This week, let's take a look at the verb ziehen. It's true that there are many nuances, but we'll focus for now on the two main translations, the first of which is "to pull":
Super, Jo. Und ihr helft mit ziehen, ja?
Super, Jo. And you'll help us pull, right?
Caption 6, JoNaLu - Heiß und kalt
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Viele haben aber wohl schon darüber nachgedacht, wie es wäre, einfach mal den Stecker zu ziehen.
Many have, however, likely already thought about how it would be to simply pull the plug.
Captions 5-6, Vierzig Tage offline - Ein Selbstversuch
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Relatedly, in English, we say "to take a ticket" or "to draw a number," but in German ziehen is also used for this purpose:
Zieht sich 'n Ticket, vier siebzig für die Fahrt ist ja ganz schön hart
She takes a ticket, four seventy for the ride, it's quite tough [quite a lot] indeed
Caption 27, Cro - Bye Bye
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The second common meaning of ziehen is "to move," "to migrate," or "to proceed."
Rötlich-violette Schwaden ziehen durchs Wasser, das hier fast frei von Sauerstoff ist.
Reddish-violet vapors move through the water, which here is almost oxygen-free.
Caption 8, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten - Part 5
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Sie ziehen von Haus zu Haus und verlangen Süßigkeiten.
They proceed from house to house and demand sweets.
Caption 16, Cettina erklärt - Halloween
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Interestingly enough, there is a common usage of ziehen which can be translated as "to draw," but also implies movement towards something. In a way, it is a combination of the two meanings.
Kaum scheint die Sonne, zieht es die Schleckermäuler an die Eisdielen.
The sun is scarcely shining and it draws [those with a] sweet tooth to the ice-cream parlors.
Caption 1, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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Ich als Hamburger bin hier eigentlich als Flachlandtiroler und dennoch zieht es mich immer wieder in die Berge.
As a resident of Hamburg, I am actually known as a "flatland Tyrolean" and yet I am still repeatedly drawn to the mountains.
Captions 3-4, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps - Part 1
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Further Learning
There are many sentences that include the verb ziehen on Yabla German, so do a quick search if you need more examples. You can also review past newsletters in which we looked at the phrases Bilanz ziehen and Es zieht!
When we are trying to make a specification, we rely on phrases like "sort of," "type of," and "variety of." You may think these words each correspond with the most similar word in the title above, but things are not that simple. This is German, after all!
Die Art can be most generically employed as a translation for "the type of" or "the sort of," and also "the way of."
Spätzle sind eine Art bayrische Nudeln.
Spaetzle are a type of Bavarian noodle.
Caption 2, Bayrische Spätzle - mit Christiane
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Es gibt verschiedene Arten von Wind:
There are various types of wind:
den säuselnden Hauch,
the murmuring breath,
die leichte, die frische und die steife Brise...
the light, the fresh and the stiff breeze...
Captions 10-12, Piggeldy und Frederick - Der Wind
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Die Art also can refer to someone's personality, as in their way of being or way of behaving, and it also can refer to a species of animal.
Es ist überhaupt nicht ihre Art, einfach so wegzulaufen.
It's not her nature to simply run away like that.
Caption 33, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
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Einige Tierarten aber
Some animal species, however,
machten sich die gewaltige Umgestaltung der Küste zunutze.
have made use of the enormous transformation of the coast.
Caption 5, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Die Sorte is quite similar to die Art, but will more likely be employed for things that are in some way man-made. For example, if you are talking about a variety or flavor of food, often one that is specified by a name, you generally will use die Sorte rather than die Art.
Die Sorte „Jamaika Blue Mountain“,
The variety "Jamaica Blue Mountain,"
quasi der Champagner unter den Kaffees,
quasi the champagne of coffees,
kostet sogar über zwanzigmal so viel
even costs over twenty times as much
wie ein Kaffee aus dem Supermarktregal.
as a coffee from the supermarket shelf.
Captions 14-17, Kaffee - Noch von Hand gemacht
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Die Eissorten werden jedes Jahr exotischer.
The ice-cream flavors get more exotic every year.
Caption 2, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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Der Typ is a bit trickier, as it is not universally used to mean "type" like in English. In fact, it is most often used as a slang expression to simply mean "the guy." But it can also mean "type of guy." Like in English, you can say Er/Sie ist nicht mein Typ, which means that the person doesn't interest you romantically.
Ich bin ein sehr nachdenklicher Typ und Mensch.
I am a very thoughtful guy and human being.
Caption 16, Andreas Bourani - Startet durch
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Er war schon immer so ein Typ, dem alles so zufliegt.
He was always the kind of guy who always gets everything.
Captions 22-23, Joris - Er
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Further Learning
Keep an eye out for examples with these words used on Yabla German, and always look at the noun in the sentence. You will notice patterns which can help you choose the right option later on.
It may not be exactly warm out yet in old Berlin, but Frühling is definitely in the air. The sun has been out more than usual and we're starting to see some buds on the bushes and trees! Let's take a look at some compound nouns that can be formed from the German word for "spring."
