After looking at the two-way preposition in last week, let's continue our series with an. This preposition is also a two-way preposition and is used in a multitude of contexts, including with the accusative case to express movement from one place to another.
We use an rather than nach or in in some contexts where we will end up next to or to the side of something rather than in or on it.
Sarah, komm du doch mal bitte an die Tafel.
Sarah, come up to the blackboard, please.
Caption 5, Bundesländer und ihre Spezialitäten - Baden-Württemberg
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Ich gehe rüber ans Fenster
I go over to the window
Caption 5, Philipp Poisel - Wie soll ein Mensch das ertragen?
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An is also used when we are going to a place that forms a boundary or edge. In particular, you can memorize an die Küste and an den Strand.
Natali und Florian zieht es zunächst an die Küste Cornwalls.
Natali and Florian proceed first to the coast of Cornwall.
Caption 28, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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In dieser Nacht segelten sie zurück an den Strand von Troja.
That night they sailed back to the beach of Troy.
Caption 80, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Das Trojanische Pferd
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Eine neue Hiobsbotschaft
A new piece of bad news
ist die plötzliche Abberufung Tresckows an die Ostfront.
is the sudden recall of Tresckow to the Eastern Front.
Captions 80-81, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
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Und man davonfliegen möchte, so leicht wie eine kleine, weiße Feder,
And you would like to fly away, as light as a little white feather
bis ans Ende der Welt.
to the end of the world.
Captions 32-33, Piggeldy und Frederick - Das Fernweh
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Further Learning
Other places/nouns that are commonly paired with the preposition an when they are the destination include die Kreuzung (the intersection), die Wand (the wall), and die Grenze (the border). With all three of these examples, an + the accusative is only used when the barrier is NOT being crossed or traversed and it is simply a matter of going/driving/walking "up to" it. When you see an on Yabla German, you can quickly note whether it's being used with the accusative to mean "to" or with the dative to mean "at" or "on." Don't forget, however, that an also appears in contexts that have nothing to do with going or being anywhere (for example, an etwas denken).
In last week's newsletter on the preposition nach, we also looked at a few instances in which in is used to express going to a place, specifically for certain countries. In is also used to talk about going into town (in die Stadt), and actually also to talk about going into the mountains (in die Berge) and into the forest (in den Wald).
Ich als Hamburger bin hier eigentlich als Flachlandtiroler bekannt
As a resident of Hamburg, I am actually known as a "flatland Tyrolean"
und dennoch zieht es mich immer wieder in die Berge.
and yet I am still repeatedly drawn to the mountains.
Captions 3-4, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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In is a two-way preposition. With the accusative case, it is used to express movement towards a place — i.e. the English preposition "to." You wouldn't know it from the examples above, but one pattern you can note is that it is actually often used when the goal is an indoor location that you will spend time in. It is perhaps somewhat similar to how we sometimes use the preposition "into" in English.
Wir gehen total gerne ins Kino.
We really like going to the cinema.
Caption 50, Anja Polzer - Interview
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Ich erinner' mich, wie wir nach der Schule immer in den Laden gekommen sind.
I remember how we used to always come into the shop after school.
Caption 29, Malerei - Benno Treiber
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Wir sind jeden Morgen in die Schule gefahren nach West-Berlin.
We rode to West Berlin to school every morning.
Caption 44, Die Klasse - Berlin '61
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Note how in das is shortened to ins in the first example above. This is a common contraction.
When speaking about getting into a car or boarding a bus or train, you can also use the preposition in, as the implication is that you will spend time inside.
Und ich würd jetzt sagen, wir steigen jetzt ins Auto.
And I would now say, we'll get in the car now.
Caption 27, Sallys Tortenwelt und Kochwelt - Backen mit Kindern & Auftritt bei Radio Rumms
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Other phrases with the preposition in to memorize include ins Bett gehen:
Ich lese gleich noch ein Buch für die Schule und dann geh ich ins Bett.
I'm going to read a book for school now and then I'll go to bed.
Caption 21, Nicos Weg - A1 Folge 31: Am Sonntag koche ich
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In German, there are a number of prepositions that can be translated as "to" to express movement from one place to another: nach, zu, in, an, and auf. Often it is difficult to know which one to use in what context and with what type of place, and you simply have to memorize certain patterns. This week, let's begin with the preposition nach.
We use nach when the destination is a city, and also for most countries. However, there are some exceptions to this in which in is used with countries, for example, with die Türkei, die Schweiz, and die Vereinigten Staaten (As you may remember, some countries have genders in German). And keep in mind that the preposition in is used when the destination is die Stadt ("the city" or "the town") or das Dorf ("the village").
Ihre Nachkommen wanderten auch nach Italien und Österreich aus.
Their offspring also migrated to Italy and Austria.
Caption 26, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Er will in die Schweiz reisen. Schön, was noch?
He wants to travel to Switzerland. Nice, what else?
Caption 37, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Über jemanden sprechen
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Hi, ich bin Marie. Ich bin gerade mit Julia nach Berlin gezogen.
Hi, I'm Marie. I just moved to Berlin with Julia.
