If you take a German class, you likely know the verb bedeuten from the question Was bedeutet X? This can be translated as "What does X mean?" The noun die Bedeutung, often translated as "the meaning," is used in two different contexts that you will come across on Yabla German.
Die Bedeutung often can be translated as "the meaning," as in "the definition."
Versteht ihr die Bedeutung?
Do you understand the meaning?
Caption 74, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Weil oder obwohl?
Play Caption
Die richtige Bedeutung werde ich euch natürlich im Anschluss verraten.
I will, of course, reveal the correct meaning to you afterwards.
Caption 16, Eva erklärt - Sprichwörter
Play Caption
However, it also just as often can be translated as "the meaning," as in "the importance" or "the significance."
Von internationaler Bedeutung war und ist das Wiener Musikleben.
Viennese musical life was and is of international importance.
Caption 15, Reisebericht - Wien
Play Caption
Die Biodiversität ist etwas, was in ihrer [sic, seiner] Bedeutung unglaublich unterschätzt wird.
Biodiversity is something which is being unbelievably underestimated in its importance.
Caption 14, Angela Merkel - beim Nachhaltigkeitsrat
Play Caption
Hat der Tag eine besondere Bedeutung für Sie?
Does the day have a special meaning for you?
Caption 40, Valentinstag - in Karlsruhe
Play Caption
Further Learning
Look at other examples of die Bedeutung used on Yabla German. Identify the context in which they are being used and notice how the word is structurally integrated into each sentence.
If you ever go shopping in a German-speaking country, you will likely be surprised at the extent to which the sales personnel will leave you alone. However, there is one question you will often hear, which is Kommen Sie zurecht? The words das Recht and recht are used in a variety of contexts in German, so let’s take a look at some of these with the help of examples from Yabla videos.
1. You may know the noun das Recht from legal or political contexts. It means not only "the law," but also "the legal right."
Hier in Deutschland zum Beispiel
Here in Germany, for example,
ist es vielleicht schon selbständig [selbstverständlich],
it may already be a given
dass, äh, jedes Kind, äh, Recht auf... auf Bildung hat,
that, uh, every child, uh, has a right to... to education,
Captions 62-63, Rat für nachhaltige Entwicklung - Mode gegen Armut
Play Caption
2. The phrase recht haben, however, simply means "to be right" in German.
„Du hast recht“, hustete Frederick,
"You're right," coughed Frederick,
„diesen Weg gehen wir nie wieder.“
"we will never go this way again."
Caption 19, Piggeldy und Frederick - Wanderdüne
Play Caption
3. The word recht is used as an adverb meaning "quite" or "rather" in order to add emphasis.
Aber im Vergleich zum gesamten Universum
But in comparison to the entire universe,
ist unser Sonnensystem noch recht jugendlich.
our Solar System is still quite youthful.
Captions 30-31, Zeit - Die Vergangenheit und Zukunft von allem
Play Caption
4. The phrase zu Recht means "rightly" or "deservedly."
Wahrscheinlich kommt sie vors Jugendgericht. -Zu Recht.
She will probably appear in juvenile court. -Deservedly.
Caption 33, Die Pfefferkörner - Cybermobbing
Play Caption
5. Finally, let's take a quick look at the verb mentioned at the top. Zurechtkommen is a separable verb that means “to get along,” “to get by,” or “to cope.” The verb zurechtfinden is similar, but is also used in terms of orientation, as in “to find one’s way.”
Die Ex von Fußball-Legende Lothar "Loddar" Matthäus
The ex of football legend Lothar "Loddar" Matthäus
kommt offenbar auch alleine ganz gut zurecht.
apparently is also getting along really well on her own.
Captions 2-3, Im Höhenflug - Ariadne (die Ex von Lothar Matthäus)
Play Caption
Asylbewerber sollen sich ja ganz schnell
Asylum seekers, indeed, need to very quickly
im Alltag zurechtfinden.
find their way in daily life.
Caption 16, Flüchtlingskrise - Deutschkurse für Flüchtlinge
Play Caption
Further Learning
Look at the examples provided from Yabla German and make sure you understand the different structures in terms of spaces and capitalization (Here is some help from Duden). Practice conjugating zurechtfinden and zurechtkommen in both main and subordinate clauses.