Vielmehr sollten die Tiere jetzt darauf achten,
Instead, the animals now ought to take heed
dass ihnen die Frühlingsgefühle nicht durchgehen.
that these spring feelings don't get the best of them.
Captions 43-44, Rheinmain im Blick - Frühling im Zoo
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Erst ab Mai bekommen sie hier oben Frühlingsgefühle.
Not until May do they get spring fever up here.
Caption 46, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Das Frühlingsgefühl is a compound noun made by joining der Frühling with das Gefühl. In the first example, it is translated directly as "spring feeling," and in the second case more literarily as "spring fever."
Compounds can also be made from der Frühling relating to specific times of day:
Es ist ein wunderschöner Frühlingsmorgen heute.
It is a wonderfully beautiful spring morning today.
Caption 2, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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Leopardeneis und Vanilleeis,
Leopard ice cream and vanilla ice cream,
ein Traum für einen sonnigen Frühlingsnachmittag.
a dream for a sunny spring afternoon.
Caption 46, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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Or about time in a more general sense:
Frühlingszeit ist Fahrradzeit.
Springtime is bike time.
Caption 1, Fahrrad - Frühjahrs-Check
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Die Frankfurter haben nach dem sonnigen Wochenende
The residents of Frankfurt have, after the sunny weekend,
auch heute die ersten Frühlingstage am Mainufer genossen.
enjoyed the first days of spring on the shore of the Main [River] today too.
Captions 4-5, Rheinmain im Blick - Der Frühling ist da
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Further Learning
Watch the above videos on Yabla German to help get you into the mood for spring and improve your German too! Then check out this list of compound words that can be made from der Frühling. Don't forget to get outside and soak up a little bit of sunshine!
All Mel Brooks jokes aside, Germany is a cold, gray place in winter, and the first hints of spring draw everyone out into the sunshine like hibernating bears emerging from their winter caves. Springtime is truly appreciated in Northern Europe, not like your year-round boring Southern California sunshine, and with this special time of year come special springtime activities, as well.
How better to get about than on a bicycle?
Frühlingszeit ist Fahrradzeit,
Springtime is bike time,
also raus mit dem Drahtesel [Umgangssprache]
so get out the "wire donkey" [your trusty bike]
und ab auf die Piste.
and hit the road.
Captions 1-2, Fahrrad - Frühjahrs-Check
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And as you pass by Viktoriapark in Berlin's Kreuzberg district,
Man kann sich dort sonnen, Frisbee spielen oder ein Picknick machen.
You can sun yourself, play frisbee, or have a picnic.
Caption 9, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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After all that sunshine, what better way to cool off than with some exotically flavored ice cream?
Leopardeneis und Vanilleeis,
Leopard ice cream and vanilla ice cream,
ein Traum für einen sonnigen Frühlingsnachmittag.
a dream for a sunny spring afternoon.
Caption 46, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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This is the time to really enjoy life, after all!
Das ist der Frühling...
This is spring...
alle freuen sich: die Tiere, die Pflanzen, die Menschen.
everyone rejoices: the animals, the plants, the people.
Captions 10-11, Jahreszeiten - Der Frühling
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Further Learning:
Gardening is also a very popular spring and summer activity. Go to this extensive garden glossary and then go outside and see if you can put some of your new vocabulary to practical use in nature! After getting some fresh air, see if you can find some of the newly-learned springtime terms in context in a video on German Yabla!
Many of you probably know the stock line Halt oder ich schieße! (Stop or I’ll shoot!) from old American and British WWII movies, but did you know there are many other ways to say “stop” in German? The German verbs halten and stoppen are easy to remember, since they have the English equivalent verbs “halt” and “stop,” but separable verbs such as aufhören and anhalten are a bit trickier!
Let’s first take a look at a couple of examples using the verb halten in the imperative mood, both from the classic children’s book series Der Struwwelpeter:
Halt! Das ist noch gutgegangen
Stop! That just barely turned out ok
und die Fischlein sehen's mit Bangen.
and the little fish watch it with fear.
Caption 12, Der Struwwelpeter - Hans Guck-in-die-Luft
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Robert, halt! Dein Schirm fliegt fort.
Robert, stop! Your umbrella is flying away.
Caption 11, Der Struwwelpeter - Der fliegende Robert
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Next we see the use of the verb stoppen:
Bislang konnte das die Ausbreitung der Läden aber nicht stoppen.
So far, however, this hasn't stopped the spread of the shops.
Caption 35, Perlentee - In allen Mündern
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And even an example using both halten and stoppen in the imperative mood:
Stopp! Stopp, stopp, stopp, stopp, stopp! Halt!
Stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! Hold on!
Caption 24, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Der Relativsatz
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Note that Yabla purposefully translated halten as “hold on” in order to differentiate it from the translations of stoppen as “stop.”
Another very useful German word for “stop” is aufhören, which is a separable verb that is most commonly used when you want an activity to stop. Here in the conditional mood:
Nein, wenn wir keine Lust mehr hätten, würden wir ja aufhören.
No, if we had no more desire, yes, we would stop.
Caption 25, Die Beatles - in Deutschland
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In the imperative mood, the verb’s lexical core is separated from its particle:
Hör auf! -Du musst genau hinsehen.
