeren. He found them in the forests around Heidelberg and enjoyed Heidelbeerkuchen (huckleberry pie).
By the way, a similar confusion between a huckleberry and a blueberry also exists in German between a "Heidelbeere" and a "Blaubeere". (For further enlightenment, try this link.)
Heidelberg, Mississippi
So the character of Huckleberry Finn had already been well-established by the time Mark Twain arrived in Heidelberg, Germany in 1878, as the travel writer Lucy Gordan explains:
"Supposedly looking for a quiet village, where people didn't know him, neither of which fit Heidelberg because it was already home to active American and British communities, he arrived with his family on May 6 for the day and stayed three months.His biographer Justin Kaplan asserts Twain was aware that Heidelberg derived from 'Heidelbeerenberg', meaning 'Huckleberry Mountain', which may explain his affinity."
"Nobody really knows," writes Werner Pieper in his updated Mark Twain's Guide to Heidelberg , "what made Mark Twain stay in Heidelberg for such a long time. Maybe he was prompted by old dreams from the times he was passing Heidelberg, Mississippi, while working on the steamships? Did he plan to stay here or did he and his family just fall in love with this city?"
While the above allusion to Mark Twain's passing by Heidelberg, Mississippi, during his days as a river pilot may be compelling, a little further digging causes some doubts:
Mark Twain worked on a steamboat, first as an apprentice, then as a pilot during 1857 to 1861.
However, Heidelberg, Mississippi was only founded in 1882 by Washington Irving Heidelberg [google History, Town of Heidelberg] - and even more importantly: Heidelberg is not situated ON the Mississippi, but located in the State of Mississippi, southeast of Jackson, MS, and about 130 miles from the Mississippi river.
Twain visited the river a number of times after his pilot days, most notably in 1882 as he prepared to write "Life on the Mississippi" and maybe on his travels TO the river he came through the little town.
Maybe that's when he came across the name Heidelberg again. So whether he already knew the name Heidelberg or whether he related to it as a translation of "huckleberry" we'll never know.
But we do know that he liked his three months in Heidelberg, Germany, in spite of his continuing struggle with the German language.
And we'll explore in another blog post Mark Twain's love-hate relationship with "The Awful German Language" which he published as an Appendix to his "A Tramp Abroad" in 1880.
Bio: Peter Rettig is the co-founder of Gamesforlanguage.com. He's a lifelong language learner, growing up in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and leave any comments with contact.
Learning a language should always be fun - even if you need it for your job or for school. So, lighten up your approach and look out for ways to learn and chuckle!
Here's a nonsense poem (with unknown origin) that's built on opposites and oxymorons. German speaking school children love to recite it and delight their parents with such nonsense lines.
Memorize these rhymes and you'll easily add up to 25 new words to your German vocabulary!
DUNKEL WAR'S ...
Dunkel war's der Mond schien helle, Als ein Wagen blitze-schnelle Langsam um die Ecke fuhr.
Drinnen saßen stehend Leute Schweigend ins Gespräch vertieft, Als ein totgeschossner Hase Auf der Sandbank Schlittschuh lief.
English Translation
[It was dark, the moon schone brightly, When a car drove lightning fast Slowly around the corner.
Inside, people were sitting standing up, Remaining silent, in deep conversation. As a shot-dead rabbit Was skating on the sandbank.]
Listening to foreign songs is an excellent way to memorize key phrases and expressions – and having fun with German language learning . Sometimes, you may even start humming and repeating the refrains without exactly knowing the meaning.
In an earlier blog post - 6 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language - we had suggested listening to songs as tip #4, as listening to music and songs can also fuel your enthusiasm for learning a new language.
Language Learning with "Guten Morgen, liebe Sorgen...."
This song was written and first performed by Jürgen von der Lippe in 1987.It's his greatest musical successand he sang it for the next 20+ years, with a refrain that is hard to get out of one's mind.For those who don't speak German at all, this YouTube clip provides a (not always correct) translation. You also may understand why the song is still popular in Germany today. And for those who know some German, similar points as above also apply:
• The refrain both with its perfect (Morgen-Sorgen) and partial (da-klar) rhymes is still an ear-worm. • Expressions such as “na, dann ist ja alles klar” (well, then everything is ok) can easily be remembered. • Vocabulary such as “behende” (nimbly), “Schwung” (momentum), “Bettvorleger” (rug beside a bed) you probably won't find in your typical language course. • German has a lot of little words that add meaning to the message, words which often don't translate literally into English. In a song, these may be exaggerated and stressed, and thus be understood more clearly. • For example, "schon" (already) in the line "seid ihr auch schon wieder da"; or "na" (well) and "ja" (indeed), in the line "na, dann ist ja alles klar."
Which brings me to this question: Which, in your mind, are the English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish songs that make great tools for someone learning the language? Songs that have a refrain and lyrics that are memorable? Drop us a line to contact@gamesforlanguage.com.