The German word während means "during" or "while." If you have learned this word, you likely also learned that it is a preposition used with the genitive case. In fact, this is not always the case. But there are two common structures for the implementation of this word, so let's look at some examples.
The genitive case is required when während is used with a noun that expresses a period of time.
Und wie ist das passiert? Während des Trainings?
And how did it happen? During the training?
Caption 33, Jenny und Alena - Handball
Play Caption
Während der vierzigtägigen Fastenzeit
During the forty day fasting period,
durften sie nur eingeschränkt essen.
hey were only allowed to eat limited amounts.
Caption 18, Deutsches Bier - 500 Jahre Reinheitsgebot
Play Caption
However, there are instances where it is correct to use the dative (See the link provided in "Further Learning"). Moreover, it is not uncommon to also hear the dative case used with während in colloquial spoken German. The dative case may be used with nominalized verbs, for example:
Und jetzt geb ich während dem [Umgangssprache] Rühren nach und nach die Eier mit dazu.
And now I'll gradually add the eggs while stirring.
Caption 14, Sallys Tortenwelt und Kochwelt - Apfelkuchen mit Marzipan und Mandelsplittern
Play Caption
Während is also implemented as a subordinating conjunction that connects a subordinate clause to a main clause. In this case, remember that the conjugated verb will be at the end of the subordinate clause.
„Während ich weg bin, musst du das Haus fegen,
"While I am away, you must sweep the house,
Feuerholz hacken und den Kessel mit Wasser füllen!“
cut firewood and fill the kettle with water!"
Captions 22-23, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der Zauberlehrling
Play Caption
So, während ich die Tafel putze,
So while I clean the blackboard,
überlegt euch mal Verben mit Präpositionen.
think about verbs with prepositions.
Caption 5, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Relativsätze mit Präpositionen
Play Caption
Danach sterben sie,
Afterwards they die,
während überall sonst endgültig der Bergfrühling einzieht.
while everywhere else the mountain spring finally moves in for good.
Caption 14, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
Play Caption
Further Learning
To learn about instances in which the dative is used rather than the genitive, refer to the "Usage Notes" at the bottom of this page. You can review the declensions for the genitive and dative cases here. Then write your own sentences with the word während, or search for more examples on Yabla German.
For this week's lesson, we will look at the nouns das Erlebnis and die Erfahrung, and the related verbs erleben and erfahren.
Consider the three examples below:
Das ist einfach das beste Erlebnis, das man als Künstler haben kann.
That is simply the best experience that you can have as an artist.
Caption 17, Helge Schneider - Auf der Bühne geht's mir gut
Play Caption
Also, das war eigentlich eine sehr tolle Erfahrung.
Well, that was actually a really great experience.
Caption 21, Eva Croissant - Interview
Play Caption
Ich bin selbst Mutter von zwei wundervollen Kinder [sic, Kindern]
I myself am the mother of two wonderful children
und spreche aus eigener Erfahrung.
and speak from my own experience.
Captions 5-6, Cettina interviewt - Mütter
Play Caption
In English, the word "experience" has a few definitions. In the first two sentences, the speaker is referring to a particular instance of encountering or undergoing something. In the third sentence, they are referring to the knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what they have observed, encountered, or undergone. In German, it is possible to use both das Erlebnis and die Erfahrung to describe this first kind of "experience." However, when we are talking about life experience, only die Erfahrung is appropriate in German.
The verbs erleben and erfahren similarly can both indicate the process of experiencing something:
Ein Ort lebendiger Demokratie soll es werden,
It should become a place of living democracy,
ein Haus für jeden,
a building for everyone
der Politik hautnah erleben will.
who wants to experience politics next to their skin [idiom, up close].
Captions 16-17, Berlin - Hauptstadt des vereinten Deutschland
Play Caption
Ich denk', jeder muss für sich selber wissen,
I think everyone has to know for himself
wo er hinfährt und wie er da ist
where he's heading and how he is there
und welche Länder und was er dort erfahren will.
and which countries and what he wants to experience there.
