The German Language

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

I had to take some basic German when I was there almost 30 years ago, and from what I remember is that vowels, or was it consonants... I forget... were placed a bit off kilter, or backwards in comparison to English. Once you wrapped your head around that, things got easier.

I'll always remember Einfahrt, and Ausfahrt though.

:P Strange words to remember.

backwards in comparison to english? :/
i have to check that.. dunno yet, but i'm givin english lessons tonight,
so i'll just watch the languages when spoken simultaneously

Plankton · 03-12-2014, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Yeah, who could forget the fahrts.

I'm an atypical male, and fart jokes are funny.

Circe · 03-12-2014, 11:52 AM

I never found German too hard to listen to as an English speaker. I think a lot of the perception of it as a "harsh" language is linked to stereotypes of Germans being cold and intimidating. The more understated speakers I've heard have made it sound far less angry and mean. If you want a good example of a Germanic language that sounds alien to English ears Dutch is probably the best example, particularly with Flemish speakers. It has just the right combination of similarities and complete differences to English to sound completely bizarre, and that's not getting into how weird Dutch accents sound when speaking English.

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

I think Plankton may be talking about how when you have two vowels
together - like "i" and "e" - in, for example: "einen Brief schreiben",
it's the second letter that gets pronounced: the "e" in "Brief" and the "i"
in "einen" and "schreiben." whereas usually it's the other way around
in English: "weird" where the "e" is pronounced.

Oh now I get what you mean! Yeah, of course. That's very different in english, but we germans pronounce our vowels much more different. Plus, the three vowels a o and u have a combination with the vowel e making them to ä ö and ü, which makes them completely different. ya, i kinda get the hang of it now, and it's definately pronounced the other way round. we pronounce ei like the english would say "I", and ie like the english would say "e"

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

My German friends always talk about the unnecessary length of
words in Deutsch. I mean: "freundschaftsbezeigungen" basically means
"friendship" you know? If you want to become an insured German citizen,
you may want to find a "Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften."

"Freundschaft" means friendship. A "Freundschaftsbeziehung" is just a long useless word nobody would ever use, lol. it means "friendshiprelationship"

sounds like two people being friends and ****ing at the same time.
But yeah, we have very long words. But that's only, because in German you can fuse words together to a longer word. I can create a long word right now myself..uhhm...wait: "Bilderrahmengeraderückgesellschaftsangestelltena usweisproduktionswerkstelle", which means "the place where the ID card of an employee of an agency that helps crooked picture frames being straight again is produced"

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circe

I never found German too hard to listen to as an English speaker. I think a lot of the perception of it as a "harsh" language is linked to stereotypes of Germans being cold and intimidating. The more understated speakers I've heard have made it sound far less angry and mean. If you want a good example of a Germanic language that sounds alien to English ears Dutch is probably the best example, particularly with Flemish speakers. It has just the right combination of similarities and complete differences to English to sound completely bizarre, and that's not getting into how weird Dutch accents sound when speaking English.

Roeken is dodelig! or sth like that
Dutch sounds so awkward, when you're german.
They almost talk our language, but then they dont.
I mean the girls sound amazingly hot, but that's all... :/
The problem about their language is that they don't pronounce a "sch" like a "sch", but like a "s" sound..which..is really..ANNOYING!
The "sch" is the same thing as the english "sh", as in "****"

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

Yeah, you're right - nobody would use that.

...and, yes, I'm very familiar with the word "Freundschaft" -
especially since it's the title of a major piece of music from
a composer I studied under. Kind of unable to escape it for a while.

I think these long words are probably only on government forms.

Yes. Before I use a word that's as long as the one I created, I just describe what I mean to the other person. You can have a lot of fun with the German language, but building the most long word ever, is not very fun

They're not even on government forms (at least not that much of them), because there's a HUGE difference between sophisticated German, and standard German and also between older German and modern German. Me, for example, I talk like an old man, when I talk German. Many people don't get the heck of what I'm saying and ask me all the time what I meant by the words I used...For example: When you say cinema in German, most people would tend to say the word "Kino", which is a very modern word.. but I usually say "Lichtspielhaus", which means "Lightplayhouse", and is a very old word...80% of young germans do not understand what I mean by that.

Plankton · 03-12-2014, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kartoffelbrei

"Freundschaftsbeziehung"

= Friendswithbenefits, only the German pronunciation makes it sound like the dude (or one of the dudes nttawwt) has a massive member.

amiright?

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

Oh! I like that! "Lichtspielhaus" is much more visual and descriptive
than the lazy word "kino" that I've heard and seen many times.

Yes! That's exactly my point. And that's just how I use my German tongue. I play wordgames and use older and sometimes longer words, because they are more poetic than the modern words.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

= Friendswithbenefits, only the German pronunciation makes it sound like the dude (or one of the dudes nttawwt) has a massive member.

amiright?

No. That we call a "Fickbeziehung". a "****relationship", if you will. lol
The word "Freundschaftsbeziehung" does not exist, that's the funny thing

but maybe in another district of germany. It just sounds like that, yeah

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

Well, actually, I didn't use that word as an example.
The word I used was "freundschaftsbezeigungen"
which probably should be "Freundschaftsbeziehungen"
which is something like "friendship demonstrations,"
but it probably doesn't exist either.

Oh you mean "freundschaftsbekundung" ?
like..that you and another person decide to be friends?

Kartoffelbrei · 03-12-2014, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

yeah, sure....

Here's a news story.

well i'll be damned. that's the problem with german. you can create new words.
I'm sorry, i thought that you made a typo, but yeah.. "freundschaftsbezeigung" was correct then.. ."bezeigung" means, that you point out something. so in that case of course it's them showing off a "friendship"

but the word "bezeigung" is like 200 years old, lol

03-12-2014, 11:52 AM	#23 (permalink)
Circe Blunt After Blunt After Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a French-ass restaurant Posts: 337	I never found German too hard to listen to as an English speaker. I think a lot of the perception of it as a "harsh" language is linked to stereotypes of Germans being cold and intimidating. The more understated speakers I've heard have made it sound far less angry and mean. If you want a good example of a Germanic language that sounds alien to English ears Dutch is probably the best example, particularly with Flemish speakers. It has just the right combination of similarities and complete differences to English to sound completely bizarre, and that's not getting into how weird Dutch accents sound when speaking English.