Topic: German (Read 5227 times)

calenlass · « **on:** 06 Oct 2009, 21:11 »

Ok so I need some help with my German course. I am actually kind of afraid I might fail it, and I need someone to like talk with I guess? Also I need a book to review for my final project. I need to re-read the syllabus, but from what I know it's supposed to be like something I would just read, except in german.

Anybody?

Malek · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 21:12 »

Nein

JD · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 22:02 »

I know there is a dutch guy somewhere on the forums. Does that help?

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 22:07 »

uh um...Mein Schreibtisch ist aus Holz gemacht.

that's practically all i remember from German. the best part is that it's from a Bill Clinton quote: "No no no, I didn't say 'I have wood,' I said 'My desk is maaade of wood.'"

hahaha oh bill clinton, you silly president

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 22:20 »

Ich bin ein Berliner

Reed · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 22:21 »

Well Dom is German. It's just a question of when he will check the forums or meebo next.

calenlass · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 22:26 »

Right, well, just because he is german doesn't mean he is obligated to help me. That is why I was asking at large, because I am really only at like level 5, so people who took it in school might be able to help me out some.

sean · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 Oct 2009, 23:29 »

my roomate is actually fucking bomb at german.

sadly he is my roommate and not me

:c

StaedlerMars · « **Reply #8 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 01:33 »

Quote from: Zombiedude on 06 Oct 2009, 22:02

I know there is a dutch guy somewhere on the forums. Does that help?

Belgian! (unless there's someone else as well?)

I actually had a conversation with a guy who spoke German the other day, where I spoke Dutch and he spoke German.

It didn't go too well, but better than I thought it would.

(Sorry I can't help, it was during that conversation I learned what all the accents and funny symbols meant, so my German ain't great)

Barmymoo · « **Reply #9 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 01:56 »

Katie I'm hoping to keep up to my german too but I'm not sure how helpful I would be to you as you are probably at a higher level than me. If no one more useful surfaces then I'll try to be of assistance! I got A level german if that tells you anything.

Dliessmgg · « **Reply #10 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 02:36 »

If there's a question about German, ask me. I grew up with it.

For books I can only help with older literature. If you need newer stuff, I think it's best if you follow the advice of Elke Heidenreich on this page, but maybe you should check if it's really written by a German author (if you need more than a German translation of a book).

negative creep · « **Reply #11 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 02:40 »

Well, my German is pretty good, or at least I like to think that. Just drop me a PM so we can work out the details, I'd be glad to help you!

calenlass · « **Reply #12 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 12:07 »

Verergoca is the Dutch guy. Dutch is pretty close, and we can talk back and forth pretty comprehensibly in our respective germanics, but that doesn't help me improve my German or find books in German.

Thanks, Dom! Will do. Also, May, if you want to work on stuff, I actually skipped a level to get into this class.

LTK · « **Reply #13 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 12:42 »

Mit nach bei seit von zu aus! That's what I remember of my lessons in German language, one of the rows of prepositions you use a certain tense with. I don't remember enough of it to teach, though, although my sister still takes it, and has a schoolbook... Wait, that's in Dutch, so that won't help you either.

Dutch and German are pretty close. In fact, close enough that any native speaker of either often has few problems understanding what the other one is saying. I doubt any non-native germanic speaker can do the same, though.
...And now that you said you can, disregard that.

Bastardous Bassist · « **Reply #14 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 13:08 »

For a book, a pretty cool choice is "Die Welle." I read it in my fourth year of German and later when I dated this German girl I found out it was her favorite book. I don't really remember German that well, though, so I can't help you improve your German.

Verergoca · « **Reply #15 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 13:25 »

Eh, my german is kinda rusty as well, but if you want, just ring on the skype dealio.

That, and uhm, im pretty sure there are plenty of things in german on the youtube?

Eris · « **Reply #16 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 16:51 »

Quote from: LTK on 23 Dec 1973, 03:34

Dutch and German are pretty close. In fact, close enough that any native speaker of either often has few problems understanding what the other one is saying.

That's probably because (if I am remembering correctly, Brett probably will be able to confirm/deny this) they are part of the same language family. I stated learning about language families in my linguistics class, and it is pretty interesting to see how many languages are linked by chains of mutual intelligibility.

Boro_Bandito · « **Reply #17 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 17:39 »

Wasn't the Neverending Story originally written in German? Read that.

Inlander · « **Reply #18 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 17:51 »

Quote from: Eris on 07 Oct 2009, 16:51

I stated learning about language families in my linguistics class, and it is pretty interesting to see how many languages are linked by chains of mutual intelligibility.