Caption 3, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Besuch
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Eines Tages machte sich der Kaufmann auf den Weg in die Stadt, um Geld zu verdienen.
One day, the Merchant set out for town in order to earn some money.
Caption 9, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Schöne und das Biest
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Nach is also used for cardinal directions and with "left," "right," "up," and "down."
Es drehte sich nach links... -Und du? -und dann nach rechts.
He turned to the left... -And you? -and then to the right.
Caption 18, Meine Freundin Conni - Conni schläft im Kindergarten
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Der Russe dreht mit starken Kräften westlich der Düna nach Norden ein.
The Russians are turning west of the Daugava River towards the north with strong forces.
Caption 25, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
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Another rule: while we say "go/drive/come home" in English, the equivalent phrase in German has a preposition: nach Hause + verb.
Und als der Bär nach Hause kam, machten sie sich einen gemütlichen Abend.
And when the bear came home, they had a cozy evening.
Captions 37-38, Janoschs Traumstunde - Post für den Tiger
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Further Learning
We will cover the other prepositions used to express movement from one place to another in coming newsletters. Pay attention to how "to" is translated with various places and directions on Yabla German and stay tuned!
A sentence construction with das sind... followed by a plural noun is a bit confusing at first, but it's very common in spoken German. At first you might be tempted to translate it literally, but with "that are" (sic), you'll find the singular subject and the plural verb to be in disagreement. That's because the demonstrative pronouns das and dies are not inflected by the plural of the verb sein ("to be").
So it's more natural for a native German to say Das sind Hans und Grete. This can sound a bit strange when you're first learning German.
Nein, das hier sind keine mutierten Gartenzwerge.
No, these here are no mutated garden gnomes.
Caption 1, „Mini-Marxe“ - In Trier
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Immer dran denken: Das sind alles Verben, die einen Akkusativ brauchen.
Always remember: they are all verbs that require the accusative case.
Caption 31, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Fragen
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Das sind nun die Zutaten für unseren Apfelkuchen.
These are now the ingredients for our apple cake.
Caption 3, Apfelkuchen - mit Eva
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Das sind oft nur wenige Pfennige und man bekommt das Geld natürlich wieder.
Often these are just a few pennies and you get the money back, of course.
Caption 34, Eva erklärt - Mülltrennung
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And here are a couple of examples using dies sind:
Dies sind nur ganz wenige Ausschnitte aus dem zurückliegenden Jahr.
These are just a very few excerpts from the previous year.
Caption 8, Angela Merkel - Neujahrsansprache
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Dies sind Hinterlassenschaften eines Krokodils.
These are the remains of a crocodile.
Caption 10, Ausgrabungen - Auf den Spuren der Dinosaurier
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Further Learning
Look for more examples of das sind on Yabla German to see the phrase used in a real-world context.
Whether we are referring to our stuff on a nearby chair or a serious matter that needs to be discussed, there are several words in German that can be helpful. Most of them can be used in a number of contexts, but there are a few things to be aware of.
Sachen is a very versatile word, and can be used to refer to physical items but also matters and topics. Of course, das Thema is a more common word for "the topic."
Und ja, ich räume meine Sachen nicht immer sofort weg.
And yes, I don't always clean up my stuff away right away.
Caption 29, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Probleme
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Hier gibt es viele verschiedene Sachen für die Familie und für die Kinder zu sehen.
Here there are many different things for the family and for the children to see.
Caption 8, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem
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Fazit: In Sachen Hamburger hat die Hauptstadt auf jeden Fall mehr zu bieten.
Conclusion: When it comes to hamburgers, the capital city definitely has more to offer.
Caption 25, Berlin - Die beste Auswahl an Hamburgern
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Der Gegenstand is used to refer to a physical object or item, but also a topic of conversation or debate. And, of course, there is also the word das Objekt. In shopping, der Artikel ("the item") and die Ware are more likely to be used.
Auch hier handelt es sich um einen runden Gegenstand.
Also here it is about a round object.
Caption 34, Eva zeigt uns - Formen
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Slang terms for "stuff" or "odds and ends" are der Kram and das Zeug.
So viele Spinnweben und so viel Kram
So many cobwebs and so much stuff
Caption 11, Silbermond - Leichtes Gepäck
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Diese Box wird für Bücher, dieser Karton wird für das Zeug aus der Küche sein.
This box will be for books, this carton will be for stuff from the kitchen.
Caption 14, Drei Leute - beim Kofferpacken
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The word das Ding is, of course, also commonly used, and not just for objects.
Wir testen die Dinger jetzt schon seit Monaten.
We've been testing the things for months already.
Caption 30, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
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Ich habe entschieden, die Dinge selbst in die Hände [sic, Hand] zu nehmen.
I have decided to take matters into my own hands.
Caption 6, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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The plural forms die Dinger and die Dinge are both used. Generally, die Dinger refers to multiple things of the same kind, whereas die Dinge refers to multiple things of different kinds.
