The German terms stundenlang, monatelang, tagelang, wochenlang, and jahrelang are used to express durations of time in a descriptive manner.
Stundenlang translates to "for hours" or even "for hours on end," indicating an extended period spent on an activity and often emphasizing the intensity or monotony of the experience. This word can either be used as an adverb or as an adjective, in which case it needs to be altered to reflect the noun that follows.
Stundenlang ritt er umher, um den Weg nach Hause zu finden.
For hours, he rode around searching for the way home.
Caption 19, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Hans mein Igel
Play Caption
Und ich hätte wirklich stundenlang dir zuhören können.
And I really could have listened to you for hours.
Caption 42, The Voice of Germany: Isabel Nolte singt „Als ich fortging“
Play Caption
Zurzeit muss man entweder eine stundenlange Zugfahrt in Kauf nehmen oder man fliegt.
Currently, you either have to put up with an hours-long train ride, or you fly.
Captions 22-23, DW-Nachrichten: Der Traum vom Hyperloop
Play Caption
The word tagelang highlights a continuous action or state over several days, and is also often used in narratives to depict persistence or exhaustion.
Tagelang fuhren sie bergauf, bergab über die holprigen Straßen.
For days, they rode uphill, downhill over the bumpy roads.
Caption 44, Märchen - Sagenhaft: König Drosselbart
Play Caption
Ich könnte tagelang von dir erzählen.
I could talk about you for days.
Caption 16, Xavier Naidoo Ich kenne nichts (das so schön ist wie du)
Play Caption
The word wochenlang is also used as an adverb of time or an adjective that describes something that lasts weeks.
Das "Face" ist wochenlang beobachtet und perfekt gecheckt worden.
The face has been studied and checked perfectly for weeks.
Caption 15, Wintersport: Engadin Snow 2009
Play Caption
Man kann auch von Menschen, die wochenlang unterwegs waren, die Deutschland als ihr Ziel ausgeben, etwas Geduld erwarten.
You can also expect, from people who were traveling for weeks, who identify Germany as their goal, some patience.
Captions 10-11, rheinmaintv: De Maizière führt Gespräch über potenzielle Sicherheitsgefahr
Play Caption
In these last two examples, you can see monatelang used as an adverb and jahrelang used as an adjective:
Du kannst ja jetzt auch nicht monatelang im Prinzip ständig am Limit trainieren, du brauchst auch wieder eine Regeneration und so.
You also can't—for months on end now—be pushing yourself to the limit when training, simply as a matter of principle. You also need a period of regeneration, and so on.
Captions 52-54, Angelique Kerber: Ihre tennisfreie Zeit
Play Caption
Da ist Technik dabei und die jahrelange Erfahrung und Tricks.
Technical [assistance] is there and the long years of experience and tricks of the trade.
Caption 55, Selbst versucht: Gepäckabfertigung bei Fraport
Play Caption
Further Learning
You can find more examples of these words used in context on Yabla German. Also, try writing your own sentences.
In English, one way of saying that an event is finished or done with is to say that it's "over." In German, the word über, though usually meaning "about," is sometimes translated as "over" when it is referring to the physical placement of something:
Ganz zum Schluss verteile ich meinen Zuckerguss über den Kuchen.
Right at the end, I spread my sugar frosting over the cake.
Caption 36, Apfelkuchen - mit Eva
Play Caption
But in German, if you want to say that an event is over, the word über turns out to be a kind of false friend: the correct term here is vorbei:
Doch diese Zeiten sind vorbei
But those times are over
Caption 12, Christina Stürmer - Wir leben den Moment
Play Caption
Meine Stunden bei der Gepäckverladung der Bodenverkehrsdienste sind vorbei.
My hours at the baggage loading area of the ground traffic services are over.
Caption 45, Selbst versucht - Gepäckabfertigung bei Fraport
Play Caption
Es ist jetzt vorbei, ich starte neu
It's over now, I'm starting anew
Caption 7, Beatrice Egli - Irgendwann
Play Caption
Depending upon the context, vorbei can also be translated as "passed," or "gone," or "past," to name a few possibilities:
Vier Jahre sind vorbei und unser Team ist mit dabei
Four years have passed and our team is in
Caption 9, Die gestiefelten Zwerge - Am Kap der Hoffnung steht der Cup
Play Caption
... denn dann ist der Zauber vorbei.
... because then the magic is gone.
Caption 57, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Aschenputtel
Play Caption
Der Winter ist vorbei.
The winter is past.
Caption 2, Jahreszeiten - Der Frühling
Play Caption
Another possibility for expressing that something is over or has passed by is the adverb vorüber:
So, jetzt ist der Haxen fertig, die drei Stunden sind vorüber.
So now the knuckle is finished, the three hours have passed by.
Caption 45, Kochen mit Cettina - Schweinshaxe
Play Caption
Ein Jahr weht vorüber...
A year flies past...
Caption 24, rheinmain Szene - Selig
Play Caption
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and see the many other examples of vorbei and vorüber in a real world context. See too if you can correctly translate the title of this week's lesson: Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei. Hint: the direct translation "fat years" isn't quite right!
German has many French loan words or Gallicisms. You may wonder why it is helpful to know that some German words originally came from the French—in fact, an estimated 45% of English comes from French or Latin language sources, and very often the French words found in German are the same or very similar to the words found in English that originated from France. If you learn to recognize words in your native English as having a French origin, there is even a fair chance that these words are used in German. All the better if you happen to speak some French already!