Captions 41-42, Anna - Am Strand in Mexiko
Play Caption
However, erfahren is also often used to express learning of or finding out about something new:
Wir haben nichts gefilmt. -Niemand wird davon erfahren.
We didn't film anything. -Nobody will find out about it.
Caption 30, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche
Play Caption
Further Learning
Conjugate erfahren and erleben and search for the various conjugations (erfahre, erfährst, etc.) on Yabla German to find more examples of the verbs used in context. Try to guess what the words das Erlebnisbad, das Erlebnisgeschenk, der Erlebnispark, erlebnisreich, and die Erlebniswelt mean now that you have an understanding of the word Erlebnis.
You may have noticed that there are two words used to talk about springtime in German: das Frühjahr and der Frühling. Sometimes these two words are used interchangeably, like "fall" and "autumn."
However, if we look at the Duden definition of each word, we see that der Frühling is specified as a season in which mild temperatures prevail and plants begin to grow, whereas das Frühjahr is more vaguely defined as the period of time between the end of winter and the end of spring. This may seem like a subtle difference, but means that we will be more likely to hear das Frühjahr used in contexts where we are more generally talking about the transitional months in the early part of the calendar year.
Also dann... [sic] wir sehen uns im Frühjahr zweitausendneun im Kino.
So, then... we'll see one another in the spring of two thousand nine at the movies.
Caption 29, Filmtrailer - Hexe Lilli
Play Caption
Jedes Frühjahr wandern die großen Tintenfische durch das Wehr.
Every spring, the large coleoids travel through the dam.
Caption 8, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
Im Frühjahr zweitausendundelf
In the spring two thousand eleven,
sollen die ersten Fohlen geboren werden.
the first foals are expected to be born.
Caption 44, Für Tierfreunde - Przewalski-Wildpferde
Play Caption
Unlike das Frühjahr, der Frühling clearly indicates the season (March through May in the Northern Hemisphere), along with its positive connotations of warm weather. If spring is named among other seasons, it will much more likely be referred to as der Frühling, and not das Frühjahr.
Frühling, Sommer, Herbst und Winter,
Spring, summer, autumn and winter,
so heißen die Jahreszeiten auf Deutsch.
that's what the seasons are called in German.
Captions 3-4, Herbst - mit Eva
Play Caption
Winter muss eben sein, nich'? Aber, ja, Frühling ist mir lieber.
Winter has to happen, right? But yes, I prefer spring.
Caption 7, Berlin - Im Winter
Play Caption
Knallige Farben sind im kommenden Frühling und Sommer ein Muss...
Loud colors for the coming spring and summer are a must...
Caption 2, Das Beauty-Einmaleins - Fingernägel
Play Caption
Further Learning
Check out this previous lesson on compound words featuring Frühling. Look up the meanings of additional compound words such as die Frühjahrsmüdigkeit, der Frühjahrsputz, das Frühjahrsquartal, die Frühjahrsmesse, or die Frühjahrsmode.
On Yabla German, you may have come across several different adjectives that are translated with the English adjective "responsible."
The word zuständig is commonly used to describe responsibility for a particular task, often in professional contexts.
Ich bin zuständig dort für die Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und Abfallberatung.
I am responsible for public relations and garbage consultation there.
Caption 8, Mülltrennung - in Heidelberg
Play Caption
Für die Klimatechnik in den Restaurants ist Handwerker Max zuständig.
The handyman Max is responsible for the air conditioning in the restaurants.
Caption 15, Frankfurter Flughafen - Ja zu FRA! Erklärfilm
Play Caption
Verantwortlich is similar to zuständig in how it is used, but often describes a higher level of legal or political responsibility.
Diese Aktion ist Teil einer internationalen Kampagne,
This action is part of an international campaign,
die sich gegen Dänemark richtet,
that is directed against Denmark,
weil Dänemark, äh, politisch verantwortlich ist.
because Denmark, uh, is politically responsible.
Captions 11-12, PETA-Aktion - Gegen das Wal-Massaker
Play Caption
Verantwortungsvoll and zuverlässig are used to describe a permanent personality trait. Zuverlässig, however, more specifically means "competent," "dependable," "trustworthy," or "reliable."
