If you are familiar with über ("above," "over," "across") and hinaus ("out," "afield"), the fact that über hinaus (also darüber hinaus) is often translated as "beyond" may not surprise you. Like in English, it can be used to talk about physical distance, or be used in a similar context to außerdem, which means "additionally" or "moreover."
Es ging über die Wiese hinaus in die große, weite Welt.
It went across the meadow, out into the big, wide world.
Caption 49, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Das hässliche Entlein
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Ist die Drohne auch mit einer Kamera ausgestattet, muss ihr Besitzer darüber hinaus noch mehr beachten.
If the drone is also equipped with a camera, its owner must additionally pay even more attention.
Captions 36-37, Rhein-Main-TV: Strengere Regeln - Lohnt sich eine Drohne überhaupt noch?
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...und vielleicht noch darüber hinaus mit verschiedenen Medien zu arbeiten.
...and maybe even beyond that, working with different kinds of media.
Caption 50, Sprachschulen: Sprachcaffe Frankfurt
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Although it may look similar, über hinweg cannot be used interchangeably with über hinaus. It is often translated with "over" or "through" and can be used to talk about time passing. Take a look:
Für Menschen sind Tiere oft treue Begleiter und helfen über so manche einsame Stunde hinweg.
Animals are often loyal companions for people, and help them through many a lonely hour.
Captions 1-2, Für Tierfreunde: Wohin mit Tieren wenn Besitzer sterben
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Wir haben mit den vierten Klassen über ein ganzes Jahr hinweg zu unterschiedlichen Themen gearbeitet...
Over the course of an entire year, we have worked on various themes with the fourth grade class...
Captions 11-12, Erstes Frankfurter „Schuljahr der Nachhaltigkeit“: Abschlussfeier
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As you can see, both of the examples above refer to time, and not to distance or extent. But in this next example, über hinaus very clearly means "over" and "away":
Eines Tages wird es so weit sein, und bis dahin träume ich mich über die Mauer hinweg zu dir.
One day it will be the case, and until then I will dream myself over the wall to you.
Caption 29, Lilly unter den Linden: Umzug in die DDR
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and make sure you understand how these phrases are used in a sentence. For each sentence you see, consider which other word could be used and what this says about the meaning of über hinaus or über hinweg in that particular context.
In a previous newsletter, we looked at the German words for various bodies of water. This week, we'll take a look at different landscapes and landforms found in Germany and around the world. Germany itself has a surprising number of these diverse landscapes, with forests, rolling hills, valleys and mountain ranges, rocky and sandy coasts, and even wetlands.
Yabla has many videos about the incredible ecosystems of das Gebirge, the mountain range. You may also hear die Berge ("the mountains").
Nur wenige Menschen nehmen das beschwerliche Leben im Hochgebirge auf sich.
Only a few people take on the arduous life in the high mountains.
Caption 27, Die letzten Paradiese Schätze der Natur: Südtirol
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Im kalten Stellisee verläuft ihre Entwicklung langsamer als im Tal.
In the cold Stellisee [a lake], their development proceeds more slowly than in the valley.
Caption 4, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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Denn wenn das Eis der Gletscher schmilzt, fließt das Wasser von den Berghöhen durch Spalten tief ins Gebirge hinein.
Because if the ice of the glaciers melts, the water will flow from the mountain heights through fissures deep into the mountains.
Captions 35-36, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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Fast die Hälfte der Landesfläche ist von Wald bedeckt.
Almost half of the state's area is covered by forest.
Caption 51, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Rheinland-Pfalz
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People may indeed think of forested mountains when they think of Germany, but there are also landscapes that we might associate more with other countries:
Einfach durch den Sumpf reiten konnten wir natürlich nicht.
We couldn't just ride through the swamp, of course.
Caption 10, Jan von München: Als ich mich einmal selbst aus dem Sumpf befreite
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In den Hügeln der grünen Insel Irland lebte einmal ein armer Kerl namens Niall O'Leary.
In the hills of the green isle of Ireland there once lived a poor fellow named Niall O'Leary.
Caption 5, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Ein Topf voll Gold
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Es sah hinaus auf die Wiese, die etwas weiter reichte, als es sehen konnte.
It looked out onto the meadow that extended somewhat farther than it could see.
Caption 45, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Das hässliche Entlein
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Near the North Sea or Baltic Sea, you will find completely different landforms (including islands!) and ecosystems:
Natali und Florian zieht es zunächst an die Küste Cornwalls.
Natali and Florian proceed first to the coast of Cornwall.
Caption 28, Abenteuer Nordsee: Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Die Hauptattraktion ist hier natürlich der Strand.
The main attraction here is, of course, the beach.
Caption 8, Berlin: Wannsee
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Of course, there are some landscapes that you simply won't find in Germany:
Sindbad kroch durch den Dschungel.
Sinbad crept through the jungle.
Caption 27, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Sindbad, der Seefahrer
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Die Wüste war heiß, die Berge waren hoch.
The desert was hot, the mountains were high.
Caption 5, Clueso Weil ich dich liebe
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Further Learning
There are many nature videos on Yabla German, and most of them include detailed descriptions of the landscape like in this series about the Alps. How would you describe the landscape of the country or region you are from? Try to talk about it with a tandem partner, or write down a few sentences.