Let's take a look today at some of the more commonly used German words with a French origin that have obvious French word endings such as -ment, -ion, or -age.
Sie kann direkt hinüberblicken zum Parlament.
She can look directly across at the parliament.
Caption 33, Berlin - Hauptstadt des vereinten Deutschland
Play Caption
Here das Parlament is spelled slightly differently from the French parlement and English "parliament."
Für mich hat's unheimlich viel mit der Emotion zu tun.
For me, it has an awful lot to do with the emotion.
Caption 8, Astrid North - Solo-Debüt
Play Caption
The German die Emotion is capitalized as a noun, and except for the accent in the French émotion, is written otherwise the same in all three languages. Notice the noun das Debüt in the title of the above video? That too is based on the French début, which is, of course, "debut" in English.
Es war Ihre Verantwortung, diese Information zu versenden.
It was your responsibility to send this information.
Caption 40, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern - Part 1
Play Caption
Die Information is the same in all three languages, but is capitalized as a German noun.
Genau, ähm, das war so eine Illusion.
Exactly, that was such an illusion.
Caption 74, Ehrlich Brothers - Show-Magier - Part 1
Play Caption
Die Illusion is also the same in all three languages but capitalized in German.
Mein Rücken, der braucht erst mal eine ordentliche Massage.
My back, first of all, it needs a thorough massage.
Caption 60, Selbst versucht - Gepäckabfertigung bei Fraport
Play Caption
Die Massage is the same noun in all three languages, though in German the verb is massieren.
Further Learning
As a general rule, French words found in German are spelled the same, or nearly the same, as the French words found in English, but are pronounced in a German manner and written according to German grammatical rules—with nouns capitalized, for example. Take a look at this list of Gallicisms in German and go to Yabla German to find other real-world examples of the words used in videos. Next week we will discuss some more German words that originated from the French and have similar English equivalents.
The adverb bitte is probably used much more often in German than “please” is in English. This is because it has many different meanings, from “you’re welcome,” “pardon,” “may I help you” and “here you go” all the way back to simple “please.” On the other hand, the verb “to please” has a number of German equivalents, but the German verb bitten does not mean “to please,” but rather “to ask,” “to request,” “to beg” or “to plead.” So be aware that while these aren’t exactly false friends, they’re not completely equivalent.
The adverb, please!
Let’s first check out the different ways bitte is used: Bitte is very commonly meant as “you’re welcome,” the standard response after somebody has thanked you for something:
Also, vielen herzlichen Dank, dass ich heute mit dabei sein durfte!
So, many heartfelt thanks that I was allowed to be here today!
-Bitte, bitte!
-You're welcome, you're welcome!
Captions 56-57, Selbst versucht - Gepäckabfertigung bei Fraport
Play Caption
When you go into a restaurant or shop, often the first thing the waiter or salesperson will ask you is bitte schön or sometimes merely bitte, which in this case means “may I help you?” The second bitte is “please” again!
Ja, bitte schön. -Ich möchte zwei Brotchen und ein Dinkelbrot, bitte.
Yes, may I help you? -I would like two rolls and a spelt bread, please.
Next up, a Yabla example of bitte in the sense of “here you are,” a commonplace usage when, for instance, a waiter hands you a menu in a restaurant. Note that the first use of bitte in this example is the standard meaning “please.”
Genau. -Speisekarten bitte!
Exactly. -Menus please!
So, bitte sehr.
So, here you are.
Captions 6-7, Melanie und Thomas - im Restaurant
Play Caption
Lastly, the adverb bitte can also be used in the sense of “pardon”:
Ich heiße Angela Merkel. -Wie bitte? -Ich sagte, „Ich heiße Angela Merkel”.
My name is Angela Merkel. -Pardon me? -I said, “My name is Angela Merkel.”
Although at first it may seem a bit confusing with so many possible meanings for bitte, the contexts will give you a very good indication of meaning!
The verb “to please”
As we discussed, the German verb bitten means “to ask,” “to plead,” “to entreat,” or even “to beg.” So how do we “please” someone in German? The German sich freuen, zufrieden sein, and zufriedenstellen are all used in various ways “to please.” Here someone is pleased to greet another person:
Ich bedanke mich und würde mich freuen,
I thank you and I would be pleased
Sie mal persönlich hier bei uns begrüßen.
to greet you personally here with us.
Captions 55-56, Architektur - der Stadt Karlsruhe
Play Caption
And here someone is pleased with the city:
Ich bin extrem zufrieden mit Offenburg, wirklich.
I am extremely pleased with Offenburg, really.
Caption 8, Barbara Schöneberger - Bambi-Verleihung backstage
Play Caption
And here a person is pleased with a film:
Die abwechslungsreichen Kurzfilme werden an Orten gezeigt,
The varied short films are being shown at places
die auch Besucher mit ästhetischem Anspruch äußerst zufriedenstellen.
that please visitors supremely with an aesthetic claim.
Captions 3-4, Kurzfilm-Festival - Shorts at Moonlight
Play Caption
Learning suggestions:
Some other words meaning “to please,” which have varied shades of meaning such as “to make happy” and “to like,” are beglücken, behagen, and zu Gefallen sein. See if you can find a variety of these usages on Yabla and also check out Linguee, a great language resource site that takes published translations and posts them side by side with the original language so that you can see some real-world examples of words in different contexts. Ich denke, es wird euch gefallen!
Spanish
French
Italian
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Italiano
Português
Deutsch
