Summer vacation has started for students in Germany! Thousands of families will be heading out for their holidays in Germany and abroad during the next weeks. We've looked at nouns for "vacation" and "holiday" in a previous lesson, but this week we'll look at verbs and nouns related to resting, relaxing, and enjoying oneself. 

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The first verb to learn is sich entspannen, which almost always translates as "to relax." For the noun "relaxation," you can use die Entspannung.

Da kann man sich richtig entspannen.

You can really relax there.

Caption 40, Es war einmal … Entdecker und Erfinder: Archimedes

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Gestern nach der Arbeit habe ich dringend Entspannung gebraucht.

Yesterday after work, I urgently needed relaxation.

Caption 17, Konjugation: Das Verb „brauchen“

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For university students, or others who have had an intense year so far, sich erholen is another reflexive verb that may be appropriate. This verb can be translated as "to rest, "to recover," and "to recuperate," and its related noun is die Erholung. University students may still have exams or papers to complete, but their summer extends through September. 

Fast scheint es, als wolle sich der Zwergtintenfisch von seinen Abenteuern erholen.

It almost appears that the bobtail squid wants to recover from its adventure.

Caption 9, Abenteuer Nordsee: Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen\

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Fehmarn bietet seinen Gästen neben Erholung und Ruhe ein Veranstaltungsprogramm.

Fehmarn offers its guests, in addition to relaxation and rest, an events program.

Caption 21, Die Insel Fehmarn: Gästeboom

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Another good verb for "to rest" is sich ausruhen. It is this verb that doctors are most likely to use when they talk about getting some rest.

Und ich kann mich dadurch noch tiefer ausruhen.

And that allows me to rest even more deeply.

Caption 33, Deutsch mit Eylin: Erkältungszeit

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Er hatte zu viel Stress. Er muss sich jetzt ausruhen.

He was under too much stress. He has to rest now.

Caption 11, Nicos Weg: Alten- und Pflegeheim

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However, if you are in good health and enjoying some time off, more relevant verbs might also be sich vergnügen, Spaß haben, or sich amüsieren. 

Und außerdem müssen sich junge Leute noch ein bisschen amüsieren.

And besides, young people still need to enjoy themselves a bit.

Caption 21, Es war einmal... der Weltraum: Die Saurier

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Further Learning
You can find lots of vocabulary related to relaxation and holidays on Yabla German. We also did a whole series on vacations not so long ago!

f you haven't already seen Eva's video about materials, it's a great way to improve your vocabulary for describing objects. Although she covers the topic extensively, we'll augment her video this week with some more specific words related to plastic, metal, and wood. 

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In German, plastic is either der Kunststoff or das Plastik, and rubber is der Gummi.

Diese können echt sein oder aus Holz oder Kunststoff.

These can be real or made of wood or plastic.

Caption 19, Ostern: mit Eva

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Es gibt natürlich auch Trinkbecher, die aus Plastik bestehen.

There are, of course, also drinking cups that are made out of plastic.

Caption 13, Eva zeigt uns: Materialien

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Ich nehme die Gummistiefel.

I'll take the rubber boots.

Caption 12, Felix und Franzi: Sonnenbrille oder Regenschirm?

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There are, of course, many types of metal, or das Metall. 

Die Krone enthält ein anderes Metall, ein leichteres.

The crown contains a different metal, a lighter one.

Caption 81, Es war einmal: Entdecker und Erfinder Archimedes

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Die Kufen der Schlittschuhe sind aus Stahl und haben eine sehr glatte Auflagefläche.

Ice skate runners are made of steel and have a very smooth contact area.

Caption 22, Unterwegs mit Cettina: Schlittschuhlaufen

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Und ich möchte so wenig wie möglich Eisen verwenden.

And I want to use iron as little as possible.

Caption 30, Heidi: Dunkle Vergangenheit

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Diese Fünf-Cent-Münze ist aus Kupfer gemacht.

This five-cent coin is made out of copper.

Caption 7, Eva zeigt uns: Materialien

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Fun fact: Just like in English, the word das Blech ("tin") in German is also used to describe a baking tin (das Backblech). Additionally, it refers to a metal baking sheet or tray that you would slide into the oven.

Wie ihr seht, wird das Blech von der Tomatensauce nicht komplett bedeckt.

As you can see, the tray is not completely covered with the tomato sauce.

Caption 15, Cannelloni: mit Jenny

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As you saw in the very first example above, the word for "wood" is das Holz. But there are as many types of wood (die Hölzer) as there are types of trees. Here are just a few:

Denn die Kiefer ist einerseits ein Nadelbaum . . .

Because the pine is, on the one hand, a coniferous tree ...

Caption 17, Deutsch mit Eylin: Wörter mit 2 Bedeutungen

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Weinsberg war von Mauern umgeben, die waren so dick [sic] wie eine alte Eiche.

Weinsberg was surrounded by walls that were as thick as an old oak tree.

Captions 9-10, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Die Weiber von Weinsberg

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Der wird zwei Wochen lang geräuchert im Buchenholz.

It is smoked for two weeks in beech wood.

Caption 58, 48 h in Innsbruck: Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps

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You can additionally look up das Birkenholz, das Kirschholz, das Mahagoniholz, das Eschenholz, and many more. Based on the pattern you see, what is the name for the wood that comes from oak or pine trees?

Further Learning
Watch Eva's video on Yabla German and then look around the room you are in and try to describe what the furniture and objects are made of.