How to improve your German

[MonkOverBook]

Well, what's the problem you're discussing?

Just catch a native speaker and hold on tight, ladies...

most of them do know enough English to get you along.

[linmag]

That's done it, MonkOverBook, now I'm going to be humming Beethoven's 9th all day

[MonkOverBook]

LOL lin - I'm just imagining:

"Seid umschlungen, Millionen,
diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt..."

[linmag]

I think they tried that in the 60's, MOB . It didn't catch on, unfortunately.

[MonkOverBook]

Didn't it?

Poor LC... He's been working so hard all these years

[Diane]

MonkOverBook you no longer need to answer my question about whether you are coming to Berlin.

You said:

Just catch a native speaker and hold on tight, ladies...

most of them do know enough English to get you along.

Yes, most Europeans speak very good English and put us Brits to shame. But it is nice to be able to say at least a few words.

Lizzy said:

What is in this? Was ist das? (vas ist das)


This one made me laugh ~ I hope you're ready for the barrage of ingredients, spoken in German, once you ask

Lizzy, that phrase sounds very multi-purpose though. Like it could be used quite often in various circumstances, and make one feel as though one could sprechen the lingo . Yes, the replies we will get . We really are just going to have to wing it, I think .

Pawel said:

Forget about all this sentences! You need only 2 words! wurst & bier

Pawel, I am a vegetarian, so I think I would be hungry but happy .

I must check out the translation service you found Ali. Or even better, take someone's laptop with us so we can wait until we know what we need to say .

If we learn all the words to Beethoven's 9th, would it be enough to get us by, do you think?

Diane (who still hasn't finished her homework )

[Diane]

Can everyone please learn this by 9am tomorrow morning:

(damn I can't get the translation side by side with the German)

German original

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere
anstimmen und freudenvollere.
Freude! Froh Freude!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
(Schiller's original:
Was der Mode Schwert geteilt;
Bettler werden Fürstenbrüder,)
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
Finale repeats the words:
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Seid umschlungen,
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken

English translation

Oh friends, not these tones!
Rather let us sing more
cheerful and more joyful ones.
Joy! Glad joy!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We approach fire-drunk,
Heavenly One, your shrine.
Your magic reunites
What custom sternly divides;
All people become brothers
(Schiller's original:
What custom's sword separates;
Beggars become princes' brothers)
Where your gentle wing alights.
Whoever succeeds in the great attempt
To be a friend of a friend,
Whoever has won a lovely woman,
Let him add his jubilation!
Yes, whoever calls even one soul
His own on the earth's globe!
And who never has, let him steal,
Weeping, away from this group.
All creatures drink joy
At the breasts of nature;
All the good, all the evil
Follow her roses' trail.
Kisses gave she us, and wine,
A friend, proven unto death;
Pleasure was to the worm granted,
And the cherub stands before God.
Glad, as his suns fly
Through the Heavens' glorious plan,
Run, brothers, your race,
Joyful, as a hero to victory.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, you millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the star-canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell.
Finale repeats the words:
Be embraced, ye millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods

[MonkOverBook]

Lovely, Diane.

What about singing it altogether in Berlin?

Oh, by the way:

What is in this? Was ist das? (vas ist das)

"What is IN this?" has to be rendered by "Was ist da drin?" (vas ist da drinn).

Servus,

MOB

[lizzytysh]

Margaret ~

I got the phrase book last night and it seems perfect! Diane ~ I think we're all set with this ~ relatively small, very lightweight, and divided into categories suitable for our travels.

Squidgy ~ If you're reading, you can call off the hunt ! I'll contact you, otherwise, to let you know, too. I appreciate your offer to help hunt one down, since I live in such a deprived area for such things. Thank you !

This is great, Margaret ! Thanks !

Love,
Lizzy

[annaedith]

hi everybody!
so if you ask "was ist in der wurst?" - what is in the sausage, be prepared:

GOOD ANSWERS:
fleisch - meat
schwein - pig
rind - cattle
geflügel - chicken
gewürze - spices

BAD ANSWERS (at least the things you might not like:)
Leber - liver
Niere - kidney
Gehirn - brain

that just came to my mind, i once read in a bill bryson book that foreigners are very afraid of what they might get to eat in germany! but don't worry, we eat those things mentioned under bad answers, but you've got to order it especially and you don't get it everywhere!

some other useful terms:
Möchten Sie Fotos von meinem Hund/meiner Katze anschauen? - would you like to see photos of my dog/my cat?

Ich mag Leonard Cohen - i like LC

Ich verstehe nichts - i don't understand anything

so, good luck and good nerves for learning!

anna

[lizzytysh]

And thank you, Anna Edith, 'specially on the good nerves . Most public-fare food isn't going to kill me, eating it once... I love liver and kidneys [as meat goes]... and I'm an adventurous eater [can't recall having had brain]. Still, if I'm paying for something, I'll eat as vegetarian as possible.

~ Lizzy

[MonkOverBook]

hey annaedith,

do not forget our great "saures lüngerl" (sour lungs)!!! I remember the first time having it right above Tegernsee (at Neureuth) with a great view around the Bavarian Alps. Wonderful day that was...

Here's a link to their website with a panorama view at the bottom:
http://www.dullinger-web.de/huetten/vor ... ut-obb.htm

[Diane]

MOB,

What about singing it altogether in Berlin?

Well, I don't think I would want to spoil such a beautiful thing by singing it myself, but I am already looking forward to your rendition .

Ah, I thought there was a word missing in the 'what is (in) this?' sentence. Thanks. And now...

I got the phrase book last night and it seems perfect! Diane ~ I think we're all set with this ~ relatively small, very lightweight, and divided into categories suitable for our travels.

...Lizzy has the phrase book. Great, Lizzy, and Margaret. Sorted.

Annaedeth said:

I once read in a bill bryson book that foreigners are very afraid of what they might get to eat in germany

As a veggie, I am starting to think I will be on a diet of omelettes, as per my last trip to Germany .

Thanks for the extra phrases, and especially:

Ich verstehe nichts - i don't understand anything

That might come in very handy. Are you going to be in Berlin, Annaedith?

Here are some more useful phrases I found:

How's it going? Wie geht's (Vee gayts)
Shut up! Halt den mund! (halt den moont!)
See you soon, Bis bald (biss balt)
You're joking, Mach keine witze (makh kine(r) vit-tse(r))
Great/Brilliant, Fetzig (fetsikh)
Friend, ein kumpel (eyn koompel)

Diane

[annaedith]

hi monk,
looks like a nice place for trying sares lüngerl! however, i'd rather prefer saure zipfel (sausage cooked in acid(?) sauce).
in berlin, maybe you'd like to try Berliner Schnitzel, but beware (and everybody should!): it's not a normal Schnitzel which are fine and can't be spoiled by anything , but a Berliner Schnitzel is made out of a cow's udder!
by the way, Diane, you may say fetzig for brilliant in Berlin, but the rest of germany would rather stick to "super", "toll", "prima" ! and "Sweet" has also a berlin expression: "putzig" while everybody else says "süss" (easier to learn!)
so, never stop learning!
anna

[lizzytysh]

Thanks for these additions, Diane . "Shut up"? Oh my... That's for our use with the officers ? Or, with each other, in the presence of the officers ?

I don't know... I'd like to try all that seemingly bizarre stuff, at least a bite of it... sure won't be making any steady diet of those things... and likely won't even have another opportunity to try them... sour lungs ~ geez. Who'd'uh thunk?