The verb erklären has two very different meanings, as does its noun form die Erklärung. One word having multiple meanings seems to happen more often in German than in English, if only for the fact that the German language has far fewer words than English. With fewer words in a language, it's more likely that a single word will have multiple meanings than in a language with a larger vocabulary!

The most common meaning of erklären is "to explain":

Kann jemand erklären, was ein Binnenhafen ist?

Can someone explain what an inland port is?

Caption 27, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Nordrhein-Westfalen

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Wir erklären euch, wie man in Deutschland Ostern feiert.

We'll explain to you how you celebrate Easter in Germany.

Caption 3, Cettina und Sabine: Ostern

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And the same applies to its noun form, die Erklärung:

Vielleicht gibt's eine einfache Erklärung für seine Angst.

Perhaps there's a simple explanation for his fear.

Caption 62, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern

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Es braucht Erklärungen, um die Brutalität und Banalität des Unrechts zu verstehen.

Explanations are required to grasp the brutality and banality of this injustice.

Caption 19, DDR zum Anfassen: Ganz tief im Westen

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However, the second most common meaning of the verb erklären (and its noun equivalent die Erklärung) is as follows:

Kein Problem mehr für die Bewohner vor Ort, erklären sie stolz.

No problem anymore for the local residents, they declare proudly.

Caption 20, 30 Jahre: Menschen für Menschen

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Ich erkläre hiermit, dass Sinus einem Tierheim übergeben wird.

I hereby declare that Sinus will be handed over to a shelter.

Caption 70, Yabla Gerichtshof: Das verzogene Hündchen

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Note that the noun die Erklärung, when used with the meaning "declaration," is often paired with another noun as the latter half of a compound noun:

Jetzt also die Liebeserklärung an das Meer.

So now, the declaration of love for the sea.

Caption 26, Herbert Grönemeyer: stellt sein neues Album vor

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Eine entsprechende Absichtserklärung zwischen der People's Bank of China und der Deutschen Bundesbank wurde am vergangenen Freitag in Berlin unterzeichnet.

A corresponding declaration of intent between the People's Bank of China and the German Federal Bank was signed last Friday in Berlin.

Captions 3-4, Frankfurt wird Handelszentrum: für die chinesische Währung Yuan

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There are a number of German verbs nouns for "declare," such as the rather obvious deklarieren and the less obvious verkünden. Some nouns using die Erklärung as "to declare," such as die Kriegserklärung, also have words with similar meanings, such as die Kampfansage. Both of these words mean "declaration of war," something we've all seen far too much of in the last several years.

Further Learning
Luckily, in real-world usage, it's usually quite easy to tell by the context in which the words are used if the meaning "to explain" (explanation) or the meaning "to declare" (declaration) is intended. For details of the verb's conjugation, see this video about erklären on Yabla German.

At one point, we wrote a lesson on the difference between eröffnen and öffnen. The verb öffnen is basically what it sounds like, while the verb eröffnen can also be used with non-physical entities that can be "opened," as well as something that is established or instituted.

When it comes to closing something, you probably know the word schließen. And just as aufmachen can substitute for öffnen, zumachen is another verb used to talk about closing something. 

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Jetzt schließe ich meinen Koffer.

Now, I'll close my suitcase.

Caption 22, Christiane: fährt in den Urlaub

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Die Polizei sagt, er solle seinen Kofferraum aufmachen.

The police officer says he should open his trunk.

Caption 4, Sabine erzählt Witze: Die Pinguine

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Wenn keine Tür da ist, kann man sie auch nicht zumachen.

If there is no door, you can't close it either.

Caption 26, Piggeldy und Frederick: Haus

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That is all relatively simple, but when it comes to locking and unlocking something like a door, there are many more verbs you can use, such as aufschließen, zuschließen, verschließen, and abschließen. The first two are similar to aufmachen and zumachen, but would refer to something that is shut very securely or locked. You may know the verb abschließen as "to finish" or "to conclude," but it can also mean "to lock up." Interestingly, aufgeschlossen is also an adjective used to describe a person being "open" or "receptive."

Frankreich plant nachzuziehen und auch London will aufschließen.

France plans to follow suit and London wants to open [its financial markets] up as well.

Caption 41, Frankfurt wird Handelszentrum für die chinesische Währung Yuan

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Die Schachtel ist total sicher verschlossen.

The box is completely and securely shut.

Caption 58, The Simple Physics: Schrödingers Katze

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Also, die Leute sind sehr aufgeschlossen.

Well, the people are very receptive.

Caption 7, Eva Croissant: Interview

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It then gets even more specific, with verbs like entriegeln and entsperren, which could also mean "unlatch" or "unbolt." 

Maik gibt den vierstelligen Code ein und entriegelt das Schloss.

Maik enters the four-digit code and unlocks the lock.

Caption 28, Fußballspieler Maik Franz: "Call a Bike"

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Further Learning
You can find many examples of these verbs on Yabla German, which is the best way to understand the nuances in their meaning. You can also look up the list of possible translations for each verb with an online dictionary like leo.org to get a sense of this as well. While you're at it, consider aufsperren and zusperren, two additional verbs more often used in Southern Germany. Based on the other verbs you have learned, what do you think these mean?

This week we're continuing the German Preposition Cases series. Let's examine the prepositions that always require the genitive case for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. 

