Two weeks ago, we looked at verbs that express growth or increase. Now we'll explore the opposite and have a look at transitive and intransitive verbs that express something that's becoming less in number, capacity, or extent.
The three following verbs can refer to numbers or amounts. For temperature, sinken is the verb you will generally hear people use.
Die Bestände der Elefanten sind in den letzten Jahrzehnten weltweit stark geschrumpft.
In recent decades, elephant populations have shrunk sharply worldwide.
Captions 33-34, Evolution: An Land
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Allerdings... die Arbeitslosenzahlen werden wohl nicht in gleichem Maße zurückgehen.
However... the unemployment numbers will certainly not decrease to the same extent.
Caption 26, Rheinmain im Blick: Mehr Beschäftigung in Rhein-Main
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Bevor die Temperaturen wieder sinken und das Wetter wechselhaft wird.
Before temperatures fall again and the weather becomes changeable.
Caption 25, Rheinmain im Blick: Der Frühling ist da
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However, not everything can be quantified, and there are many verbs that can refer to lessening, minimizing, and downsizing.
Und die mindert sich erst, nachdem Charlie zusammen mit seinem Bruder eine Glückssträhne erwischt hat.
And it lessens only after Charlie, together with his brother, goes on a winning streak.
Captions 78-79, Theater: Rain Man
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Die Risiken, die natürlich vorhanden sind, die kann man aber durch, äh, entsprechende Schulung und Ausbildung so weit verringern.
Those risks, which naturally exist... you can minimize them, uh, through appropriate training and education.
Captions 48-49, Abenteuer und Sport: Fallschirmspringen
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Er sagte jedenfalls was von „sich verkleinern wollen“.
At least he said something about "wanting to downsize."
Caption 71, Wendy: Pferde sind ihr Leben Pferdeklau
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When it comes to wanting to take action to reduce something, there are a number of relevant verbs (etwas mindern) but the easiest is very simple: reduzieren.
Ich würde gerne aus privaten Gründen meine Stunden reduzieren.
I would like to reduce my hours, for personal reasons.
Caption 10, Berufsleben: Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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Further Learning
An online dictionary can help you find many different translations for each of these verbs, which will help you to understand their nuances. For example, sinken can be translated with "to drop" or "to decline," but not "to lessen" or "to minimize." This tells you that it's an intransitive verb, as are schrumpfen and zurückgehen.
This week we'll look at the German translations for English expressions using the word "way."
Both "on my way" (also with "your" or any other possessive adjective) and "on the way" are translated as auf dem Weg in German.
Ich bin auf dem Weg und jetzt geh' ich unter das Tor.
I'm on the way and now I'll go under the gate.
Caption 34, Diane erklärt - Präpositionen
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This can also be used figuratively as well, as it is in English:
Dann gibt es nur noch eine kleine Hürde auf dem Weg zu Ihrem Traumjob.
Then there is still only one small hurdle on the way to your dream job.
Caption 16, Bundestagswahl – Stellenanzeige - Bundeskanzler gesucht
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The same goes for something standing or being "in the way":
Und dem soll auch vorerst nichts im Wege stehen.
And for now nothing should stand in the way of that.
Caption 15, Rhein-Main-TV aktuell - Der Frühling ist da
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Dann kann der aufsteigenden Künstlerin ja nichts mehr im Wege stehen.
Then, indeed, nothing can stand in the way any longer of this rising artist.
Caption 33, Singer-Songwriterin Elif - Eine Achterbahn der Gefühle
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The expression unterwegs means "on the way," "traveling" / "in transit" or "on the go."
„Wann sehen wir endlich die Faulheit?“, fragte Piggeldy unterwegs.
"When will we finally see the laziness?" Piggeldy asked on the way.
Caption 7, Piggeldy und Frederick - Faulheit
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Sie waren den ganzen Tag unterwegs gewesen und es wurde dunkel...
They had been travelling the whole day, and it grew dark...
Caption 36, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten
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Eva Padberg ist als Model viel unterwegs.
Eva Padberg is, as a model, on the go a lot.
Caption 1, Rhein-Main-TV - Eva Padberg beim Weihnachtseinkauf
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When we talk about a way of doing something or the way something happened, we use the words die Art, die Weise, or the expression die Art und Weise.
Doch im dritten Viertel wendete sich das Blatt in kaum vorstellbarer Weise.
Indeed, in the third quarter the page [the tables] turned in an almost unimaginable way.