Further Learning
Das Thema, die Sache, das Objekt, der Artikel, die Ware, der Gegenstand, der Kram, das Zeug, and das Ding: Yabla German has many examples of all of these words, as they are commonly used. Go through them and make sure you know which are only used for non-physical ideas, topics, and matters, which are exclusively for physical objects, and which are applicable in both contexts. Making a venn diagram may be a good strategy!
Both fürchten and befürchten mean "to be afraid" in some sense, and although it's a bit confusing at first, have no fear! Let's first take a look at some of the differences, starting with fürchten:
Es war richtig gewesen, den Wolf zu fürchten,
It had been right to fear the Wolf,
und richtig sich deshalb ein Steinhaus zu bauen.
and therefore right to build a stone house.
Captions 80-81, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die drei kleinen Schweinchen
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Denn ihn fürchten sie: den Adler.
For it is the one they fear: the eagle.
Caption 19, Die letzten Paradiese - Die Schönheit der Alpen 2
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The verb fürchten is usually translated as "to fear" and can be used to describe the state of having real fear, of being truly afraid of something like a dangerous animal. But it can also be used to show fear of a situation:
Viele Demonstranten fürchten,
Many demonstrators fear
dass Minderheiten in den USA nun kein Gehör mehr finden.
that minorities in the USA will now no longer be heard.
Captions 41-42, Tagesschau - Amtseinführung von Donald Trump
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The verb fürchten is also often used reflexively:
Ich trag' mein Licht und fürcht' mich nicht...
I'm carrying my light and have no fear...
Caption 3, Sankt Martin - Das Laternenlied
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Therefore, ich fürchte mich is another way of saying ich habe Angst or "I am afraid," and afraid in a serious way.
The verb befürchten, on the other hand, is never used reflexively and is generally used in situations where you're not literally afraid or having serious fears, but rather in situations where you are merely worried about something.
Sie befürchtete, dass ihr Herr noch immer in Gefahr war.
She was afraid that her lord was still in danger.
Caption 71, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Ali Baba und die 40 Räuber
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This could also have been translated that "she was worried" about her lord.
Es ist, wie ich befürchtet hatte.
It is as I had feared.
Caption 10, Oskar - Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist - Nur vier Wochen
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So even though befürchten is translated here as "to fear," it could equally have been translated as "to expect" with the implied connotation of expecting a negative development.
Unfortunately, sometimes even native German speakers use fürchten (to fear) as a way of exaggerating a circumstance where befürchten (to be worried about) would be more appropriate, and also vice versa. The German Duden dictionary, the standard for the German language, is quite clear on its definitions of the two words, however. To reiterate: fürchten should generally be used to express real, direct fears, and befürchten in milder situations to express worry.
Further Learning
Translate these Duden definitions of fürchten and befürchten, then go to Yabla German and find some more examples of videos using these verbs.
1. vor jemandem, etwas Angst haben; Unangenehmes ahnen, befürchten
2. Furcht empfinden, Angst haben
3. sich vor der Prüfung fürchten
4. vor jemandem Ehrfurcht haben
befürchten (only one definition):
(etwas Unangenehmes, was vielleicht eintrete könnte) aufgrund bestimmter Anzeichen oder intuitiv erwarten, kommen sehen.
This week, let's review the vocabulary in German for political and geographical subdivisions. We will start from the largest subdivisions and proceed to the smallest.
Dann natürlich auch, um 'nen fremden Kontinent kennenzulernen,
Then of course also in order to get to know an unfamiliar continent,
weil man aufm Fahrrad eigentlich so nah dran ist wie sonst nicht, wenn man reist.
because on the bicycle you actually are so much closer to it than when you otherwise travel.
Captions 14-15, Mountainbiken - Auf dem Anden-Trail
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Welches Land ist ein Nachbarland von Deutschland?
Which country is a neighboring country of Germany?
Caption 27, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest - Part 14
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Die Region zwischen Amrum und Sylt wurde wegen der Meeressäuger unter Schutz gestellt.
The region between Amrum and Sylt was placed under protection because of the marine mammals.
Caption 2, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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You probably already know the word die Stadt ("the city") and related words like die Hauptstadt or die Großstadt. The word der Staat is not to be confused with die Stadt. Although the United States is die Vereinigten Staaten in German, the word used for a federal state is generally das Bundesland. Der Staat is more often used when referring to something being done or provided by the federal or state government.
Es ist sein erster Besuch in Berlin als Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika.
It is his first visit to Berlin as the president of the United States of America.
Caption 4, Angela Merkel - Gemeinsame Pressekonferenz mit Barack Obama
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Der Staat muss die Gesetze einhalten.
The state has to abide by the laws.
Caption 4, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest - Part 7
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In Deutschland gibt es in jedem Bundesland sogenannte Landeshauptstädte.
In Germany, there are so-called state capitals in each federal state.
Caption 15, Bundesländer und ihre Spezialitäten - Baden-Württemberg
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When speaking about a district of a city, or a "quarter," the German word is der Bezirk or der Stadtteil or das Viertel. The word der Kiez is used in certain cities on an informal basis to denote a particular part of a district that may even be just a few square blocks. In these places, it is much more commonly used than die Nachbarschaft.
