These days more than ever, our eyes are on the news. Finding reliable sources is so essential for keeping up to date with politics, following the weather and the environment, and learning about society and culture.

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As we know from a previous lesson, die Nachricht can mean "the message," but also refers to the news. Note that "the news" is singular in English, but plural in German.

Die Nachrichten über den Krieg in der Ukraine seien schwer zu ertragen.

The news about the war in Ukraine is hard to bear.

Caption 21, Private Hilfe auf dem Bahnsteig: Berliner helfen Ukrainern

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Many people get their news from newspapers, whether in print or online. Some German newspapers include Die Zeit, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and Süddeutsche Zeitung. There are also political magazines like Der Spiegel with articles on current events.

Ich hab Zeitung gelesen und mich in den Artikel vertieft.

I was reading the newspaper, immersing myself in the article.

Caption 8, O du fröhliche: Flashmob in der Straßenbahn

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Du schaust eine Zeitschrift an oder eine Zeitung und dann gibt es Anzeige für ein Auto, Anzeige für ein Parfüm.

You are looking at a magazine or a newspaper and then there is an ad for a car, an ad for a perfume.

Captions 10-11, Deutschkurs in Tübingen: Was braucht der Mensch?

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Ha, traurig, was manche Leute für eine Schlagzeile tun.

Ha, sad what some people do for a headline.

Caption 58, Lerchenberg: Hitlers Hundeführer

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Of course, many people also get their news from television or radio. The word die Sendung can be used to describe either a television show or a radio broadcast. A news show can be referred to as die Nachrichtensendung.

Hallo, hallo. Ich bin der Moderator dieser Sendung.

Hello, hello. I'm the host of this show.

Caption 27, Lerchenberg: Du bist, was du isst

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Whether you read or listen to your news is not as important as making sure the source of the news is reliable: 

Das sagte Merkel am Donnerstag. [Quelle]

That's what Merkel said on Thursday. [Source]

Caption 6, Angela Merkel: Solidarität der Generationen in Coronakrise

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Further Learning
Keep an eye on the series Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten and visit Yabla German for an overview of current events. 

A few lessons ago, we discussed the Performing Arts (die darstellende Kunst), one of which is music (die Musik). Let's take a look today at the German names of some of the most common musical instruments used in classical music.

The piano is one of the main instruments in Western culture, and many musicians who specialize in other instruments and singing are often required to learn some basic piano skills. This is because of the piano's large range, from deep bass to high treble, which allows it to cover all of the ranges used by orchestral instruments. The piano is also important for musical composition, and many works for orchestra have been composed using the piano. 

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In German, the piano may be called either das Klavier or das Piano, although the latter is more old-fashioned and sometimes used in jest. A person who plays the piano is called der Klavierspieler / die Klavierspielerin or der Pianist / die Pianistin. This reflects the English terms "piano player" and "pianist" respectively.

Piggeldy wollte wissen, wie man Klavier spielt.

Piggeldy wanted to know how to play the piano.

Caption 2, Piggeldy und Frederick: Das Klavier

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Er ist eigentlich klassischer Pianist.

He is actually a classical pianist.

Caption 54, Rockfabrik-Open-Air Love-Street: Interview

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The violin also has two common names in German: die Geige or die Violine. A person who plays the violin is called either der Geiger / die Geigerin or der Violinist / die Violinistin.

Die beiden Spezialisten, haben von klein auf klassischen Unterricht bekommen, das heißt, Violine und Klavier.

The two experts received classical instruction from an early age, that is, violin and piano.

Captions 26-27, Sons of Sounds Open: Air in Karlsruhe

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Star-Geiger David Garrett war für einen Kurzauftritt angereist

Star violinist David Garrett had traveled here for a brief appearance

Caption 52, rheinmain Szene: Live-Entertainment-Award in Frankfurt

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Of the remaining bowed string instruments, the viola is called die Bratsche and is played by der Bratschist / die Bratschistin. The cello, which is actually short for "violoncello," is called the same in German: das Cello. A person who plays the cello is der Cellist / die Cellistin. The double bass—also called the upright bass or acoustic bass—is the deepest of the string instruments. In German, it's called der Kontrabass and its players are called der Kontrabassist / die Kontrabassistin.

Der Mensch braucht eine Geige, ein Klavier und einen Kontrabass.

A human being needs a violin, a piano and a contrabass.

Caption 65, Deutschkurs in Tübingen: Was braucht der Mensch?

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The highest of the woodwind reed instruments are the clarinet and the oboe, called die Klarinette and die Oboe respectively. The clarinet is played by der Klarinettist / die Klarinettistin and the oboe by der Oboist / die Oboistin. The deepest is the bassoon, in German das Fagott, which is played by der Fagottist / die Fagottistin. 

There are also several non-reed woodwind instruments such as the flute and the recorder, respectively called die Flöte and die Blockflöte in German. A flautist is der Flötist / die Flötistin, and a recorder player is der Blockflötist / die Blockflötistin.

Der Rattenfänger ging auf die Hauptstraße und zückte seine Flöte.

The Pied Piper went out onto the main street and pulled out his flute.

Caption 37, Märchen: Sagenhaft Der Rattenfänger von Hameln

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Of the brass instruments, the most commonly used are the trumpet and the French horn, respectively die Trompete and das Horn in German. The players are der Trompetist / die Trompetistin and der Hornist / die Hornistin. In the lower registers there's also the tuba, die Tuba. It's played by der Tubist / die Tubistin, or alternately der Tubaspieler / die Tubaspielerin. 

Und mit dir Trompeten, Geigen und Chöre...

And with you, trumpets, violins and choirs...

Caption 69, Wincent Weiss & Benni Freibott: Musik sein

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Lastly, the main percussion instruments used are the marimba (die Marimba), the snare drum (die kleine Trommel), and the timpani (die Pauke). The snare drum has a variety of names in German, but it's often informally referred to simply by its English name, die Snare. The person in the orchestra playing these instruments is called der Perkussionist / die Perkussionistin. 

Dann Paukenschläge auf Trommelwirbel...

Then timpani strikes over a drum roll...

Caption 71, Wincent Weiss & Benni Freibott Musik sein

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Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and watch the videos above relating to musical instruments. You can also search for the names of the instruments and find other videos. Find a tandem partner in your class and make up some sentences in German using these musical instrument words, then compare what you both came up with. In an upcoming lesson, we'll talk about the different kinds of musical instruments used in pop music!