German – Page 2 – Nina Schmidt ~ Vancouver German and Spanish Lessons

Grammar Tips: German Words Found in English

A number of German words have made their way into the English language. Some of them we accept as a matter of course as they have been around for a long time. Others, have come into English rather recently. While most words maintain the same or similar meaning some change their meaning slightly when transplanted from one language to another. For example, the word angst. Below you will find a list of common German words and phrases used in English.

Achtung! (careful/watch out)

die Angst (fear in German)

das Aspirin

der Dachshund (wiener dog)

der Doppelganger (a body double/look-alike)

der Ersatz (substitute)

das Fest (party in German ex. filmfest)

Gesundheit! (health: used when someone sneezes)

der Hamburger

kaput (broken/not working)

der Kindergarten

der Poltergeist

der Rucksack

die Schadenfreude (taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune!)

verboten (not allowed/prohibited)

die Wanderlust

das Wunderkind

German Präfixes (prefixes) can also be used in English, particularly: über

He is überpatient with his wife. (This implies he is extremely or too patient with his wife)

For a longer list visit: http://german.about.com/library/blvoc_gerloan2.htm

February 18, 2014

Grammar Tips: English Words Found in German

Historically, German and English have shared a number of similar or even identically spelled words such as:

der Student, das Haus, die Maus, die Medizin

This is due to the fact that both languages stem from a common proto-Germanic language as well as the fact that they have imported words from the same languages such as French. Over time, these words have come to be part of each language without people giving much thought to it. However, in recent history a large number of English words have been adopted by German speakers, especially within the youth culture.

Many of these words are business and technology-related, but some of them are common words for referring to people, foods or even items around the house. This mixing has become so common it even has its own name: Denglish! While many older Germans lament the encroachment of English on their language, these words are a blessing for English speakers learning German!

For those loanwords that are nouns, learning the gender can be especially tricky as they do not fall into typical categories of gender assignment. Generally, however if the word is a replacement for a German word it will retain the same gender. For example, it is das Telefon, therefore it follows that it is das Smart Phone. Another hint is that words ending in -ing are always neuter, as are infinitives used as nouns in German. Compare: das Treffen = das Meeting

Here is a list of some common English words in the modern German language:

Nouns:

der Airbag

das Baby

das Bowling

der Bodybuilder

der Bestseller

das Catering

die Couch

das iPhone

der Loser

das Meeting

das Tshirt

Verbs:

babysitten

bloggen

downloaden

einchecken (to check in)

googlen

snowboarden

For an extensive list please check out this website.

What is your favourite English word that has migrated into modern German?

December 15, 2013

Grammar Tips: Two-way Prepositions in German

Prepositions are important words in sentences as they show the relation between the words. Common prepositions in English include: with, in, for, to etc. One major difference between English and German grammar is that each preposition in the German language is associated with a specific case. Here we are looking at a specific subset of prepositions called two-way prepositions which can be used with either the accusative or dative case. The following is the complete list of nine two-way prepositions:

in (into, in) über (over, above)

an (to, onto, on) unter (under, below)

auf (onto, on) vor (in front of)

hinter (behind) zwischen (between)

neben (next to)

1. The accusative is used if there is clearly motion from point A to B. Generally verbs of motion fall into this category. Commonly used verbs include to go (gehen), to drive (fahren), to fly (fliegen), to fall (fallen) etc.

I’m going into the car. Ich gehe in das Auto.

I am driving into the city. Ich fahre in die Stadt.

2. The dative is used if there is no motion, or motion occurs in a circular pattern or restricted area wherein you come back to your starting point i.e. pacing back and forth, swimming laps, jumping on the spot.

I am in the car. Ich bin in dem Auto.

I am swimming in the pool. Ich schwimme in dem Becken.

3. Specific verbs are used in German to clearly show in what position something is placed. For example, if a book is placed flat on a table one would use a different verb than if it was placed upright in a shelf.

Accusative Dative

stellen (to place upright) stehen (to be placed upright)

legen (to place flat) liegen (to be placed flat)

setzen (to place sitting up) sitzen (to be seated)

stecken (to stick somewhere) stecken (to be stuck somewhere)

hängen (to hang up) hängen (to be hanging)

Examples:

I am placing the cup on the table. Ich stelle die Tasse auf den Tisch.

The cup is on the table. Die Tasse steht auf dem Tisch.

4. Wo is always used in the dative case as it shows where something is located whereas wohin indicates motion and is therefore used with the accusative case.

Where are you? Wo bist du?

Where are you going (to)? Wohin gehst du?