Hallo, ich stehe hier am Eingang des Viktoriaparks im Berliner Stadtteil Kreuzberg.
Hello, I am standing here at the entrance of Viktoriapark in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg.
Caption 1, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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Gitarrist Jürgen Ehle wohnt seit fünfundzwanzig Jahren
Guitarist Jürgen Ehle has lived for twenty-five years
in dem Kiez und schwelgt in Erinnerungen.
in the neighborhood, and luxuriates in memories.
Captions 3-4, Pankow - Rolling Stones des Ostens
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In German, die Kleinstadt specifies a town rather than a city. To talk about rural life, there is das Dorf ("the village") and also die Gemeinde, which can be used for a rural community as well as an urban one.
Further Learning
Practice these words and their correct articles by describing where you live. Begin with the smallest area unit and progress until you are at continent level! Yabla German can provide more examples using these words if you get stuck on the declensions.
The usual German words for "flag" are die Fahne or die Flagge, and they're used in a number of idiomatic expressions, some of which parallel those in English.
Wir mussten die Flagge streichen.
We had to strike the flag.
The phrase die Flagge streichen can be used in the literal sense of striking or taking down a flag, but is more often used figuratively to mean "to give up," as in "We had to give up." Note that the verb streichen also means "to paint," but that won't be the case here!
Lass uns doch lieber von der Fahne gehen.
But let's rather go from the flag.
That is a literal translation, but von der Fahne gehen is usually used figuratively to mean "to give up" in the sense of leaving a project, or cause, or organization.
Sie stemmten das eiserne Stadttor auf und schwenkten eine weiße Flagge.
They pried open the iron city gate and waved a white flag.
Caption 48, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Weiber von Weinsberg
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This too is a literal translation, as the story is about an army surrendering, but as in English, "to wave a white flag" is also often used figuratively to mean "to give up."
Wir haben unsere Fahnen nach dem Wind gedreht.
We have changed according to the circumstances.
Literally translated, this would read "We've turned our flags to the wind," but is used figuratively to mean that one has followed popular opinion or adapted according to the circumstances. It's similar to the English expression "whichever way the wind blows" or "to see which way the wind is blowing." As in English, the phrase can also be used as a negative critique of somebody being opportunistic.
One of the more common idiomatic uses of die Fahne can sound very strange to English speakers:
Buah, hat er 'ne Fahne [Umgangssprache]? -Und wie! Cognac? -Feine Thunfischstückchen.
Ew, does he have a flag [slang, bad breath]? -And how! Cognac? -Fine little pieces of tuna fish.
Captions 52-53, Küss mich, Frosch - Frosch oder Mensch?
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Du hast ja eine tierische Fahne [umgangssprachlich].
You have a beastly flag [slang, stench of alcohol].
Ich fress' doch schon die ganze Zeit Pfefferminz.
I've been devouring peppermints the whole time.
Captions 14-15, Pastewka - Cantz fährt betrunken Auto
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You've probably gathered that they aren't literally talking about "having a flag." The phrase eine Fahne haben means "to have bad breath" and is usually associated with the smell of alcohol. The question Hast du eine Fahne? is a way of asking somebody if they've been drinking alcohol.
Further Learning
Look up the words die Flagge and die Fahne on Yabla German to see them used both literally and figuratively in a real-world context.
There are several words in German that convey the essential meaning of "however," even if they are not always translated as such. The primary words to look out for are allerdings, jedoch, and hingegen.
Dirk Nowitzki weiß allerdings, wo seine Wurzeln liegen.
Dirk Nowitzki knows, however, where his roots lie.
Caption 24, Basketball-Superstar - Dirk Nowitzki im Kino
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Allerdings scheiterte sein Fluchtversuch.
However, his attempt to flee failed.
Caption 7, 25 Jahre Mauerfall - Radtour durch die Geschichte
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Das Wahrzeichen ist jedoch das mit feuervergoldeten Kupferschindeln gedeckte Goldene Dachl.
The landmark, however, is the Goldenes Dachl [Golden Roof] covered with fire-gilded copper tiles.
Caption 31, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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Der Eintrittspreis ist jedoch der alte geblieben.
The entry fee, however, stayed the same.
Caption 17, Autokino - Gravenbruch
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An anderen Orten und in anderen Ländern wird hingegen das Vieh geehrt.
In other places and countries, however, the cattle are honored.
Caption 21, Cettina erklärt - Pfingsten
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Der Bilderrahmen hingegen ist quadratisch, weil alle vier Seiten gleich lang sind.
The picture frame, however, is square, because all four sides are equally long.
Captions 40-41, Eva zeigt uns - Formen
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You may also see any of the words above translated as "at the same time," "on the other hand," or simply as "but." Similarly, aber and doch are occasionally translated as "however." Dennoch (translated as "nonetheless," "nevertheless," "however") and wiederum ("in turn," "on the other hand," "however") are two more words that have a similar function.
Further Learning
Pay attention to the various ways in which these words are translated on Yabla German and especially to the position of the word in the English sentence in comparison with the original German, as it may not be the same.