Der Präventionstag soll den Jugendlichen den Anstoß geben,
Prevention Day is meant to give young people a nudge
in für sie heiklen Situationen verantwortungsvoll zu handeln.
towards acting responsibly in delicate situations.
Captions 44-45, Gewaltprävention - Gewalt an Schulen
Play Caption
Haben wir zuverlässige Leute in allen Wehrkreisen?
Do we have trustworthy people in all military districts?
Caption 39, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
Play Caption
Further Learning
Search for more instances of zuständig, verantwortlich, verantwortungsvoll, and zuverlässig on Yabla German and practice the declensions of these adjectives.
In English, the word "sharp" has a few different meanings. We can use it to describe the blade of a knife, but we can also say that someone is a "sharp dresser." The German word scharf also has a range of meanings beyond "sharp-edged."
One very common translation of scharf that you may already know is "spicy."
Wenn ihr es nicht ganz so scharf mögt,
If you don't like it quite so spicy,
dann könnt ihr diese kleinen Sch'... Chilischotenkerne entfernen.
then you can remove these little ch'... chili seeds.
Captions 52-53, Cannelloni - mit Jenny
Play Caption
Das Gemisch, das auf Stufe zehn kommt,
The mixture that makes it to level ten
ist die schärfste Chilisoße der Welt.
is the hottest chili sauce in the world.
Caption 21, Currywurst - Berlins schärfstes Stück
Play Caption
Scharf can also be used as an adjective or adverb to mean "sleek" or "attractive." In this sentence, it's used to describe the design of a car:
Von der Spitze bis zum Heckspoiler
From the front end to the rear spoiler,
ist er richtig schön scharf gezeichnet.
it's really sharply designed.
Caption 4, Auto-Bild-TV - Tops & Flops der IAA
Play Caption
Finally, scharf is also used to describe images in terms of whether they are in focus or not:
Und dann... die Bilder, die scharf waren,
And then... the pictures that were in focus,
da war wieder der Ausdruck nicht so, wie ich's gerne hätte.
there again the expression wasn't how I'd like to have it.
Caption 34, Lokalhelden - Art House
Play Caption
Further Learning
Watch the currywurst video above in its entirety on Yabla German for more examples of the word in use. Make sentences with the word scharf, integrating the correct endings based on gender (eine scharfe Suppe, ein scharfes Gewürz), and then try some sentences with the comparative and superlative form (schärfer, schärfste).
One of my favorite German words took me a long time to learn to pronounce and even longer to properly understand. The word beziehungsweise not only has a fairly complex meaning, but it is also so long that in most cases people abbreviate the written form as bzw.
Often beziehungsweise is translated simply as "or":
Einen Wohnwagen beziehungsweise eine Hütte bekommt man ab
You get a trailer or a hut from
fünfundfünfzig Euro.
fifty-five euros.
Caption 33, Berlin - Indoor-Camping im „Hüttenpalast“
Play Caption
So why not simply say oder ("or") instead of the longer beziehungsweise? One reason is that the latter often goes more in-depth than just saying "or." You may want to rent either a trailer or a hut, or perhaps both a trailer and hut. Beziehungsweise is thus often translated as "respectively" too:
Sobald beziehungsweise
As soon as, or respectively,
erst wenn der Antrag gemäß Artikel fünfzig
only when the motion in accordance with Article Fifty
der EU-Verträge vorliegt.
of the EU Treaties is submitted.
Captions 17-18, Brexit-Votum - Merkel warnt vor Spaltung Europas
Play Caption
Sometimes beziehungsweise is used to narrow down a meaning and in this case is translated as "more specifically":
Damit man dieses Geld auch bekommt,
In order to receive this money,
benötigt man ein Bankkonto beziehungsweise ein Girokonto.
you need a bank account, more specifically a checking account.
Captions 7-8, Eva erklärt - Bankkonten
Play Caption
Further Learning
So whether you are learning German for fun or (beziehungsweise) for business — perhaps both, right? — this is a good word to have in your active vocabulary. Although it is not usually translated as such, for me it helped to think of the word as the "and/or" that you sometimes see in English. Take a look at examples of beziehungsweise in context on Yabla German.