Stop! -You must watch closely.
Caption 13, Filmtrailer - Wir sind die Nacht
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And here an example using the present perfect tense:
Sie hat überhaupt nicht mehr aufgehört mit Eismachen.
She just never stopped making ice cream.
Caption 6, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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The separable verb anhalten, on the other hand, is used primarily to indicate the stopping of moving objects or vehicles:
Ein Mann fährt mit seinem Auto.
A man is driving in his car.
Dann wird er von der Polizei angehalten.
Then he is stopped by the police.
Captions 2-3, Sabine erzählt Witze - Die Pinguine
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It is possible to confuse anhalten with the verb for “to keep” (halten) and the preposition “on” (an). Usually the context makes it obvious:
Ihren Pfiffi sollten sie aber lieber an der kurzen Leine halten.
But you had better keep your Fifi on a short leash.
Caption 39, Für Tierfreunde - Geparden
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Another version of “stop” with a very specific context is stehen bleiben, alternately written as one word (stehenbleiben), which is when a person stops walking or running:
Das heißt, jedes Mal, wenn man ihn gefangen hat,
That means, every time you catch it,
muss man stehen bleiben.
you have to stop.
Caption 10, Ultimate Frisbee - Spielregeln
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How would you translate the following?
Stopp, halt, hör auf mit dem Anhalten!
Note that in the above sentence, the verb anhalten has been nominalized into the noun Anhalten. Many of the alternate German words for "stop" may be translated, depending on the context, with other English synonyms for “stop,” such as “cease,” “discontinue,” “interrupt,” “turn off,” “shut down,” “finish,” “break off,” “close,” or “end.”
Learning suggestions:
When you're watching Yabla videos, see if you can spot any other German versions of “stop.” You may learn some more synonyms for “stop” here.
Summer has arrived, which in Germany means that life moves outside. The Biergärten are open, the Freibäder (open-air swimming pools) are busy with swimmers and sunbathers alike, and the smell of Bratwurst and barbecues fills the summer air.
Not everyone has the luxury of having a garden attached to their house, which is why many Germans like to have a Schrebergarten (garden plot or allotment), often with a small hut or house built on it, which they visit for the day or for a vacation.
Ich hab' ja auch so 'nen kleinen Schrebergarten.
I also have such a little garden plot.
Caption 3, Ausbilder Schmidt - Klimabotschafter
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If you have neither a garden nor a Schrebergarten, there are many beautiful Seen (lakes) in Germany. Nothing beats a hot summer’s day of lazing by the water, swimming, and riding a pedal boat. Peter Fox sings all about the fun to be had at a German lake:
Und der Mond scheint hell auf mein Haus am See
And the moon shines brightly onto my house on the lake
Caption 31, Peter Fox - Haus am See
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When dinnertime comes around, Grillen (barbecuing) is the way to go. Since the laws are more relaxed in Germany, people barbecue in parks and on beaches without any trouble from the authorities, just as long as the litter gets disposed of!
Wir grillen, die Mamas kochen und wir saufen Schnaps
We barbecue, the mamas cook and we guzzle schnapps
Caption 29, Peter Fox - Haus am See
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See not only means "lake" but also “sea,” as in der Ostsee (the Baltic Sea). However, the most common word for sea is das Meer:
Du wirst bestimmt irgendwo am Strand sein. -Ja, genau. Am Meer.
You will surely be somewhere at the beach. -Yes, exactly. At the sea.
Caption 50, Konjugation - Das Verb „sein“
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If you do go to the See or the Meer, you should know that there are two words for “swimming” in German, schwimmen and baden gehen, which literally translates as “to go bathing.” While schwimmen is something you would likely do in a Schwimmbecken (pool), baden gehen is mostly used for swimming in lakes or the sea:
Man kann baden gehen, man kann Freunde treffen draußen.
You can go swimming, you can meet friends outside.
Captions 15-16, Jahreszeiten - Der Sommer
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Of course summer isn’t all fun and games. If you are stuck in the city, it can get hot and sticky. Rappers Culcha Candela, while singing about how unbearable it can get, offer a solution.
Feuchtes Tuch auf 'm Kopp [Kopf]
Wet cloth on the head
Ick [ich] werd' sonst noch bekloppt vom Hitzeschock
Otherwise I'll just go nuts from heat shock
Captions 29-30, Culcha Candela - Sommer im Kiez
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Extremely popular all over Germany, Eisdielen or Eiscafé (ice cream parlors) are hives of activity during the summer months.
Kaum scheint die Sonne, zieht es die Schleckermäuler an die Eisdielen.
The sun is scarcely shining and it draws [those with a] sweet tooth to the ice-cream parlors.
Caption 1, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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And of course, summer is the time to think about vacation, den Sommerurlaub or die Sommerferien. Der Urlaub is a vacation where you go away somewhere, but die Ferien means a break from school, college, or work. Both can bring good memories:
Ich ging früher im Urlaub immer reiten.
I used to always go horseback riding during vacation.
Wir gingen immer in den Sommerferien.
We always went during summer holidays.
Captions 16-19, Konjugation - Das Verb „gehen“
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Schöne Sommerferien!
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