It's quite easy to get the similar-looking werden, wurden and würden confused, so we're taking a look today at the differences between them and the different contexts in which they are used.
To start with, wurden and würden are different grammatical moods of the verb werden.
Heute in unserer ersten Lektion werden wir die Buchstaben des deutschen Alphabets lernen.
Today in our first lesson, we will learn the letters of the German alphabet.
Caption 2, Deutsch mit Donna Blitz - Das Alphabet
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Es soll bis über zwanzig Grad warm werden.
It should get warm, up to more than twenty degrees.
Caption 16, München - 180. Oktoberfest eröffnet
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Schön, du musst mich nur küssen und dann werde ich eine wunderschöne Prinzessin.
Fine, you only have to kiss me and I will turn into a beautiful princess.
Caption 11, CHoE Rocker - Hunde-Prinzessin
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Die Tage werden immer kürzer und immer kälter.
The days steadily become shorter and colder.
Caption 9, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Oh, es wird sehr schwierig werden, meinen Titel zu verteidigen.
Oh, it is going to be very difficult to defend my title.
Caption 23, Wintersport - 7. Austrian Freeski Open
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As you can see, werden can be used in a wide variety of contexts and can be translated variously as "will," "get," "will turn into," and "become." The last example uses the future tense of the verb, wird werden, which is translated as "going to be."
In contrast, wurden is the Indikativ mood (similar to the indicative or realis mood in English) of werden. This just means that the verb is used to express a known state of affairs.
Sie flohen aus dem Königreich und wurden nie wieder gesehen.
They fled from the kingdom and were never seen again.
Caption 85, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Das tapfere Schneiderlein
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Here, wurden gesehen is the passive voice of the German Präteritum, as is common with the combination of werden and a past participle.
Wahrscheinlich wurden sie im hohen Norden auf dem Eis für die Jagd verwendet.
They were probably used for hunting on the ice in the far north.
Caption 17, Unterwegs mit Cettina - Schlittschuhlaufen
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Thus, wurden is usually translated as "were," but it is also sometimes used in the same sense that the present tense werden is sometimes translated as "become." The sentence Aus Bauern wurden Arbeiter could be translated as "Farmers became workers," which has a very different verb structure but a similar meaning in the end.
Ähm, was würden Sie denn als ihre Stärken und Schwächen, ähm, beschreiben?
Um, what would you then, um, describe as your strengths and weaknesses?
Caption 34, Eva erklärt - Bewerbungen
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Genau. -Würden Sie uns vielleicht 'n bisschen Ihren Stand vorstellen?
Exactly. -Would you maybe present your stand to us a little bit?
Caption 47, Unterwegs mit Cettina - auf dem Bruchsaler Weihnachtsmarkt
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Thus, würden is in most contexts translated to English as "would."
Further Learning
Watch the Yabla video about the verb werden, which goes into detail about the verb's conjugation, moods, and tenses, and go to Yabla German and see many other examples of werden, wurden, and würden used in a wide variety of contexts.
This lesson is the second part of a series about the noun der Kopf used in idiomatic contexts. Be sure and read Part I if you missed it, but to reiterate the title topic:
Er war von Kopf bis Fuß grün angezogen und klopfte gerade seine Schuhe aus.
He was dressed in green from head to foot [idiom: completely] and was just knocking out his shoes.
Caption 23, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Ein Topf voll Gold
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Sah er stattlich und wohlhabend aus und von Kopf bis Fuß wie ein echter Marquis.
Then he appeared stately and wealthy and from head to foot [idiom: head to toe] like a real Marquis.
Captions 62-63, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der gestiefelte Kater
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Es schüttet [Umgangssprache, regnet] wie aus Eimern Klitschnass von Kopf bis Fuß
It's raining buckets Drenched from head to foot [head to toe]
Captions 16-17, Die Toten Hosen - Unter den Wolken
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The standard translation of von Kopf bis Fuß is thus the English idiom "from head to toe," meaning "completely." But what does it mean if somebody is said to have some kind of substance in their head other than brains?
Also, man muss auch einen Pfeil im Kopf haben, um so was zu essen.
Well, you must also have an arrow [rocks] in your head to eat something like that.
Captions 52-54, Currywurst - Berlins schärfstes Stück
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Einen Pfeil im Kopf haben is similar to the English expression "to have rocks in your head," meaning you are either stupid or there is something seriously wrong with you. Similar meaning is found in the expressions Sägemehl im Kopf haben, Stroh im Kopf haben, and Sülze im Kopf haben, meaning respectively to have sawdust, straw, or jellied meat in your head.
However, the phrase Motten im Kopf haben ("to have moths in your head") means to have crazy or unconventional (but not necessarily just stupid) ideas, and Rosinen im Kopf haben ("to have raisins in your head") means to be thinking overly idealistically, something like "seeing the world through rose-colored glasses."
Ich hab einen dicken Kopf, ich muss einen Saft haben
I have a thick head, I have to drink some juice
Caption 32, Peter Fox - Schwarz zu Blau
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Einen dicken Kopf haben means to be congested, or to have a headache or a hangover. Either way it's not very nice, so let's go out today with an easy one!