If you've followed our lessons, you have likely already heard about "false friends." These are words that sound similar in German and English, but do not have the same meaning. One example of verb that is a false friend is irritieren, which despite sounding very similar to the verb "to irritate," actually means "to confuse." The German adjective irritiert therefore is translated as "confused."
Deine Eltern waren irritiert
Your parents were confused
dass Fußball dich so interessiert
that football interests you so much
Captions 5-6, Olli Schulz - Spielerfrau
Play Caption
Wenn ich das erste Mal in dieser Figur auftrete,
When I appear for the first time in the role of this character,
ist das, äh, Publikum immer erst mal so 'n bisschen irritiert.
the audience, uh, is always a little confused at first.
Captions 26-27, Theater - Rain Man
Play Caption
For "to irritate" or "to annoy," the verb ärgern is a common choice.
Bleib höflich und sag nichts, das ärgert sie am meisten.
Remain polite and don't say anything, that irritates them the most.
Caption 39, Die Ärzte - Lasse redn
Play Caption
Another similar case is with the verb sich wundern. This means "to marvel" at something and is often used to express surprise, however, it does not share the other meaning of "to wonder." "To wonder" in the sense of contemplating or wondering about a topic is simply sich fragen.
Es wundert mich überhaupt nicht, dass dein Kind
I'm not at all surprised that your child
so richtig einen an der Waffel hat.
really has one on his waffle [idiom, is crazy].
Captions 26-27, Filmtrailer - Frau Müller muss weg
Play Caption
Und ich frage mich: Wann werd ich berühmt sein?
And I wonder when will I be famous?
Captions 23-24, Adel Tawil - Lieder
Play Caption
Further Learning
Take a look at these examples in context on Yabla German and practice conjugating irritieren, ärgern, sich wundern, and sich fragen taking into account the reflexive verbs. Or take at this list of false friends and find other verbs to look out for.
For this week, Yabla has released a video reporting on recent extreme winter weather conditions in Germany. You may have noticed that, like English, German has several words that describe different types of wind.
The easiest to remember is “der Wind," although the German word for "the breeze" is quite similar as well:
Der Wind muss nur ein wenig drehen,
The wind has to just turn a little [change directions],
dann steigt die Luft an den Bergen auf.
then the air rises up the mountains.
Caption 9, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
Play Caption
Die leichte, die frische und die steife Brise...
The light, the fresh and the stiff breeze...
Caption 12, Piggeldy und Frederick - Der Wind
Play Caption
Die Böen, the plural of die Bö, refers to stronger wind, and can be translated as "squalls" or "gusts."
Also lokal sind auch orkanartige Böen mit dabei.
Thus, in parts, hurricane-like gusts will also be present.
Caption 24, Wettervorhersage - Winterwetter
Play Caption
The words Orkan and Hurrikan are both used to describe storms caused by traveling low pressure areas. Generally, Hurrikan will refer to tropical storms, while Orkan is a general term for a fierce storm.
Im März diesen [sic, dieses] Jahres [Unwetter-Experte beim GDV]
In March of this year [Storm expert at GDV]
ist der Orkan Niklas über Deutschland hinweggezogen.
Hurricane Niklas passed over Germany.
Captions 5-6, Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft - Naturgefahrenreport
Play Caption
However, extreme winds in Germany are relatively rare. If you ever live or study in Germany, you’re much more likely to hear this sentence:
Mach aber die Tür richtig zu, es zieht immer so! -Hm.
But close the door well, it's always so drafty! -Hm.
Caption 23, Monopoly - Geheime Tipps und Tricks
Play Caption
The use of the verb ziehen ("to move") is related in this case to the word der Luftzug, or “draft of air.”
Further Learning
Watch the classic German cartoon Piggeldy und Frederick - Der Wind in its entirety, as it features many types of wind and some nice adjectives to describe them.
You can also go onto Yabla German and look up examples with any of the following verbs, which are used to describe how wind blows: peitschen, blasen, wehen, pusten, rauschen.
In English, we are used to using a number of idioms to express that something is easy without thinking much about the literal meaning of what we are saying. For instance, to someone who is not so familiar with English, the expression "it's a piece of cake" might sound like you are discussing pastries, when really you are just attempting to express that something is easy.
The German language also has a number of idioms expressing that something is easy or easily done, and many of them are related to the hands.