As an English speaker, especially one who lives on the other side of the world from England, it's really eye-opening travelling through northern Europe. The Romance languages tend to dominate our imagination, and English has borrowed so much from them, so when you go to, say, Sweden, and see that their word for dog is "hund" and their word for pull is "drag" (I think I'm remembering correctly), it's a salient reminder that English is very much a northern European language, at least originally.

calenlass · « **Reply #19 on:** 07 Oct 2009, 23:03 »

Once upon a time I worked at a summer camp and carried on a semi-mutually intelligible conversation in German with two other people. One spoke Afrikaans and the other spoke Swedish. It was hilarious.

snalin · « **Reply #20 on:** 09 Oct 2009, 12:47 »

I know a little, I passed the high school level with ease, but that's half a year ago, and I haven't been practising.

If you want to read something heavy, Die Kinder auf Bahnhof Zoo is incredible, although sad. It's about a teenage girl who does heroin and prostitution. Did I mention that it's a real life story? It is. Fucking sad, really.

Quote from: LTK on 07 Oct 2009, 12:42

Mit nach bei seit von zu aus! That's what I remember of my lessons in German language, one of the rows of prepositions you use a certain tense with.

Dative, if you wondered. We were always taught "aus bei mit nach seit von zu", which is the alphabetic order. I guess it's easier, but I'm not sure.

Post any questions in this thread, and I'll try to answer. Or hit me up if I'm in meebo. Can't promise anything, though.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #21 on:** 10 Oct 2009, 13:08 »

I always learnt aus ausser bei mit nach seit von zu gegenuber dank, but I think that is wrong.

calenlass · « **Reply #22 on:** 12 Oct 2009, 12:30 »

It is the Blue Danube Waltz tune, right? I don't think dank is one of them, though.

Barmymoo · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 01:36 »

Yeah Dank isn't in there and I don't know why I learnt it in. I think in some cases it does take a specific case but it isn't that one.

BeoPuppy · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 01:42 »

Aus, bei, mit, nach, zeit, von, zu, entgegen, gegenuber, ausser, aus.

Prepositions which result in the use of the third case.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 01:59 »

Quote from: Inlander on 07 Oct 2009, 17:51

As an English speaker, especially one who lives on the other side of the world from England, it's really eye-opening travelling through northern Europe. The Romance languages tend to dominate our imagination, and English has borrowed so much from them, so when you go to, say, Sweden, and see that their word for dog is "hund" and their word for pull is "drag" (I think I'm remembering correctly), it's a salient reminder that English is very much a northern European language, at least originally.

That's part of why I want to learn German. It is very similar to English in many ways, so it should be a good sight easier than some other languages, and I like the way the Germanic languages sound much better than the Romance languages. And, of course, my heritage is largely Germanic (mainly Swiss and German), so there is the aspect of speaking the same language as my ancestors would have (more or less).

And they actually have German classes on my campus, rather than a good 30 minutes on the highway away like they do for Japanese.

calenlass · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 08:30 »

Quote from: Nodaisho on 13 Oct 2009, 01:59

It is very similar to English in many ways, so it should be a good sight easier than some other languages

I thought this, too.

Nodaisho · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 15:23 »

So you don't find it easier than learning a completely unrelated language?

snalin · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 15:32 »

Quote from: calenlass on 13 Oct 2009, 08:30

Quote from: Nodaisho on 13 Oct 2009, 01:59
It is very similar to English in many ways, so it should be a good sight easier than some other languages

I thought this, too.

It's wonderful to learn German as a Scandinavian who knows English, as you get 50% of the vocabulary right off the bat. Compare to French, where you only get "merde!", and japanese where you don't get jack shit.

David_Dovey · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 20:26 »

Quote from: Nodaisho on 13 Oct 2009, 01:59

I like the way the Germanic languages sound much better than the Romance languages.

You're saying that German is easier on the ears than Italian or Spanish or French?

Nodaisho · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 20:31 »

I like the sound of it much better than them, yes. Then again, I find Russian soothing.

nickyandthefuture · « **Reply #31 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 09:22 »

Even though there are a lot of shared words between German and English, you usually have to know that they're the same word before using them, so it really just makes memorization faster. I've guessed Germanized versions of English words and sometimes it works, but there are dangers there. I mean, there are signs up around Munich that say "Jesus sucht dich" but the authors probably don't know that they're funny.

snalin · « **Reply #32 on:** 19 Oct 2009, 11:45 »

German thread!

Does anyone know what Bluetooth headphones is in German? The kind with small ear buds, not the big ones, but still bluetooth. Help is received with thanks and hugs (if you are nearby and want them).

Dliessmgg · « **Reply #33 on:** 19 Oct 2009, 14:22 »

They're called Bluetooth-Ohrhörer. You might have to specify because I call the in-ear headphones also Ohrhörer.

And I'd prefer a chocolate cookie to hugs.

Yayniall · « **Reply #34 on:** 24 Oct 2009, 16:23 »

Read Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse.

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Author Topic: German (Read 5227 times)