„Stadtgeflüster“ trifft den Nagel auf den Kopf.
"City Whisperings" hits the nail on the head.
Caption 26, Frankfurt - Der Friedberger Platz
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Nice to know that some idioms are the same in English and German!
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and see many other examples of der Kopf used in a wide variety of contexts.
One thing you may have quickly noticed when you began learning German is that all German nouns are capitalized. In English, it is only proper nouns that begin with a capital letter, with the exception of common nouns that are the very first word in a sentence. In German, nouns are always capitalized, regardless of gender, case, or position in the sentence.
Let’s take a look. In the following sentence, notice how the first word of each sentence and the proper noun "Munich" are capitalized in both languages. In German, however, the nouns die Bahn, die Stunden, and eine Verbindung also begin with a capital letter.
Aber auch die Bahn bietet alle zwei Stunden eine Verbindung von München an.
But also the train offers a connection from Munich every two hours.
Caption 22, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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Capitalization can be especially helpful with verbs that often moonlight as nouns, such as das Schwimmen, das Tanzen, das Gehen, or das Schreiben. They are easy to identify as such because they then begin with a capital letter.
„Hm, das soll Wandern sein?“, wunderte sich Piggeldy. „So laufen wir doch jeden Tag umher.“
"Hm, this is supposed to be hiking?" Piggeldy asked. "We walk around like this every day, after all."
Captions 11-12, Piggeldy und Frederick - Das Wandern
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Note in this next sentence that jemanden and der are not capitalized. Unlike nouns, pronouns do not begin with a capital letter (das is capitalized, of course, because it is the first word in the sentence). Both nouns in eine Tasse Kaffee are capitalized, however, as is die Lobby.
Das ist wirklich genauso, äh, für jemand [jemanden], der vielleicht nur mal auf eine Tasse Kaffee bei uns in der schönen Lobby sitzen möchte...
It's really precisely the same, uh, for each person who, perhaps, would just like to sit for a cup of coffee with us in the beautiful lobby...
Captions 16-17, Berlin - Hotel Adlon feiert 15 Jahre Neueröffnung
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Die Lobby brings us to another point. In the next sentence, even though das Team is a noun adopted from English, it is capitalized in German.
Das Team bereitet sich auf den gemeinsamen Tauchgang vor.
The team prepares for the joint dive.
Caption 50, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Further Learning
So when did die Großschreibung develop? As early as the 14th century, capitalized nouns can be found in religious texts, but it wasn't officially implemented until the 17th century. For advanced learners, here is a text about it in German. Otherwise, you can choose any video on Yabla German and pay special attention to the nouns and their capitalization while you watch it.
In the classic 1930 film Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) by director Josef von Sternberg, the young actress Marlene Dietrich sings a song by Friedrich Hollaender with the lyrics:
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt
Denn das ist meine Welt und sonst gar nichts
This is a good example of the noun der Kopf used in an idiomatic context. Many of the idioms using der Kopf in German are identical — or nearly so — to similar sayings in English.
Die Königin gab sich größte Mühe, ihn zu trösten: „Kopf hoch!“
The Queen did her best to comfort him: "Head up [Chin up]!"
Captions 33-34, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse
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In English it's common to say "hold your head up" to help comfort somebody, a British English equivalent being "chin up."
Hiroshi Kajimoto hat den traditionellen Aufbau des Schirms nun auf den Kopf gestellt.
Hiroshi Kajimoto has now turned the traditional construction of the umbrella on its head.
Captions 6-7, Erfindung aus Japan - Der verkehrte Regenschirm
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Thus the figurative meaning of "turning something on its head" is similar in German.
Ich habe doch Augen im Kopf!
I have indeed got eyes in my head!
Caption 60, Alexander Hauff - Showreel
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Most of us, of course, have eyes in our head, but the figurative meaning here is the same as in English: "I can see that" or "I'm not blind."
But there are some idioms using der Kopf that would sound very odd indeed if translated literally to English:
Ach, mach dir keinen Kopf [Umgangssprache], Lothar.
Oh, don't make yourself a head [slang, don't worry], Lothar.
Caption 36, Großstadtrevier - Neben der Spur
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This is similar to the predominantly British English expression "don't bother your head."
... weil da jeder Spieler schon seinen eigenen Kopf hat.
...because there every player already has their own ideas [literally: head].
Caption 31, Eishockey - Erich Kühnhackl
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While it's obvious that — short of some terrible disaster — everyone "has their own head," it's used here in a context similar to "headstrong" or "willful."
Further Learning
Watch Marlene sing the song "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" in this video clip from the original 1930 film, then see if you can accurately translate the lyrics quoted at the start of this lesson. You can also go to Yabla German and find some more examples of der Kopf used in other contexts.
Since we devoted one lesson to expressions of frustration, let's look at how enthusiasm is expressed in German as well and take a look at some positive adjectives.
„Ich muss sagen: überwältigend!“ -„Ausgezeichnet! Ausgezeichnet, finde ich!“
"I must say, overwhelming!" -"Brilliant! Brilliant, I think!"