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Let's start out by taking a look at the genitive case for nouns as follows for the definite article "the," with the nominative case followed by the dative case: 

der => des
die => der
das => des
die (plural) => der

And for the indefinite article: 

ein (masculine) => eines
eine => einer
ein (neuter) => eines

Remember too that if there is no definite or indefinite article, the adjective must still take the case appropriate for its gender with the preposition. And while accusative and dative prepositions aren’t (with some exceptions) usually accompanied by altered nouns, masculine and neuter singular nouns preceded by genitive prepositions get the suffix “-s” or “-es.” Generally plural nouns don't change.

The common German prepositions that require the genitive case are anstatt or statt, auβerhalb, innerhalb, trotz, während, and wegen. The preposition statt, which is not to be confused with the separable verb stattfinden, takes the genitive case. Here, the plural die Runden becomes the genitive der Runden:

... heizte Vettel statt der geplanten drei insgesamt sechs Runden über den Asphalt.

... instead of the planned three laps, Vettel sped six laps over the asphalt.

Caption 46, Formel-1-Autorennen - Sebastian Vettels Homerun

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Here, the singular feminine noun die Wertung becomes the genitive der Wertung:

... und er fährt hier außerhalb der Wertung mit.

... and he's riding here without being scored.

Caption 35, Trial-Meisterschaft - in Bensheim

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Note that if a masculine or neuter proper noun is used, such as the continent das Asien, the proper noun has "-s" added as a suffix:

Bislang gibt es außerhalb Asiens überhaupt noch keine vergleichbare Drehscheibe.

Until now, outside of Asia, there hasn't been a comparable [yuan trading] hub at all.

Caption 40, Frankfurt wird Handelszentrum - für die chinesische Währung Yuan

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In the following, the masculine nominative ein Dom becomes the genitive eines Doms:

Wir haben vier Segmente innerhalb eines Doms.

We have four segments inside a dome.

Caption 52, Bildverarbeitung - Sirius Advanced Cybernetics

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It's also often possible to use außerhalb or innerhalb as dative prepositions by pairing them with von for the dative case: außerhalb von and innerhalb von.

Here, the nominative die Perücke, with the adjective goldene Perücke, becomes the genitive goldener Perücke. It is important to note that if no definite or indefinite article is present, the adjective takes the genitive ending: 

Trotz goldener Perücke hat der einst vornehme Herr wohl schon bessere Zeiten gesehen!

Despite the gold wig, the once distinguished gentlemen has indeed seen better times!

Caption 3, Architektur - Karlsruher Brunnen

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In this next caption, the neuter nominative das Training becomes the genitive des Trainings: 

Und wie ist das passiert? Während des Trainings?

And how did it happen? During the training?

Caption 33, Jenny und Alena - Handball

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And in the last of our genitive case examples, the masculine nominative der Getriebeschaden becomes the genitive des Getriebeschadens: 

... wegen eines Getriebeschadens zurück in die Boxengasse.

... go back into the pit lane due to transmission damage.

Caption 43, Formel-1-Autorennen - Sebastian Vettels Homerun

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You may have noticed that the personal pronouns were not listed at the top of this lesson. That's because personal pronouns aren't generally used in formal German, however the usually genitive prepositions anstatt or statt, trotz, während and wegen are sometimes used with personal pronouns informally — but with the dative case!

Thus the singular and plural personal pronouns "I," "you," "he," "she," , "it," "we," and "they" take the dative case with the above genitive prepositions:

ich => mir
du => dir
Sie (formal "you") => Ihnen
er => ihm
sie => ihr
es => ihm
ihr => euch
wir => uns
sie => ihnen
Sie (formal "you" plural) => Ihnen

Probably the most commonly-heard example is, instead of saying "because of me" as meinetwegen, you'll often hear:

Und ihr seid auch da. Etwa wegen mir?

And you are here too. Somehow because of me?

Caption 2, Otto Waalkes - Hier kommt Otto!

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Remember too that meinetwegen also has a slang usage meaning "I don't have anything against it". We'll cover the informal usage of dative personal pronouns with usually genitive prepositions in another lesson! 

Further Learning
To recap, the common German prepositions that require the genitive case of definite and indefinite articles and nouns are anstatt or statt, auβerhalb, innerhalb, trotz, während, and wegen. Go to Yabla German to look for more examples of prepositions whose nouns, pronouns, and adjectives formally take the genitive case. Also review Part II in this series about prepositions that require the dative case.

The German noun die Nachricht is often translated into "message" in English, such as a message left on your voicemail:

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Sie haben eine neue Nachricht.

You have a new message.

Caption 27, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche

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In a slightly confusing twist, both the singular and plural form of die Nachricht (plural: die Nachrichten) are often translated into "news" in English: 

Die Nachricht von der schlafenden Prinzessin

The news of the sleeping princess

verbreitete sich in vielen Ländern.

spread throughout many countries.

Captions 58-59, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Dornröschen

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Gute Nachrichten für Hessens Wirtschaftsminister Tarek Al-Wazir.

Good news for Hessia's Minister for Economic Affairs Tarek Al-Wazir.

Caption 1, Frankfurt wird Handelszentrum - für die chinesische Währung Yuan

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This may seem odd, but the reason that the word is translated the same regardless of whether it is singular or plural in German is that the word "news" is a mass noun in English. The Oxford dictionary defines a mass noun as "A noun denoting something that cannot be counted (e.g., a substance or quality), in English usually a noun that lacks a plural in ordinary usage and is not used with the indefinite article e.g. luggage, china, happiness."

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Further Learning
Do a search for the word Nachricht on Yabla German and see how the different contexts of its usage can help you understand whether it's best to translate this word as "message" or "news," as well as decide when you should choose die Nachricht or its plural die Nachrichten when using it to mean "news."