5. Certain prepositions may be contracted with definite articles in both the accusative and dative. While these contractions are not mandatory, they are certainly common in both speech and writing and should be memorized. Some examples follow:

Accusative Dative

auf + das = aufs in + dem = im

in + das = ins an + dem = am

July 16, 2013

Grammar Tips: The German Case System Explained

Every language has some way of showing the function of nouns and pronouns within a given sentence. Some languages, such as modern English, rely heavily on word order and prepositions whereas other languages rely on declensions. Declensions are the changes that occur to the endings of articles, pronouns, possessives, adjectives, nouns etc. to show their function in a given sentence. (Changes that occur to verbs are called conjugations).

Declensions in Modern English

Modern English has retained declensions mostly in pronouns only. Look what happens to the word “he” as it goes through its three manifestations for English as its function in the sentence changes from subject, to object to possessive.

1. He is a pilot. ‘He’ as subject-the person/thing doing the action

2. I see him. ‘Him’ as object-the person/thing receiving the action

3. His friend is here. ‘His’ showing possession

Declensions in Modern German

German features one extra case to distinguish direct from indirect objects. Indirect objects receive an action indirectly; it shows to/for whom something is done. English relies on word order or prepositions to make this distinction.

Therefore, German has four cases in total each of which has been given a Latin name: subject = nominative case, direct object = accusative case, indirect object = dative case, possessive = genitive case.

1. Er ist Pilot. ‘Er’ as subject of the sentence. = nominative

2. Ich sehe ihn. ‘Ihn’ as direct object = accusative

3. Ich gebe es ihm. ‘Ihm’ as indirect object = dative

4. Das Ei des Mannes. ‘Des Mannes’ as the possessor = genitive

The advantage of the case system found in German is more flexibility with word order:

Ich sehe ihn./Ihn sehe ich. = I see him.

Objects of Prepositions:

In German, nouns and pronouns can also become objects of specific prepositions forcing them into the accusative, dative or genitive case (the nominative does not have any prepositions) depending upon the preposition used. One must memorize with which case each of the prepositions is associated.

1. Ich lebe ohne einen Hund. = Accusative

2. Ich lebe mit einem Hund. = Dative

List of Prepositions by Case:

Accusative

durch (through), entlang (along), ohne (without), um (around, at), gegen (against), für (for)

Dative

aus (from), ausser (except), bei (at, near), mit (with), nach (after), seit (since, for), von (from, by), zu (to), gegenüber (across from)

Two-Way

These prepositions may be used with either the accusative or the dative case. The accusative is used if there is motion from point A to B whereas the dative is used if there is no motion, or motion within a restricted area i.e. pacing back and forth.

in (into, in), über (over, above), an (to, onto, on), unter (under, below), auf (onto, on), vor (in front of), hinter (behind), zwischen (between), neben (next to)

Genitive

trotz (despite), während (during), wegen (because of), (an)statt (instead of)

May 27, 2013

Grammar Tips: Expressing ‘to’ in German with verbs of motion

Unlike English, German uses a variety of prepositions to express ‘to’ with verbs of motion. What follows is a concise study guide to this tricky aspect of German grammar.

A. With geographic place names

When traveling to a geographic place name, use the preposition nach. This includes: countries, cities, towns, etc.

I am flying to Germany. Ich fliege nach Deutschland.

*Exception: if the place name is preceded by an article. This includes: die Schweiz, der Libanon, die Türkei, der Jemen, die USA (Plural), der Iran, die Niederlande (Plural), der Irak etc.

I am flying to Switzerland. Ich fliege in die Schweiz.

B. With places around town:

With places around town, either the preposition ‘in’ is used in the accusative case, or the proposition ‘zu’ is used in the dative case. Contractions are commonly employed.

I am going to the market. Ich gehe in den or zum (zu+dem) Markt.

C. Idiomatic usages

The following examples are idiomatic in nature and must simply be memorized:

I am going to the bank/post office. Ich gehe auf die Bank/Post.

I am going home. Ich gehe nach Hause.

We are driving to the coast. Wir fahren an die Küste.

March 20, 2013

Grammar Tips: German Compound Nouns

One unique feature of the German language is its ability to create extremely long compound nouns. While this can seem daunting at first, it’s simply a matter of breaking down the noun into its component parts to understand its meaning. For example, Busfahrerin (Bus + fahrer + in). The first word here shows the mode of transport, the second the action (fahren = to drive), and finally the female suffix (-in) shows the gender of the driver.

