September 2009
78 posts
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August 2009
93 posts
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“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people...”
– Anne Frank
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“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
– Richard Wagner
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Who wants to come to the blackboard...
…and tell me in which city the famous Oktoberfest takes place every year?
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“Becoming a father isn’t difficult, but it’s very difficult to be a...”
– Wilhelm Busch
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“People’s behavior makes sense if you think about it in terms of their...”
– Thomas Mann
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Survival phrases 3
1. Mein Lieblingsbuch ist…. = My favourite book is….
2. Meine Lieblingsband ist… = My favourite band is…
3. Mein Lieblingsfilm ist…. = My favourite movie is….
4. Mein Lieblingsschauspieler is…. = My favourite actor is….
5. Mein Lieblingsautor ist… = My favourite author is….
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“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
– Martin Luther
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The four #German cases
1.) Nominativ (Werfall) - nominative
2.) Genitiv (Wessenfall) - genitive
3.) Dativ (Wemfall) - dative
4.) Akkusativ (Wenfall) - accusative
These are the four German cases - die vier Fälle. They are important for you to understand, since they affect both nouns and pronouns in our language depending on their function in a sentence. In addition certain verbs and prepositions trigger certain...
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“We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.”
– Konrad Adenauer
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“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”
– Karl Marx
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“Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their...”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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“It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the...”
– Johann Sebastian Bach
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Survival phrases 2
1. Mir ist schlecht. = I’m feeling nauseous.
2. Ich habe Fieber. = I have a fever.
3. Ich habe Schmerzen. = I’m in pain.
4. Mir ist schwindelig. = I’m feeling dizzy.
5. Ich bin krank. = I’m ill.
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“Immaturity is the incapacity to use one’s intelligence without the...”
– Immanuel Kant
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“What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too...”
– Hermann Hesse
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“When words leave off, music begins.”
– Heinrich Heine
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“The most deadly fruit is borne by the hatred which one grafts on an extinguished...”
– Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
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Some survival phrases ;)
1. Ich habe Hunger. = I’m hungry.
2. Ich habe Durst. = I’m thirsty.
3. Ich bin satt. = I’m full.
4. Mein Lieblingsessen ist… = My favourite food is….
5. Mein Lieblingsgetränk ist… = My favourite drink is….
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“Even bad books are books and therefore sacred.”
– Günther Grass
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10 types of streets in #German
1.) die Straße (-n) = street (-s)
2.) die Gasse (-n) = lane (-s)
3.) die Allee (-n) = alley (-s)
4.) der Weg (-e) = way (-s)
5.) die Promenade (-n) = promenade (-s)
6.) der Boulevard (-e) = boulevard (-s)
7.) die Passage (-n) = areaway (-s)
8.) die Chaussee (-n) = avenue (-s)
9.) der Pfad (-e) = path (-s)
10.) der Steig (-e) = steep path (-s)
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“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the...”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
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“Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in...”
– Erich Fromm
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“Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them...”
– Berthold Brecht
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“Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the...”
– Arthur Schopenhauer
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“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
– Albert Einstein
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“Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”
– Franz Kafka
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"Sie" versus "du" part 2
Your answers to “Sie” versus “du” part 1 were really good! :) So let’s summarize when to use Sie (formal) versus du (informal):
You use Sie when…:
- you’re talking to colleagues at work
- you’re talking to adults you’ve just met or complete strangers
- you’re in a business situations
- you use “Herr…/Frau…” to...
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Homework 2 - answers
This week’s homework was about conjugating verbs in the present tense. Maybe the way it was set up was too difficult for beginners. I promise, next week’s homework will be easier, so that more of you can actually participate. :)
I decided not to reblog one of the two reblogs this time. But I wanna thank you, @stuwilliams and @2srbs1itln for the reblogs! The main mistakes I noticed...
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How to Say Hello and Goodbye in German →
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Smoking age limits in #Germany
We now know about drinking age limits here in Germany. But what about smoking? Before the laws were tightened in 2007, teenagers were permitted to smoke in public or buy tobacco and cigarettes as soon as they turned 16. The age limit is 18 now.
About 15 % of all German teenagers are smokers - compare this to e.g. California, where it’s only 8 %. (via wikipedia). Most of them smoke...
You still have time ...
… to answer this week’s homework. C’mon, guys! Give it a shot! ;) Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form - only present tense - and reblog it for us to learn from your answers! :) If you have difficulties, check out the following GermanHeit posts:
Conjugation of regular verbs in the present tense
Also the posts tagged with “conjugation” may be helpful :)
...
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"Sie" versus "du" Part 1
“Wie geht es dir/euch (plural)? / Wie geht es Ihnen?” … both translate to “How are you?”. So what’s the difference and is it important to know?
The answer is YES, because Germans tend to be uncomfortable when the “du” / “Sie” rules are broken.
du / ihr (plural) = addresses to someone in a familiar way
Sie / Sie (plural) = addresses to...
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Conjugation "schneiden" (simple past)
Today’s conjugation:
schneiden = (to) cut in the simple past (einfache Vergangenheit / Präteritum)
ich schnitt
du schnittst
er / sie / es schnitt
wir schnitten
ihr schnittet
sie schnitten
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10 ways to say "dünn" (thin) in #German
1.) dünn
2.) mager
3.) dürr
4.) hager
5.) knochig
6.) schmal
7.) schmächtig
8.) ausgemergelt
9.) rappeldürr
10.) ausgehungert
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Homework 2
It’s the end of the week and that means it’s time for another homework assignment! This time, you have to fill in the blanks with the right form of the verb. It’s all present tense. And you’ll know which verb you need to conjugate, cause it’s written in parentheses (infinitive).
1.) Das …….. mein Hund Bob. (sein)
2.) Bob …….. gern...
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Drinking age limits in #Germany
The minimum drinking age (MDA) and the minimum purchasing age (MPA) is less strict in Germany than in some other countries.
You’d be surprised to learn, that German teenagers are allowed to buy and consume beer and wine in public at the age of 16. For distilled beverages it’s 18.
If you are under 16 you may not be served beer or wine unless you are accompanied by parents. How is it...
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First small talk 4: job and profession
Profession or occupation is “der Beruf (-e)” in German. The adjective is “beruflich”. der Job (-s) = job
Question:
Was machst du / machen Sie beruflich?
Was bist du / sind Sie von Beruf?
Was arbeitest du/ arbeiten Sie?
All three questions mean the same: What do you do for a living? What’s your job / profession?
Reply:
Ich bin… von Beruf.
Ich arbeite als…..
Simply add...
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Is it Christmas already?
Come to #Nürnberg during the summer and depending on the area, you can experience the amazing smell of freshly baked gingerbread in the air. Mmmm.
I used to live near two of the biggest gingerbread factories for many years, and therefore could smell it almost all year long. ;)
Some of you said Aachen is the city of gingerbread and yeah, you are kind of right about that, too. Aachener Printen are...