(literally: the dogs will bite the one who is last)
the last one's left holding the bag
ein Rätsel (a riddle):
Was hat sieben Häute und beißt alle Leute?
What has seven skins and stings all people?
Antwort (answer):
die Zwiebel (the onion)
The German letter ß vs ss
Maybe you are wondering about the German letter "ß", also called Eszett "sz" or Scharfes-S. In a spelling reform in the early 90s, the use of the "ß" vs. the "ss" was simplified.
It is now much easier to remember: after a short vowel or Umlaut you'll find "ss". Examples are: müssen, küssen, lassen, fassen, Tasse, Kasse, Riss, Biss, etc.
After a long vowel (or double vowel) you'll find a "ß". Examples are: beißen, heißen, genießen, Maß, Straße, Fuß, Gruß, etc.
We came across this change during a trip from Stralsund to Usedom - Exploring 2 German Baltic Islands, when we realized that the town "Saßnitz" on the island of Rügen, changed its name in 1993 to Sassnitz (short "a") in accordance to the new rule! Leave it to the Germans to also spell town names grammatically correct!
blauer Montag (literally: blue Monday) a Monday on which you skip work
die blaue Stunde
(literally: the blue hour)
time of dusk
das Blaue vom Himmel herunter lügen
(more literally: to lie so much that the blue color comes down from the sky)
to tell stories that aren't true
das blaue Wunder erleben
(literally: to experience the blue miracle)
to get the shock of one's life
mit einem blauen Auge davonkommen (literally: to escape with a blue eye) to get off lightly
jemandem blauen Dunst vormachen (more literally: to fool someone with blue mist) to throw dust in somebody's eyes
sich grün und blau ärgern (more literally: to turn green and blue with annoyance) to get very annoyed
der Blaue Planet (literally: the blue planet) the planet Earth
der blaue Brief (literally: the blue letter) a letter containing unpleasant news
blau sein
(literally: to be blue)
to be drunk
Blauer Brief
"Blauer Brief" most commonly refers to a letter that a school will send to parents warning that their son or daughter may not pass and be required to repeat the shool year. A "Pink Slip" or notice from an employer that one is being fired or laid off is often referred to as "Blauer Brief". The "Notice to Quit" from a landlord terminating your tenancy, is also sometimes called "Blauer Brief". If you read German, find out more about the history of the term, and regional differences in how it is used in this Wikipedia entry.
I don't really know why German has so many idioms using the color "blue".Yes there is the English "feeling blue", or "being blue" i.e. being sad.But, if you were to express such a feeling and translate, "I'm blue", into German as "Ich bin blau", you will get some astonished or worried looks.
If you come across other German idioms using "blue", send us a note to info@gamesforlanguage.com and we'll add them here!
When in a German speaking country, you certainly want ways to better engage in a German conversation. There are essential skills to deal with daily, practical situations: ordering in a restaurant, asking directions, greeting friends or strangers, introducing others, purchasing, paying a check, checking into a hotel, etc.
But you also want to be able to engage in conversations with locals. To do this, you must swallow your anxiety about speaking up and find ways to start, sustain, and eventually end a conversation.
Conversing with strangers can feel a little awkward in any language. A recent article by Marc Chernoff: 12 Ways To Make Talking To Strangers Less Awkward has some good tips on braving such a challenge.
Of course, these tips also work for talking with strangers in a foreign language. I've adapted them here for conversations with German speakers. A good antidote to "conversation anxiety" is to practice some useful expressions ahead of time. You can start with the list below.
1. Initiating a conversation
When initiating a conversation, act confident and comfortable, this will put the other person at ease too.
a) Be sure that you know how to address a stranger correctly to be appropriately polite. Best to use a neutral greeting such as “Guten Morgen,” “Guten Tag,” “Guten Abend” (Good morning, Hello, Good evening) or have a a couple of polite phrases ready, such as:
- "Entschuldigen Sie ..." (Excuse me ...) - "Bitte ..." (Please [can you tell me] ...)
b) Importantly, you should use the formal "Sie" (the polite form of "you") as a starter with anyone, except children. In most cases, it's best to wait until you're prompted to use the familiar: "du."
That means, of course, that you also have to learn to distinguish between the appropriate German verb endings. Listen here to a German conversation where students talk about using the familiar "du".
c) By the way, in German, you would never use "How are you?" (Wie geht's?/Wie geht es Ihnen?) as part of a greeting, unless you know the person very well. Germans take such a question seriously and may be tempted to give you a literal answer.
d) Learn to ask for directions or for information; this may very well lead to a longer exchange. Start with a neutral greeting (see above) and follow up with a question, such as:
- "Wo ist ...?" (Where is ...?) - "Wie komme ich am besten zu ...?" ("How do I best get to ...") - "Wissen Sie, wann/wo ...?" (Do you know when/where ...?)
e) Comment about the here and now. For example when you're at a café, a restaurant, a museum, in a shop, at a market, etc. Talk about what's around you, what you see; you can even mention the weather.