Caption 54, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Des Kaisers neue Kleider
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Ausgezeichnet is also the participle of the verb auszeichnen, which means to award or distinguish.
Mit dem Architekturpreis Green Building wurden in Frankfurt kürzlich acht Gebäude ausgezeichnet.
Eight buildings in Frankfurt were recently awarded the Green Building architecture prize.
Caption 1, Umweltbewusstes Wohnen - Architekturpreis Green Building
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Many of these adjectives don't have a fixed translation ("outstanding," "awesome"), but are instead best translated with the positive adjective that fits in the context.
Es ist wirklich großartig, von Ihnen zu hören.
It is really great to hear from you.
Caption 20, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Das ist natürlich auch toll, wenn man 'ne gemeinsame Sache hat.
Of course, it's also great when you have something in common.
Caption 8, 2raumwohnung - Liebe mit Musik am Laufen halten
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Das klingt hervorragend.
That sounds amazing.
Caption 42, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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Of course, the adjectives super, fantastisch, and exzellent will sound quite familiar to anyone who speaks English. Also easy to recognize is the adjective wunderbar:
Und da ist dann der Balkon. -Ah, mit Balkon, wunderbar.
And there then is the balcony. -Ah, with a balcony, wonderful.
Caption 43, Fine - sucht eine Wohnung
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Another adjective you may come across, especially with younger Germans, is geil. Yes, this does indeed also have a meaning that is not appropriate in most conversations! But it is a common, albeit slang, term for "awesome" or "fantastic" as well.
Und wie war's? -Geil, wie immer. -Was speziell?
And how was it? -Awesome, as always. -What especially?
Caption 10, Abenteuer und Sport - Fallschirmspringen
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Further Learning
All of these adjectives and more can be found on Yabla German. Pay attention to adjective declension any time they precede a noun.
In a previous Yabla lesson, we discussed the differences between the verbs anheben and aufheben. These separable verbs also look very similar and have meanings related to the base verb heben, which is usually translated as "to lift," or "to raise," and is the Germanic root of the English verb "to heave."
The verb abheben is usually heard in the context of taking out money from a bank machine or bank account:
Dann erhält man so eine Geldkarte beziehungsweise eine Bankkarte.
Then you receive a debit card or respectively a bank card.
Mit dieser kann man Geld abheben.
With this, you can withdraw money.
Captions 25-26, Eva erklärt - Bankkonten
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Na, wahrscheinlich haben Sie Ihren Kreditrahmen überzogen.
Well, you have probably exceeded your credit limit.
-Ja, zu viel abgehoben.
-Yes, withdrew too much.
Captions 32-33, Weihnachtsfilm - Ein Sack voll Geld
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But abheben is also sometimes heard in the context of an airplane taking off or a rocket launching:
Und dann heben wir schon ab.
And then we take off already.
Caption 43, Ultraleicht-Flieger - Der Gyrocopter
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Völlig abgehoben, keine Schwerkraft mehr
Completely lifted off, no more gravity
Caption 17, Helene Fischer - Achterbahn
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On the other hand, hochheben is used in quite different contexts:
Wenn jeder den Deckel hochhebt, dann verdampft doch alles.
If every person lifts the lid, then everything will evaporate, after all.
Caption 33, Marga Engel schlägt zurück - Die neue Köchin
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Die Frau hob das schwere Paket mit einer Hand hoch.
The woman lifted up the heavy package with one hand.
Friedrich hob die Arme hoch.
Friedrich raised up his arms.
Both meanings of abheben are very common, as abheben is both a transitive verb (etwas abheben, which requires an object, usually meaning "to withdraw money") and an intransitive verb ("to take off," which does not allow for an object). Then there is the transitive verb hochheben, which means "to lift or raise something up."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and see the two verbs used in different contexts, and go to the Duden dictionary to read the full definitions of abheben and hochheben, noting the ways that the verbs can be conjugated.
Let's make sure we are all on the same page! If you are taking a German class in addition to your work on Yabla, these are some very important vocabulary words for referring to your textbook, or books and texts in general.
First of all, you need the German word for "the page":
Wir öffnen unser Buch, Seite vierzig.
We'll open our book, page forty.
Caption 1, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Verben der 2. Kategorie
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You will often want to refer to a particular paragraph, which can also be done using ordinal numbers rather than cardinal numbers.
Gemäß Artikel dreiundsechzig Absatz zwei des Grundgesetzes für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
According to article sixty-three, paragraph two of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany,
habe ich heute Frau Abgeordnete Doktor Angela Merkel zur Bundeskanzlerin ernannt.
today I have named parliamentarian Dr. Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor.
Captions 6-7, Bundesregierung - Vereidigung der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel
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The word der Satz in German is a little tricky because it can mean either "sentence" or "clause" depending on the context. Take a look:
„Scribe“ ist das schwierigste Spiel, denn du musst den ganzen Satz selbst schreiben.
"Scribe" is the most difficult game, because you have to write the whole sentence yourself.