Heute wird das alles mit leichter Hand, äh, so weggewischt.
Today, that is all erased with a light hand [idiom, with ease].
Caption 80, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
Play Caption
This means that you don't have to use much energy for something and can use a "light hand" to easily get something done.
Das machen wir dann mit links.
We'll do that then with our left hand [idiom, easily].
This does not mean to literally use your left hand to do something, but rather that something is so easy that a right-handed person could even manage it with their less nimble left hand.
Dann ging mir das eigentlich locker von der Hand.
Then it actually went very loosely from the hand [idiom, was easy for me].
Caption 72, Frankfurter Flughafen - Flugzeugschlepper
Play Caption
This might suggest that something has fallen out of your hand, but actually means that something was accomplished with very little effort or quite easily.
Further Learning
Go onto Yabla German and find more examples of phrases expressing "easy" and "easily." As Piggeldy and Frederick always say: Nichts leichter als das!
In many German-speaking countries, winter sports are a popular pastime this time of year. The mountainous areas of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the region of South Tyrol in Italy are all popular destinations for skiing, snowboarding, and other activities.
Was ist denn Ihre Lieblingswintersportart?
What is your favorite type of winter sport then?
Caption 42, Deutsche Sporthilfe - Ball des Sports
Play Caption
The nouns and verbs for many winter sports are quite easy to remember. The nouns Das Schlittschuhlaufen ("ice skating"), das Skifahren ("skiing"), and das Snowboardfahren ("snowboarding") correspond directly to the verb constructions Schlittschuh laufen ("to ice skate"/"to go ice skating"), Ski fahren ("to ski"/"to go skiing") and Snowboard fahren ("to snowboard"/"to go snowboarding").
„Frederick, was ist Schlittschuhlaufen?"
"Frederick, what is ice skating?"
Caption 3, Piggeldy und Frederick - Schlittschuhlaufen
Play Caption
Ich fahr' eigentlich auch total gerne Schlittschuh.
I actually also really like to go ice skating.
Caption 3, Diane - auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt
Play Caption
Ich selber bin jahrelang Snowboard gefahren,
I, myself, snowboarded for years,
ähm, in den Alpen, äh, in Europa in der Schweiz.
um, in the Alps, uh, in Europe, in Switzerland.
Caption 8, Longboarding - mit Lassrollen
Play Caption
Ähm, ich fahre relativ gerne Ski und fahre gerne Snowboard.
Um, I like to ski, more or less, and I like to snowboard.
Caption 51, Deutsche Sporthilfe - Ball des Sports
Play Caption
Further Learning
Watch any of the Yabla German videos above in their entirety, or click on the extra videos below to learn vocabulary related to equipment and technique:
Skifahren lernen - Schneepflug zum Bremsen und Pflugbogen
Wintersport - Engadin Snow 2009
Days of the week in English are, as proper nouns, always capitalized. In North American English, days of the week can also be used in an adverbial sense, such as "I go grocery shopping Mondays." So even though "Mondays" is technically an adverb in this sentence, it is still capitalized because of its origin as a proper noun.
Of course in German, all nouns are capitalized, and days of the week too. However, there are also cases in German where the days of the week are used in an adverbial sense, and we English native speakers must fight our instinctive tendency to try and capitalize these words. The days "Wednesday" and "Thursday," for example:
Ich möchte euch gerne die Wochentage beibringen...
I would like to teach you the days of the week...
Mittwoch, Donnerstag...
Wednesday, Thursday...
Captions 2-7, Lydia erklärt - Wochentage, Jahreszeiten und Monate
Play Caption
Wir unterrichten an zwei Tagen
We teach on two days
während der Woche, mittwochs und donnerstags.
during the week, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Captions 25-26, Lokalhelden - Art House
Play Caption
In the first example, the nouns Mittwoch and Donnerstag are capitalized, but the second example mittwochs and donnerstags are adverbs and thus remain lower case.
Man kann einfach, ähm,
One can simply, um,
sich wirklich mal schön locker machen am Freitagabend.
be really nice and relaxed on a Friday evening.
Caption 45, Frankfurt - Der Friedberger Platz
Play Caption
Was ist das Schöne hier freitagabends herzukommen?
