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.
As you certainly know by now, a German adjective in the nominative or subject case for a masculine noun with an indefinite article usually takes an -er as an ending.
For example, with the adjective halb:
...ein halber Teelöffel über drei Stücke Wurst.
... a half a teaspoon on three pieces of sausage.
Caption 39, Currywurst - Berlins schärfstes Stück
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So ein halber Marathon sind 20 Kilometer.
Such a half marathon is 20 kilometers.
Caption 10, Internationale Automobilausstellung - IAA in Frankfurt öffnet die Pforten
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Ein halber Mond versinkt vor mir.
A half moon sinks before me.
Caption 17, Tokio Hotel - Durch den Monsun
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From knowing that the adjective halb, seen here as halber, means "half," you might make a mistake when you see a word of the same spelling in some other contexts:
Der Ordnung halber...
When you find a noun in the genitive case followed by halber, this is the preposition halber and means "for the sake of..." The above could be translated as "for the sake of orderliness" or "for the sake of clarity." Here are few other examples:
Der Einfachheit halber = for the sake of simplicity
Der Transparenz halber = for the sake of transparency
Der Vollständigkeit halber = for the sake of completeness
Der Datenqualität halber = for the sake of data quality
Der Ehrlichkeit halber = for the sake of honesty
In some cases, the use of the adjective halber became so common that it fused with a noun to become an adjectival suffix, or the ending of an adjective. The meaning that the suffix -halber lends a word is usually the same as the adjective:
gerechtigkeitshalber = der Gerechtigkeit halber = for the sake of justice
sicherheitshalber = der Sicherheit halber = for the sake of security
But sometimes it can have a slightly different meaning as the cause of something rather than for the sake of something:
krankheitshalber = because of illness
umständehalber = due to circumstances
Further Learning
Go to the German Duden dictionary and read the definitions of the adjective halber and the adjectival suffix halber. See if you can translate the title of this lesson to proper German, too! (Hint: it will use the genitive case of das Deutschlernen.)
Auch im zweiten Drittel ließen die Löwen nicht locker.
Even in the second third of the game, the Löwen did not relax.
Caption 25, Eishockey - Löwen Frankfurt - EC Bad Nauheim
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You are likely used to auch meaning "also," but did you know that it can mean "even" as well? There are three words for the adverb "even" that are essentially interchangeable in German: auch, selbst, and sogar. They are often combined with wenn. Below we see that auch wenn means "even if" and sometimes "even though":
Auch wenn es mir mein Herz zerreißt
Even if it tears my heart up
Caption 5, Beatrice Egli - Irgendwann
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Doch auch wenn im Film viel Basketball gespielt wird:
But even though a lot of basketball is played in the movie,
Ein Sportfilm soll es dennoch nicht werden.
it is not intended to be a sports movie.
Captions 45-46, Dreharbeiten - zum Film „Playoff“
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In a previous lesson, we wrote about how the word selbst is used in the context of a person having made or done something themselves. However, in certain contexts, it is placed in front of the subject and means "even" as well:
Doch selbst bei Temperaturen wie im Kühlschrank...
But even at temperatures like in the refrigerator...
Caption 31, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Selbst ausgewachsen werden diese Tintenfische gerade mal zwanzig Zentimeter groß.
Even fully grown, these squid will only become twenty centimeters long.
Caption 28, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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The dual meaning of selbst means that it cannot be used in every sentence, because it would cause confusion. You have likely heard sogar more often:
In Berlin treten die besten von ihnen sogar in Wettkämpfen gegeneinander an.
In Berlin, the best of them even enter into competitions against one another.
Caption 34, Currywurst - Berlins schärfstes Stück
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Er kann sogar den Airbus A dreihundertachtzig drücken und ziehen.
It can even push and pull an Airbus A three hundred eighty.
Caption 18, Frankfurter Flughafen - Flugzeugschlepper
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Further Learning
For further examples, just do a simple search, as there are many on Yabla German!
See if you can also find examples of noch, which can also be translated as "even" when it augments an adjective.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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).
Modal or "flavoring" particles: words used in colloquial speech indicating a certain attitude of the speaker
schon, ja, halt
Although Germans have a fondness for foreign cuisine, they will always stay faithful to their Currywurst (curried sausage). There are an estimated 2,000 sausage stands in Berlin and even a museum solely dedicated to this popular German snack. Berliner Frank Spieß, owner of the unique sausage stand "Curry and Chili," offers 12 levels of spiciness, emphatically ensuring that some, indeed, like it hot!
Also, die Leute haben schon, äh, Spaß daran.
So, the people indeed have, uh, fun with it.
Caption 48, Currywurst - Berlins schärfstes Stück
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As a modal particle the word schon (in bold) means "indeed" as opposed to the literal meaning "already" when used as an adverb.
Ich bin schon ein Fußballfan, aber kein eingefleischter.
I am indeed a soccer fan but not a die-hard one.
By adding a ja to her sentence, Eva, who takes us on a tour through Berlin's Viktoriapark, implies that it's well-known that the Kreuzberg ("cross hill") isn't really that high with its modest 66 meters.
Das ist ja nicht besonders groß.
That isn't particularly tall.
Caption 14, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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Halt is another very commonly used modal particle which can be translated as "just", "simply" or "as a matter of fact." Drummer Thomas Holtgreve of German band Frida Gold uses it to add accent, attitude and emphasis.
Ein bisschen auf die Spitze getrieben halt, so.
Just pushed it a little bit to the extreme, so.
Caption 18, Frida Gold - Making of „Zeig mir, wie du tanzt“
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For a list and more example sentences of German modal particles you can go here and here.
In conclusion, modal particles are uninflected parts of speech used to convey impatience, surprise, disbelief, or urgency along with the statement. Try them out and give your next conversation "auf Deutsch" an authentic, casual feel.
Learning Tip
If you want to fine tune your understanding of modal particles go to the Videos tab on german.yabla.com and enter the modal particle you want to practice into the search box. All videos containing said particle will appear. Focus only on watching those clips and your understanding of informal German along with the selected modal particles is sure to improve.
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