Caption 41, German Intro - Cettina
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Zweiter Satz: „Sie ist größer als Stefanie."
Second clause: "She is taller than Stefanie."
Caption 19, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Der Relativsatz
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The word for a letter of the alphabet is der Buchstabe, hence the verb buchstabieren ("to spell"). Ein Zeichen is a character, which could be a letter, number, or even a space (das Leerzeichen). You may recognize this word as it also means "a sign" or "a symbol."
Das scharfe S oder Eszett ist ein Buchstabe, der ausschließlich in der deutschen Sprache vorkommt.
The sharp S or eszett is a letter that occurs exclusively in the German language.
Caption 22, Deutsch mit Donna Blitz - Das Alphabet
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Further Learning
Make sure you are also familiar with die Zeile ("the line"), das Kapitel ("the chapter"), der Band ("the volume"), die Strophe ("the stanza"), and der Abschnitt ("the section", "the paragraph").
Ordinal numbers ("first," "second," "third") differ from cardinal numbers ("one," "two," "three") in that they establish order or rank. Forming the ordinal numbers is luckily relatively easy in German. Generally, you will either add -te or -ste on the end, and make sure you have the correct declension.
For numbers below twenty, you simply add -te (zwei — zweite) with the exception of the following ordinal numbers: eins, drei, sieben, and acht.
Die erste Station seines Besuches im September ist Berlin.
The first stop of his visit in September is Berlin.
Caption 2, Der Papst - Hier wohnt der Papst
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Die Nashville-LP „Could Have Been Mine“ [sic, „Could've Been Mine“] ist die dritte Platte der Band.
The Nashville LP "Could Have Been Mine" [sic, "Could've Been Mine"] is the band's third disc.
Caption 43, Ann Doka & Band - New Country aus dem Rhein-Main-Gebiet
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Beim Bauern gibt es noch eine weitere Sonderregel,
With pawns there is yet another special rule,
und zwar: Wenn der Bauer von der siebten auf die achte Linie vorrückt.
and that is: if the pawn advances from the seventh to the eighth line.
Captions 56-57, Schach - mit Jenny - Part 1
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In this last example, you can see the declension based on grammatical case (dative — note the "n"— and then accusative) at work. It follows the same patterns that adjectives do. Note that you may also see "seventh" translated as siebente (in this case it would be siebenten) rather than siebte.
Starting with the cardinal number zwanzig ("twenty"), -ste is added to create the ordinal number.
Man sagt zum Beispiel:
We say, for example:
„der erste Januar“ oder „der vierundzwanzigste Dezember“
"the first of January" or the "twenty-fourth of December"
oder „der dreißigste Februar“, den es nicht gibt.
or "the thirtieth of February," which doesn't exist.
Captions 12-15, Zahlen mit Diane - Ordinalzahlen, Vielfache und Bruchzahlen
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Zu seinem einhundertfünfundneunzigsten Geburtstag
For his one hundred ninety-fifth birthday,
hat der Philosoph seine Geburtsstadt Trier erobert.
the philosopher has conquered his birth city of Trier.
Captions 3-4, „Mini-Marxe“ - In Trier
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It is important to note that, just as "first," "thirteenth," and "twenty-third" would often be abbreviated as "1st," "13th," and "23rd" in English, a period may be used in German to denote ordinal numbers, particularly with dates. The example above would read:
Man sagt zum Beispiel: „der 1. Januar“ oder „der 24. Dezember“ oder „der 30. Februar“, den es nicht gibt.
Further Learning
Take a look at this chart and watch Diane's video in its entirety to get a great overview of this topic. For more on adjective declension, refer to this page.
In the English language, many people confuse the words "jealous" and "envious." This occurs in German as well, which can make it even harder to distinguish between the words eifersüchtig and neidisch and know when to use which one.
"Jealousy" occurs when the underlying emotion is a fear that someone will take away something that you have. This means that die Eifersucht often occurs in situations involving three people, like in the sentence below:
Was? Nee, nee, das war nur mein Kollege.
What? No, no, that was just my colleaugue.
Nein, das ist kein Grund, eifersüchtig zu sein.
No, it's no reason to be jealous.
Captions 49-50, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
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Zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben verspürte sie Stiche von Wut und Eifersucht.
For the first time in her life, she felt stings of anger and jealousy.
Caption 61, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Büchse der Pandora
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"Envious" is simply wanting what someone else has or gets to do. In German, there is the noun der Neid, the adjective neidisch, and also the verb jemanden beneiden.
Wütend und neidisch zugleich
Angry and envious at the same time,
stampfte er auf dem Berg der Götter umher.
he stomped around on the Mountain of the Gods.
Caption 14, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Büchse der Pandora
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Reinhold Leinberger, den ich heiß darum beneide,
Reinhold Leinberger, whom I envy very much because of it,
der durfte nämlich mit Ihnen fliegen.
was actually permitted to fly with you.
Caption 20, Ultraleicht-Flieger - Der Gyrocopter
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Further Learning
Can you find a video on Yabla German in which eifersüchtig is used, but the speaker actually means neidisch?
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