What is the nice thing about coming here on Friday evenings?
Caption 42, Frankfurt - Der Friedberger Platz
Play Caption
In the above examples, it is clear that am Freitagabend is dealing with a noun, because of the definite preposition am, and the -s ending is a sure clue that freitagabends is an adjective that should be written lower case.
Further Learning
Brush up on your days of the week in their noun and adverbial forms on Yabla German.
|
Last week, we discussed how the ending of a noun may indicate whether it's masculine, feminine, or neuter, and looked at some endings like -er and -ig that typically require the definite masculine article der. As we did last week, we must offer the disclaimer that this is not a 100% reliable way to learn the genders of nouns, due to many exceptions. We encourage you as much as possible to simply learn the appropriate definite article (der, die, or das) along with each individual word so that you'll always know the gender of the noun in the future.
However, if you ever get stuck, it might help to know that -anz, -ei, -heit, -ik, -ion,
-keit, -schaft, -tät, and -ung are endings that often indicate a feminine noun. Let's look at some examples.
Es besteht die Möglichkeit, jedes Board vorher zu testen.
The possibility exists, to test every board beforehand.
Caption 41, Longboarding - mit Lassrollen
Play Caption
Die Region zwischen Amrum und Sylt
The region between Amrum and Sylt
wurde wegen der Meeressäuger unter Schutz gestellt.
was placed under protection because of the marine mammals.
Caption 2, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
Beim Volleyball im Sand besteht
With volleyball in the sand,
die Mannschaft nämlich nur aus zwei Spielern.
the team consists, namely, of just two players.
Caption 10, Olympische Spiele - Beachvolleyball
Play Caption
As mentioned last week, there are exceptions particularly for one-syllable words, which will most often not follow the rules. For example, die Einladung ("the invitation") is feminine, but der Sprung ("the jump") is masculine.
Die Einladung kommt noch.
The invitation is still on its way.
Caption 77, Free Birds - Interview mit Nora Tschirner & Rick Kavanian
Play Caption
Und der Sprung an sich geht vielleicht nur drei Sekunden,
And the jump itself lasts perhaps only three seconds
aber es kommt einem ewig vor.
but it seems eternal.
Caption 44, Lucas' Hobbys - Achterbahn und Bungee
Play Caption
Further Learning
Next week, we will conclude this small series with endings that are usually associated with neuter nouns. In the meantime, you can look for the words used in context on Yabla German. If you use flashcards, make sure you're in the habit of always including "the" on the English side (for example, "the possibility" or "the team"), so that you will be sure to include the correct definite article in the translation on the other side of the card.
As we know, German nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter, and the article used with a noun is dependent on its gender. You may have already been advised to memorize the definite article der, die, or das as an essential part of the noun itself, as there are few patterns that will reliably help you retrieve the gender of the noun later on. At Yabla, we try to help with this by always including the definite article of any new vocabulary words presented in our newsletters.
However, because new words are not always presented with their definite article in Yabla videos or in real life situations, it may be good to learn a few tendencies that exist for certain word endings. Let’s start with some typically masculine endings, keeping in mind that these rules do have exceptions and that memorizing the article along with each individual noun will always be a better idea.
Often, words ending with -er, -or, -en, -ling, -smus, -ig, -eig, -ant, or -eich are masculine and require the definite article der.
Der Teig hat doch eine ganze Stunde gebraucht, um fertig zu werden.
The batter did indeed take a whole hour to be ready.
Caption 17, Weihnachtsplätzchen backen - mit Diane und vielen kleinen Helfern
Play Caption
Dann wird der Honig in Gläser abgefüllt.
Then the honey is filled into jars.
Caption 28, Piggeldy und Frederick - Vergessen
Play Caption
Der Garten, den ihr hier seht,
The garden, which you see here,
der gehört zur Domäne Dahlem.
belongs to the Dömane Dahlem [name of museum].
Caption 4, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem
Play Caption
It is important to note that these rules often don’t apply to monosyllabic words. For example, words ending in -eich are often masculine, but not das Reich ("the empire").
Und der hintere Bereich jetzt hier, wo kommen wir jetzt hin?
And the area now behind here, where are we going now?