Caption 23, Deutsche Bank Skyliners - Basketball-Bundesliga
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Und das tun die Tiere im Frankfurter Zoo auf ganz unterschiedliche Art und Weise.
And the animals at the Frankfurt Zoo do this in very different ways.
Caption 15, Umfragen - Zootiere im Winter
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There are a couple of different ways to express "either way," such as in beiden Fällen or so oder so.
So oder so, wir werden dann auf alle Fälle mit Ihnen Kontakt aufnehmen.
Either way, we will in any event get in touch with you.
Caption 68, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Further Learning
Try integrating these phrases in your daily language practice. If you need more examples, do a search on Yabla German.
After some very pleasant summer weather, the last week has been very rainy in Germany. Like English, German has many words and expressions to describe different types of rain. Let's take a look at some examples from Yabla German.
In Berlin, we most often only have vereinzelte Schauer (what we refer to in English as "scattered showers"), but in other parts of the country flooding can become a real problem:
Heutiger Hochwasserstand: wieder mindestens zehn Zentimeter.
Today's flood water level: at least ten centimeters again.
Caption 44, Die Klasse - Berlin '61
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Even when it isn't dangerous, rain can create a lot of complications:
Der Dauerregen drückte zwar nicht auf die Stimmung...
The constant rain didn't dampen the mood...
Caption 7, FC Bayern München - Triple-Feier im Dauerregen
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The Piggeldy and Frederick cartoon linked below has quite an exhaustive list of types of rain:
Es gibt Platzregen, Dauerregen, Sprühregen,
There are cloudbursts, [there is] constant rain, misty rain,
Nieselregen, Eisregen, Landregen, Gewitterregen,
drizzle, freezing rain, steady rain, thunder shower,
Sommerregen, Winterregen und Bindfadenregen."
summer rain, winter rain and string-like rain [pouring rain]."
Captions 10-12, Piggeldy und Frederick - Regen
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One other word to know is der Niederschlag ("precipitation") which is often used in weather reports:
Von Westen her kommen dann wieder Tiefausläufer,
Low-pressure areas are then coming from the west again,
die dann eben auch Niederschlag mit sich bringen können.
which can also then bring precipitation with them.
Captions 22-23, Rheinmain im Blick - Der Frühling ist da
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Further Learning
What kinds of rain are common where you live? Try to find the equivalent in German. For a challenge, watch this weather report for last week from der Spiegel.
It may not be exactly warm out yet in old Berlin, but Frühling is definitely in the air. The sun has been out more than usual and we're starting to see some buds on the bushes and trees! Let's take a look at some compound nouns that can be formed from the German word for "spring."
Vielmehr sollten die Tiere jetzt darauf achten,
Instead, the animals now ought to take heed
dass ihnen die Frühlingsgefühle nicht durchgehen.
that these spring feelings don't get the best of them.
Captions 43-44, Rheinmain im Blick - Frühling im Zoo
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Erst ab Mai bekommen sie hier oben Frühlingsgefühle.
Not until May do they get spring fever up here.
Caption 46, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Das Frühlingsgefühl is a compound noun made by joining der Frühling with das Gefühl. In the first example, it is translated directly as "spring feeling," and in the second case more literarily as "spring fever."
Compounds can also be made from der Frühling relating to specific times of day:
Es ist ein wunderschöner Frühlingsmorgen heute.
It is a wonderfully beautiful spring morning today.
Caption 2, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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Leopardeneis und Vanilleeis,
Leopard ice cream and vanilla ice cream,
ein Traum für einen sonnigen Frühlingsnachmittag.
a dream for a sunny spring afternoon.
Caption 46, Eis - Eiskalte Leidenschaft
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Or about time in a more general sense:
Frühlingszeit ist Fahrradzeit.
Springtime is bike time.
Caption 1, Fahrrad - Frühjahrs-Check
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Die Frankfurter haben nach dem sonnigen Wochenende
The residents of Frankfurt have, after the sunny weekend,
auch heute die ersten Frühlingstage am Mainufer genossen.
enjoyed the first days of spring on the shore of the Main [River] today too.
Captions 4-5, Rheinmain im Blick - Der Frühling ist da
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Further Learning
Watch the above videos on Yabla German to help get you into the mood for spring and improve your German too! Then check out this list of compound words that can be made from der Frühling. Don't forget to get outside and soak up a little bit of sunshine!
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