Adverbs give us information about time, manner, place, frequency, quantity, certainty, and degree. In English, we recognize many adverbs of manner, which tell us the way in which something happens, by the ending -ly. In German, it is often the case that adverbs are identical to their related adjectives, an example of which would be in the sentences Sie sind schnell and Sie essen schnell ("They are fast" / "They eat quickly").
There is one structure that is similar to the -ly you may know from English, which is the ending -erweise. You may remember that the noun die Weise means "the way" or "the manner." Because only certain adverbs have this ending, it is good to take note of them. For example, from the adjectives glücklich, üblich, möglich, nett, and überraschend, we get the following adverbs:
Glücklicherweise kam ein freundlicher Bauer vorbei.
Fortunately, a friendly farmer came by.
Caption 83, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Das hässliche Entlein
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Fremde Menschen werden üblicherweise gesiezt.
Strangers are commonly addressed formally with "Sie."
Caption 29, Cettina erklärt - Sitten und Bräuche
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In manchen Sprachen sind die Sprichwörter gleich oder ähnlich
In some languages, the sayings are the same or similar
und deshalb kommen euch möglicherweise die folgenden Beispiele schon etwas bekannt vor.
and therefore, the following examples may possibly already be somewhat known to you.
Captions 11-12, Eva erklärt - Sprichwörter
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...zusammen mit Herrn Krogmann, bei dem ich
...together with Mr. Krogmann, with whom I
netterweise im Moment wohne...
am kindly staying at the moment...
Captions 36-37, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt
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Überraschenderweise ärgerten sie sich aber nicht darüber.
But surprisingly, they were not angry about it.
Caption 86, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die drei Brüder
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Further Learning
You can additionally look up dummerweise, erfreulicherweise, freundlicherweise, klugerweise, richtigerweise, normalerweise, vernünftigerweise and erstaunlicherweise, or look at this massive list of adverbs that have this structure, although not all of them may be commonly used. It's a better strategy to take note whenever you see one of these adverbs on either Yabla German or elsewhere, and start trying out sentences of your own. Remember that many adverbs will simply be identical to the adjective you already know!
When something is funny in the sense of humorous and you can laugh about it, the usual adjective in German is lustig, which is nearly always translated as “funny.”
Ja, das ist ganz lustig.
Yes, that is pretty funny.
Caption 27, Wissenschaft - Neues Element: das Copernicium
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The English “making fun” of something or somebody, meaning to mock them, has a direct parallel in German that also uses the word lustig, as in sich lustig machen:
Sie lachten über seine großen Füße
They laughed about his big feet
und machten sich über seinen plumpen, grauen Körper lustig.
and made fun of his plump, gray body.
Captions 36-37, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Das hässliche Entlein
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Beware, however, as there is a partial false friend to be found in the German adjective (and adverb) komisch. This is occasionally used for the similar English word “comic” or “comical,” as in the Komische Oper (or “Comic Opera”) in Berlin, but usually it is meant in a more derogatory sense:
Die entstehen immer komischer.
They form more and more oddly.
Caption 57, Wissenschaft - Neues Element: das Copernicium
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Es war schon ein bisschen komisch.
It was indeed a little bit weird.
Caption 35, 25 Jahre Mauerfall - Bürger Lars Dietrich erinnert sich
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Of course, sometimes even English “funny” is also meant somewhat derogatorily rather than in a humorous sense:
Aber das ist ein komisches Beispiel.
But that is a funny example.
Caption 23, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Konjunktionen
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Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and find more examples of the adjectives lustig and komisch in a real world context to get a better feel for which is the appropriate word.
Perhaps you are interested in German because you fell in love, or maybe there is that "special someone" in German class you have a bit of a crush on. We all know the basic Ich liebe dich — the Beatles even did a version of “She Loves You” in German ("Sie liebt dich") — but how about some other ways to express your attraction for somebody?
It might not be a great idea to say you love somebody too soon, so to play it safe, let’s just say you like him or her, in which case the verb mögen is perfect:
Oh nein, niemand mag mich!
Oh no, no one likes me!
Caption 43, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Das hässliche Entlein
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Another way of expressing that you like someone is to say you “have them gladly” (gern haben) or care for them (lieb haben):
Wenn man jemanden richtig gern und lieb hat...
If you really are really fond of someone and love them...
Caption 42, Valentinstag - in Karlsruhe
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Another possibility is du gefällst mir, or if you want to make it even stronger, du gefällst mir sehr. Then the next step is falling in love, sich verlieben:
Der Prinz hatte sich verliebt.
The prince had fallen in love.
Caption 9, Märchenstunde - Das Aschenputtel
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When you are ready to make the leap, however, there is always the classic standby:
John, ich liebe dich. -Adrianne, ich liebe dich!
John, I love you. -Adrianne, I love you!
Captions 13-14, Alexander Hauff - Showreel
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Followed ideally by the grand finale:
Ich möchte dich heiraten.
I want to marry you.
Caption 86, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der Froschkönig
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Further Learning:
How do I love thee? Rather than getting into counting the ways and all the mathematics involved, why not try getting a taste of German love poems from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including an exclusive set from German women poets? Make a vocabulary list of words you are unfamiliar with, and then search on Yabla to find the ways the words are used in other contexts.
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