Caption 14, Karlsruher Stadtgeburtstag - die Majolika-Manufaktur
Play Caption
And don't forget: these “rules” are really only tendencies due to exceptions. As we see here, there are words ending with -ant that are not masculine.
Der Elefant wollte an seine Frau nach Afrika schreiben.
The elephant wanted to write to his wife in Africa.
Caption 34, Janoschs Traumstunde - Post für den Tiger
Play Caption
„Wie heißt das Restaurant, dessen Essen so...
"What is the name of the restaurant whose food...
dessen Essen so gut sein soll?"
whose food is supposed to be so good?"
Caption 5, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Der Relativsatz
Play Caption
Further Learning
We will be back next week with typical endings for feminine nouns. In the meantime, make some flashcards with vocabulary from past lessons or your favorite videos on Yabla German, and always include the definite article so that you learn the gender of the noun. If you have flashcards but have not included the articles, add them now! It is important to get into the habit of doing so.
The custom of making a New Year's resolution, where we promise to try to make improvements in the coming year, is common in many western European countries. A recent newspaper report states that the most popular New Year's resolution for Germans this year is to try to pay more attention to their personal finances, with the specific goal of saving more money.
The German word for "resolution" in the context of a New Year's resolution is der Vorsatz, as in der Vorsatz für das neue Jahr, or less commonly, der Neujahrsvorsatz.
Haben Sie irgendwelche Vorsätze für nächstes Jahr?
Do you have any resolutions for next year?
Caption 8, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Linkenheim
Play Caption
Haben Sie Vorsätze?
Do you have resolutions?
-Ja, es wird alles besser!
-Yes, everything will get better!
Captions 30-31, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Linkenheim
Play Caption
Haben Sie sich schon gute Vorsätze fürs neue Jahr vorgenommen?
Have you already made good resolutions for the new year?
Caption 8, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Karlsruhe
Play Caption
Machen Sie sich Vorsätze fürs neue Jahr?
Do you make resolutions for the new year?
Nein. -Nein, warum nicht? -Weil mer [wir] sie sowieso nicht einhalten.
No. -No, why not? -Because we don't keep them anyway.
Captions 40-41, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Karlsruhe
Play Caption
We hope you can be a bit more optimistic about your New Year's resolutions than this last fellow, perhaps it helps if the resolutions are realistic!
Further Learning
Watch both of the Yabla German videos about New Year's resolutions in Linkenheim and in Karlsruhe in their entirety and write some New Year’s resolutions for yourself in German.
We have already devoted a Yabla German lesson to the celebration of New Year's Eve in Germany with an explanation of the phrase Guten Rutsch ("a good slide into the new year"), but let's take a detailed look at the German word for New Year's Eve: der Silvester (or das Silvester, either way is correct).
The term Silvester originates from the Christian feast which takes place on the anniversary of the death of Pope Silvester I on December 31st, and is also used (with language-specific variant spellings) to denote New Year's Eve in many countries, including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Slovenia.
Was machen wir eigentlich an Silvester?
What are we actually doing on New Year's Eve?
Caption 2, Im Zoo - Der Jahreswechsel für die Tiere
Play Caption
Wie verbringen Sie Silvester? -Ganz gemütlich zu Hause.
How will you spend New Year's Eve? -Very comfortably at home.
Caption 7, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Linkenheim
Play Caption
Wer an Silvester nicht alleine Raketen kucken will...
Those who do not want to watch fireworks by themselves on New Year's Eve...
Caption 42, Leidenszeit für Singles - Online-Dating-Hochsaison
Play Caption
Wie feiert ihr den Silvesterabend?
How do you celebrate New Year's Eve?
Also, ich feier mit meiner Mama und meinem Papa zu Hause.
Well, I celebrate with my mom and my dad at home.
Captions 17-18, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Karlsruhe
Play Caption
As you see in the last example, Silvester can be combined with Abend (evening) to form the compound noun der Silvesterabend.
Further Learning
So regardless of whether you celebrate Silvester at home with family or out with friends, we at Yabla wish you all a happy and safe guten Rutsch into the New Year!
Inglés
Francés
Italiano
Español
English
Español 
Français
Italiano
Português
Deutsch