- "Ein Früchte-Eisbecher? Was ist das?" (A "Früchte-Eisbecher"? What is that?) - "Das ist wirklich ein schönes Gebäude!" (That's really a beautiful building!) - "Wunderbares Wetter heute!" (Great weather today!)
2. Once engaged in a conversation...
Once engaged in a conversation, you'll want to have a few topics up your sleeve to sustain it. a) Know some basic information about the city and a few interesting historical facts about the country. This also means that you should learn how to say dates.
b) Say something about your stay in the country, where you're going, or where you've been, etc.
- "Ich bleibe fast drei Wochen in ..." (I'm staying almost three weeks in ...) - "Ich fahre übermorgen nach ..." (I'm going to ... the day after tomorrow.) - "Ich besuche Freunde und Verwandte." (I'm visiting friends and relatives.)
c) Learn to listen as well as talk. Be able to ask questions and make comments to show your interest in what the other person is saying:
- “Wann wurde ... gegründet?” (When was ... founded?) - "Wer ist/war ...?" (Who is/was ...?) - "Das wusste ich nicht." (I didn't know that.)
d) Obviously, the old stand-by, if you did not understand:
- "Das war ein bisschen schnell!" (That was a little fast!) - "Könnten Sie das, bitte, wiederholen!" (Could you, please, repeat that!)
3. Closing a conversation.
It's always important to find a way to close a conversation gracefully. Germans are a little more formal about it than Americans and a little more resolute. Have a few exit lines ready!
a) Signaling the end:
- "Vielen Dank für die guten Tipps." (Thank you for the good tips.) - “Es war nett, mit Ihnen zu reden." (It was nice to talk with you.) - "Oh, es ist schon spät. Ich muss noch ..." (Oh, it's already late. I still have to ...) - "Ich treffe mich noch mit Freunden." (I'll be meeting some friends.)
b) When you're leaving:
- "Jetzt muss ich leider gehen." (Unfortunately, I have to go now.) - "Also nochmals: vielen Dank/es war richtig nett." (Again: many thanks/it was really nice.) - "Noch schönen Nachmittag/Abend!" (Have a nice afternoon/evening!) - "Auf Wiedersehen!" (Goodbye!)
Practicing some of these conversational phrases and expressions ahead of time will be quite helpful and impress your German speaking contact. While such phrases will obviously not be sufficient for an intensive discussion, they will boost you confidence in speaking. The next step will be to add a few more topics and strategies to your conversational skills.
You Want to Learn German Fast?
Not everyone will agree with Benny Lewis', the Irish Polyglot's statement "Why German is easy!" But, if you are serious about learning German - and even before you buy or subscribe to any expensive courses (except GamesforLanguage.com's German 1 and German 2 courses obviously, which are FREE!) you may want to learn more about Benny's approach.
Disclosure: The link above is to a partner's program with revenue sharing, if you decide to buy or subscribe.
Several months ago as we were traveling to Germany, I bet with my wife that I could make the German immigration officer say the exact sentence of a dialog we are using in one of the first scenes of our German 1 language program.
She was skeptical, but listen to this Dialogue, which occurs at the beginning of Scene 4:
If you speak German, you'll realize right away, why I was sure I would win the bet. If you don't, this is what happened:
When I approached the officer, I greeted her with a friendly: “Guten Morgen!” (Good morning!) while handing her my American passport. As I had predicted, she answered with an equally friendly “Guten Morgen! and a somewhat surprised: ”Sie sprechen Deutsch!” (You speak German!)
Although I could not give the same response as our “hero” Michael, ( I was not born in Boston) her next question was again the same as in our scene: ”Sind Sie geschäftlich hier?” (Are you here on business?)
We were not, and we continued a friendly conversation before she stamped our passports and we moved on.
The above question (Are you here on business?) reminded me of the story of a woman who reacted with indignation when she was asked by an Italian immigration officer:
You may have figured out why the woman - who obviously spoke little Italian - misinterpreted the question: “É qui per affari?” He asked: “Are you here on business?” but she thought he asked whether she was there for an affair... (Or she might also have thought: “How could he possibly know this...?”)
But all bets and jokes aside, the point of these little vignettes is that knowing another language can both be helpful for your travels as well as avoid misunderstandings. Learning a new language will not only benefit your next travel adventure, but also be one of the small steps to strengthen your willpower or even help seniors' grey cells to function at a high level. It's never too late to learn a new language...
Even German can be Fun
Our games and travel-story based courses are also a great way to practice your German. If travel to Germany is in your near future, you may also enjoy our post: 4 Fun German Language Games Before You Travel.
And if you already have some German you can try our two free German Story Courses for fun practice. Just register and play.