German compound nouns can take one of numerous formats:

1. nouns only: der Milchmann

2. adjective + noun: die Großmutter

3. verb stem + noun: die Waschmaschine

4. Preposition + noun: die Vorlesung

Learning to interpret compound nouns:

Here is an example of a long compound noun in German:

das Fussballweltmeisterschaftsqualifikationsspiel

1. To start, it’s helpful to break up the word into its component parts:

das Fuss-ball-welt-meister-schaft-s*-qualifikations-spiel (*sometimes an extra letter is inserted for ease of pronunciation)

2. Now let us translate the independent parts:

foot-ball-world-master-ship-qualification-game

3. Now let us translate into English:

World Cup soccer qualifying game!

4. Now try to translate the following compound nouns into English:

die Blumentopferde

die Gutenachtgeschichte

die Rufnummernanzeige

der Organspenderausweis

March 5, 2013

Book Review: Found in Translation

As a Spanish and German language instructor I am sometimes asked to do translation work. However, I am not qualified as a translator or interpreter and must carefully explain this to my clients. They are sometimes confused as they don’t understand why if someone can speak two languages they cannot simply translate between them. The answer to this question is explained in the wonderfully written Found in Translation co-authored by Nataly Kelly, a Spanish-English translator and Jost Zetzsche a German-English interpreter.

What most people do not understand is that to become a translator or interpreter one must understand all the varied nuances between two languages so as not to commit any mistakes. Training takes many years of both schooling and “living the language.” Found in Translation is full of anecdotes of what can happen when an unqualified person attempts to translate or interpret.

When I first started learning Spanish 17 years ago I remember coming across words which seemed to be the same in both languages but in fact had very different meanings. Anyone who has studied a language has found themselves on the wrong side of these “false friends.” Kelly details one such example in Chapter 1 in a side note titled Embarrassed to be Embarazada. I always get a good chuckle from my beginner Spanish students when I explain that the Spanish expression “estoy embarazada” has very little to do with being embarrassed but rather being pregnant!

I particularly enjoyed chapter 5, Partaking in Pleasures and Delighting the Senses in Translation. One part of this chapter gives hilarious examples of when companies get international brand names very wrong; so wrong that they are unsellable in English-speaking countries. Some examples given include the following: a Polish juice named Fart, a sports drink in the Czech Republic named Erektus, and a soft drink from Ghana called Pee Cola. For your eating pleasure you will find the Chinese snack food Only Puke, Prick, a Brazilian potato chips brand and Shitto which is apparently the name given to a spicy pepper sauce. I think it’s fair to say that these companies did not invest in proper translation!

An overarching theme of the book is how translators and interpreters often go unnoticed and underappreciated. Even I was surprised at many of the ways translation affects our everyday life without us even being aware of it. Translation is crucial for healthcare, the justice system, scientific advancements, politics and even love stories to reach their potential. I have heard Nataly Kelly speak on one of my favorite language podcasts PRI’s The World in Words where she very eloquently explained how she has a brief window into a very intimate moment in a person’s life and then she is gone often without knowing the outcome. This rang especially true when she described her experiences interpreting 911 calls.

In sum, Found in Translation is a wonderful read that can be enjoyed by language service professionals, students of language or just those curious about this profession. The book contains an extensive notes section with excellent resources for those in the interpreting and translation fields as well as an extensive index to cross reference specific interests.

February 26, 2013

Grammar Tips: Special Expressions with ‘to have’

Certain common expressions in both Spanish and German use the verb ‘to have’. Below is a list of common expressions in which Spanish and German function in this manner. As these expressions do not always translate literally into English, they are best memorized.

Spanish expressions with the verb ‘tener’

1. To ask how old someone is you say:

¿Cuántos años tienes? – -> How many years do you have?

Tengo 20 años. – -> I have 20 years.

2. To talk about pain in the body you say:

¿Tienes dolor de cabeza? – -> Do you have pain of head?

3. To talk about sensations:

¿Tienes frío/hambre? – -> Do you have cold/hunger?

4. Idiomatic expressions:

tener miedo de . . . . . . – -> to have fear of . . . . . .

tener interés en . . . . . . – -> to have interest in . . . . . .

tener ganas de . . . . . . – -> to feel like . . . . . .

tener razón – -> to be correct

tener prisa – -> to be in a hurry

tener celos – -> to be jealous

tener éxito – -> to be successful

tener suerte – -> to be lucky

tener lugar – -> to take place

tener que – -> to have to

German expressions with the verb ‘haben’

1. To talk about pain in the body you say:

¿Hast du Kopfschmerzen? – -> Do you have a headache?

2. To talk about sensations:

¿Hast du Hunger/Durst? – -> Do you have hunger/thirst?

3. Idiomatic expressions:

haben Angst vor . . . . . . – -> to have fear of . . . . . .

haben Lust auf . . . . . . – -> to feel like . . . . . .

haben Interesse an . . . . . . – -> to have interest in . . . . . .

