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Definite Article vs. Possessive Pronoun

While watching videos on Yabla German, you may have noticed a particular type of sentence in which the English translation doesn't line up with the German, such as:

 

Wenn der Kopf wehtut oder die Glieder schmerzen, bekommt man dort auch Schmerzmittel mit Wirkstoffen wie Ibuprofen oder Paracetamol.

When your head hurts or your limbs hurt, you also can get pain medication with active ingredients such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Captions 25-26, Eva erklärt: Gesundheit

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When referring to parts of the body, clothing, or personal items, it's much less common to use a personal pronoun such as mein or dein ("my" or "your") in German. Many sentences simply employ the definite object (der, die, or das) or rely on a dative structure, and the ownership is simply implied. 

 

Denn es kann guttun, den Kreislauf etwas anzuregen.

Because it can do you good to stimulate your circulation.

Caption 38, Deutsch mit Eylin: Erkältungszeit

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Es ist ganz wichtig, dass wir die Hände gut waschen.

It is very important that we wash our hands well.

Caption 11, Bundesamt für Gesundheit: Coronavirus und Schulen

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The examples above contain general statements, and it would be possible to write "one" or "you" in English. But often it is about something specific and personal:

 

Ja, jedenfalls hab ich jetzt einen Riesenkarton Filzgleiter unterm Bett.

Yes, at any rate, I now have a giant box of felt pads under my bed.

Caption 62, Tatortreiniger: Rebellen

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Hast es im Kopf schon so oft durchgespielt.

You've already gone through it in your head so many times.

Caption 4, Max Giesinger: Nie stärker als jetzt

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Lassen Sie dann die Knie und die Hände in der gleichen Position.

Then leave your knees and hands in the same position.

Caption 66, Die Schmerzspezialisten: Effektive Rückenübungen gegen Schmerzen im unteren Rücken

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Further Learning
You'll find many examples like this on Yabla German.

 

 

Rules, Regulations, and Regularity, Part II

To follow up on last week's newsletter about die Regel and related terms, we're going to look at the words regelmäßig and regulär. 

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The adjective regulär refers to something that is standard, normal, or in accordance with rules or norms and can be used to describe something that is proper, official, or standard. It is translated as "regular," but also "normal," "conventional," "ordinary," or "usual."

 

Dann sprichst du doch bestimmt einfach vom regulären Auto.

Then you're probably just talking about a regular car.

Caption 75, Ratespiel: Fortbewegungsmittel

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Der Kunde hat die Wahl: Freiland-, Bio- oder reguläres Fleisch.

The customer has the choice: free-range, organic, or regular meat.

Caption 9, Berlin: Die beste Auswahl an Hamburgern

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The adverb regelmäßig refers to an action that occurs repeatedly or follows a consistent pattern. 

 

Das ist das Zeichen, man sollte sie regelmäßig machen.

This is a sign that you should do it regularly.

Caption 72, Die Schmerzspezialisten: Effektive Rückenübungen gegen Schmerzen im unteren Rücken

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Kinderärztin Renate Werwigk-Schneider führt regelmäßig Gruppen durch das Museum.

Pediatrician Renate Werwigk-Schneider regularly guides groups through the museum.

Caption 21, Flüchtlingskrise: Besuch in ehemaligem DDR-Notaufnahmelager

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But regelmäßig is also an adjective. Here you can see how it is declined: 

 

Von Deutschland aus gibt es regelmäßige Verbindungen per Flugzeug.

From Germany, there are regular connections by airplane.

Caption 20, 48 h in Innsbruck: Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps

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One oddity that you may already be familiar with is the fact that regular and irregular verbs are not referred to as regulär, but rather as regelmäßig and unregelmäßig. 

 

Jetzt möchte ich dir das Perfekt der regelmäßigen und der unregelmäßigen Verben vorstellen.

Now I'd like to introduce you to the perfect tense of the regular and the irregular verbs.

Captions 7-8, Deutsch mit Eylin: Das Perfekt

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Further Learning
You can look up the adjective regelwidrig and the noun der Regelverstoß. What other related words can you find on Yabla German?