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Would you like to learn more German?
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- Category: German vocabulary
Suchen Sie einen neuen Job?
Brauchen Sie neue Kunden?
Wollen Sie jemandem helfen, eine ganz neue Karriere anzufangen?
Dann brauchen Sie Vitamin "B".
"B" für Beziehung
Everybody knows you need vitamins, preferrably from fruits and vegetables, or from vitamin tablets. There are real B vitamins in Germany, like Vitamin B12, however they also have this special vitamin known as "Beziehung"...relationship.
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- Category: German learning methods
I have a confession to make: my first German teacher was so bad, I blocked him from my memory.
For years now I've been working on this website, cultivating each page and making everything as genuine and transparent as possible. And then it hit me: I have indeed had another German teacher (a professor, actually), from whom I learned exactly 3 words of German in 2 semesters at college:
ein Glas Limonade
Yep, das war alles.
So it's no wonder I'd blocked it all out. It was just that bad.
I wanted to demonstrate to you, dear reader, what fantastic skills I learned from my teachers, from the teacher at Eloquia and at the Goethe-Institut, and how those skills carried me for years after! Each lesson was beneficial, the learning and memorizational techniques demanding and helpful, helping me store everything in my long-term memory as soon as possible. These teachers were absolute pros!
This particular professor was the exact opposite.
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- Category: German vocabulary
In German there are a few words that express something so specific, so perfect, that we really need them in English. Like Gemütlichkeit! We don't have a word or a specific concept just like that to describe feeling "comfortable, happy, and content" in English, and we also don't have the slang use of Schmerzensgeld that the Germans have--and sometimes we really need it.
The dictionary definition of Schmerzensgeld is "money for pain and suffering." As in the legal term, if you are wrongfully injured and receive a settlement, you may receive money not only to pay your medical bills, but also for your pain & suffering. This is an official, legal term, that you will find in newspapers and in legal paperwork.
The slang definition, however, is perfect to describe situations when you:
- feel taken advantage of by a customer
- worked too hard for a customer last time and now they're coming back for more
- actually charge someone more for being a pain in the you-know-what
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- Category: German vocabulary
As a little gift to you for Hanukkah this year, here are some printable flashcards on Judaism and Hannukah auf Deutsch!
What's fascinating about many vocabulary words for Judaism and Hanukkah in German is how strikingly similar they are to the English words. "Kosher" is simply spelled "Koscher," for example, and simply reflects the German spelling ("sch") as opposed to the English ("sh").
Here are the flashcards for general terms on "Das Judentum in Deutschland." (Judaism in Germany) This PDF covers general terms like "der Jude," for a male Jew and "Synagoge" for the Synagogue.
Since it's Hanukkah right now, it's the perfect opportunity for you to learn about Chanukka - auf Deutsch! Included in this PDF are Hanukkah terms which cover everything from the Dreidl to powdered donuts.
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- Category: German culture and food
Since you're here, you probably don't need much convincing to visit a German-speaking country. However, you might enjoy being aware of what you'll run into on a deeper level. After all, since you're here, you're probably a seasoned traveler (and not an obnoxious tourist).
1. Experience the opposite of urban sprawl:
Germany is about the size of the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin together and they have a population of around 82 million people. To contrast, in the US we have about 300 million on a huuuge plot of land, so it’s much more densely populated. Germany is growing in diversity, so you will likely run into folks of many different backgrounds.
2. Speak with your hands and feet.
Most Germans, in particular in big cities like Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart, Munich, and Berlin speak some amount of English. So whatever German you speak will help when you travel outside those areas. The Germans have a saying, "sich mit Händen und Füßen verständigen." Meaning: you can do a lot [gesturing] with your hands and your feet to communicate. Feel free to contact the Office of Tourism in places you would like to visit and have them send you some maps and other information before you go. There are lots of opportunities to have city tours in English, too.
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