Recht haben – -> to be correct

Eile haben – -> to be in a hurry

Heimweh haben – -> to be homesick

Glück haben – -> to be lucky

January 29, 2013

Further Learning: Memory Aids for Language Learning Part II

This is part two of a two-part blog on memory aids for language learning. In the first blog (written November 21,2012) I covered subconscious memory aids such as employing colors, smells and music to expand the power of your mind to recover information. Here, in the second part, I will focus on consciously developed techniques such as: mnemonics, the memory palace, labeling and intermittent review.

Mnemonics

Mnemonics is a well-known system designed to help people remember. It may consist of acronyms, images and linking words. How many of you remember learning the colours of the rainbow in elementary school with the acronym ROY-G-BIV? (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). A funny example from my first-year Spanish course at University was how to remember the word for swimming pool in Spanish. The word is spelled piscina and it is pronounced (pis-I-na). My professor said it’s easy to remember as young children often “piss in a {pool}!” I have developed quite a few acronyms for German. For example, I use DOG-WUF to help my students remember the accusative prepositions: durch, ohne, gegen, wider, für and um. Students can even invent their own mnemonic devices often with great success.

Memory palace

Another trick that works for some people is called a memory palace. This technique allows people to memorize something by picturing a scene in their minds and then linking specific words to the images. For example, you might picture a family photo you are familiar with and then go in and imagine everyone wearing a piece of clothing bearing the name of their relationship to you in the target language. For example, your grandmother may be wearing a shirt with an “Oma” logo on the front. Some people develop this technique further and imagine themselves walking through various scenes in a story with each scene providing new clues to words they wish to remember.

Labeling

Sometimes, simply labelling items around the house helps. You can buy predesigned labels online or make your own. When studying a gendered language, it’s important to include each noun’s gender on the label. This is a great way to build vocabulary for items around the home especially in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Some people even label their office or classroom environment. Try to engage the labels by creating sentences in your mind as you go about your daily tasks.

Intermittent Review

Sometimes frustrations arise when you see or hear a word you know you’ve encountered before but simply can’t remember what it means! This is often true of words that don’t appear frequently in common conversation. It’s important to write down any words you have trouble with on a special page in your binder or notebook titled “troublesome words.” This page should be reviewed every time you go to study. In general, any new vocabulary you learn should be revisited within 24 hours, then again in three days, a week and finally a month. Studies have shown that students who follow this review pattern have upwards of a 90% retention rate for newly learned vocabulary.

Have you had success with any of the above memory aids or any others? Feel free to share below.

January 9, 2013

Further Learning: Memory Aids for Language Learning Part I

The ability to memorize is crucial to learning a language as an adult. Unfortunately, some students give up, claiming they simply can’t learn because they have a “bad memory.” In reality, healthy people are born with similar potential but not everyone has the skills or techniques to maximize their memory capacity. As everyone learns differently, trying out a few of the techniques outlined below is best, as the first one you try may not be right for you. In this blog, I will focus on subconscious memory aids including: colors, smells and music. Part II will focus on consciously developed techniques such as: mnemonics, the memory palace technique, labeling and intermittent review.

Colors

Colors can be extremely useful in helping your brain store information. For example, you may wish to designate a certain color such as red to all the feminine nouns in your target language. Then, when you go to recall that noun, its gender will come to you automatically as you will picture it in that context. Not only gender can be memorized like this, you can also use varying colors of ink or paper for verb conjugations or case systems such as those found in German.

Smells

This is a great technique for high school and university students who need to remember a lot of information come exam time. Choose a scent you easily associate with a specific language. For example, perhaps you associate lemons with Spanish as it has a tropical undertone. Then, every time you go to study Spanish, cut open a fresh lemon and allow the smell to permeate the air. Then, before heading into your exam rub some lemon scent on the inside of your wrist. While you are in the exam, smell this periodically when you are struggling, close your eyes and the information will come flooding back! This also works with essential oils and perfumes for those who are not fragrance sensitive.

Music and other audio

Some people need absolute quiet to study, but most of us actually benefit from background noise. Personally, I found listening to Latin music extremely helpful in my early studies of Spanish. It put me in an upbeat mood and opened my mind to the possibility that one day I would understand all the lyrics if I kept at my studies. I began playing specific artists while studying specific themes. For example, salsa beats for verb conjugations. Soon enough I was conjugating along to the beat of the music! Other audio, such as dialogues in the target language or vocabulary tracks, can also help you immensely in learning a new language. Even if you are not actively repeating what they are saying, consistent exposure enables the student to get a feel for the pronunciation and rhythm of the language.

If you have had success with any of the above techniques or others please share by posting a comment here or on my Facebook page (link below).

November 21, 2012

Tag: German