In English, you'd say "a bottle of cola" or "a teaspoon of sugar," but in German, you don't generally use the preposition von ("of") when describing units of something. Nor do you use von when describing containers of something, such as a bottle, a case, a stack, or a package. It may be grammatically correct to say eine Flasche von Cola, but a native speaker would say eine Flasche Cola—and you should too!
Here are some examples of nouns modifying die Flasche. Note that the English translation always uses the preposition "of," whereas in German, the nouns modify each other directly, with no preposition:
Ich könnte natürlich auch eine Flasche Wasser trinken.
I could, of course, drink a bottle of water instead.
Caption 16, Jenny beim Frühstück - Teil 2
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Das ist schlecht, deshalb brauchen wir eine zweite Flasche Tomatensauce.
This is bad, that's why we need a second bottle of tomato sauce.
Caption 16, Cannelloni - mit Jenny
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And here with der Kasten and die Kiste, the most common German terms for a case or box used for carrying bottles. Note that eine Kiste is also a German idiom for a shabby car, just as "crate" is used in American slang.
Als Preis ibt es einen Kasten Bier!
For a prize there is a case of beer!
Caption 57, Frisbee - Karlsruher Weihnachtsturnier - Part 1
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Also, wir haben einen Kasten Sekt bekommen,
Well, we got a box of sparkling wine,
eine Kiste Sekt das letzte Mal.
the last time a case of sparkling wine.
Caption 56, Frisbee - Karlsruher Weihnachtsturnier - Part 2
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And for a stack (der Packen) of cash:
Er hat Arne einen dicken Packen Geldscheine gegeben.
He gave Arne a thick stack of bills.
Caption 53, Die Pfefferkörner - Eigentor
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And here a small packet (das Päckchen), along with some quantities from a recipe:
Wir brauchen 75 Gramm Zucker,
We need 75 grams of sugar,
ein Päckchen Vanillezucker,
a small packet of vanilla sugar,
einen Teelöffel Backpulver,
one teaspoon of baking powder,
75 Gramm Butter...
75 grams of butter...
Captions 5-8, Weihnachtsplätzchen backen - mit Diane und vielen kleinen Helfern
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Further Learning
Take a look at some cooking recipes on Yabla German and try to find the noun modifiers that don't require a preposition in German.
Although daylight saving time has already begun this year in countries such as the United States and Canada, all of the European Union, including Germany, will change their clocks this coming Sunday. Of course, there are many countries in which this practice is not observed at all, and two years ago, the EU did actually vote to do away with it. This was expected to start this year, but there is still no consensus regarding whether to adhere to standard time or daylight saving time permanently.
For now, Germans will continue to turn their clocks back an hour, or "fall back," in the fall, and skip forward an hour, or "spring forward," in the spring, always wondering if it could be the last time. This is referred to as die Zeitumstellung, which makes sense as Zeit means "time" and die Umstellung can be translated as "the adjustment" or "the re-setting." The related verb is umstellen and the participle is umgestellt.
In German, the word die Sommerzeit is used to refer to daylight saving time:
Ist vielleicht wegen der Sommerzeit.
Maybe it's because of daylight saving time.
Ist das eine Stunde vor oder eine Stunde zurück?
Is it one hour ahead or one hour back?
Caption 29, Die Pfefferkörner - Cybermobbing
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Ich glaube, die Sommerzeit ist eine Stunde vor.
I think daylight saving time is one hour ahead.
Caption 33, Die Pfefferkörner - Cybermobbing
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You might right away wonder about the meaning of the word die Sommerzeit. Like in English, it does also simply mean "summertime."
Sommerzeit ist in Deutschland gleichzeitig Grillzeit.
Summertime is simultaneously barbecue time in Germany.
Caption 1, Grillzeit - Grill anzünden und los geht's
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Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit...
You not only flourish in the summertime...
Caption 5, Frohe Weihnachten - der Christbaum
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As you might guess, standard time is referred to as die Winterzeit in German. So, in order to be more specific about the time change, you can talk about either die Zeitumstellung von Winterzeit auf Sommerzeit (which will happen on Sunday) or die Zeitumstellung von Sommerzeit auf Winterzeit.
Further Learning
In addition to checking out the conversation in the Pfefferkörner episode above on Yabla German, see if you can follow this basic description of die Zeitumstellung in Germany. If you're an advanced learner, have a look at this overview.
The German adverb vorüber is less common than the adverb vorbei—the German dictionary Duden rates vorüber 3 out of 6 for frequency of usage, compared to 4 out of 6 for vorbei—but they are used with a similar meaning in many contexts. In combination with sein ("to be"), vorüber and vorbei are usually translated as "past," "passed by," or "over."
In the following example, both of the adverbs are used, and the translator chose "over" for vorüber—a good choice considering the similarity to the preposition über ("over").
Hochzeitsnacht war vorüber.
The wedding night was over.
Hochzeitsnacht war vorbei .
The wedding night had passed.
Captions 38-39, Günter Dudenhöfer als „Der Dorftrottel” - Auftritt Karneval Friedrichshafen
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So, jetzt ist der Haxen fertig,
So now the knuckle is finished,
die drei Stunden sind vorüber.
the three hours have passed by.
Caption 45, Kochen mit Cettina - Schweinshaxe
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The next two examples appear at first glance to use the adverb vorüber, but they actually use the separable German verb vorübergehen, often translated as "to go by" or "to pass by":
Mit jeder Welle kam ein Traum, Träume gehen vorüber
With every wave came a dream, dreams pass by [come and go]
Caption 1, Juli - Perfekte Welle
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Denn es geht nie vorüber, dieses alte Fieber,
Because it's never over, this old fever
das immer dann hochkommt, wenn wir zusammen sind
that always comes up then, when we are together
Captions 15-16, Die Toten Hosen - Altes Fieber
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This last example uses the verb vorüberziehen, which—oddly enough—also usually translates as "to go by" or "to pass by":
Im Schlepptau der flachen Plätten ziehen die Blumenkunstwerke vor der eindrucksvollen Bergkulisse vorüber.
In the tow line of the flat barges, the artworks made from flowers pass by in front of an impressive mountain panorama.
Captions 36-37, Die letzten Paradiese - Die Schönheit der Alpen
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So while vorüber was at some point combined with gehen and ziehen to form the separable verbs vorübergehen and vorüberziehen, vorüber remains a fiercely independent adverb when combined with wehen. Depending upon the context, the following could also have been translated as "breezes by":
Ein Jahr weht vorüber...
A year flies past...
Caption 24, rheinmain Szene - Selig
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Further Learning
There is another nice German adverb that uses vorüber too: vorübergehend. Go to Yabla German to discover its meaning, if you didn't already know, and watch the videos used above to get a better sense of the contexts in which vorüber is used. You can also get more deeply into their definitions on the Duden and DWDS websites, as well as looking here to see an extensive list of separable verbs that have incorporated vorüber.
On Yabla German, you can find many videos featuring German-speaking scientists, environmentalists, and citizens who are very concerned about the Earth's future:
Das Eis am Nord- und Südpol schmilzt, der Meeresspiegel steigt.
The ice at the North and South Pole is melting, the sea level is rising.
Caption 31, OroVerde - Regenwald schützen: CO2, Regenwald und Klimaschutz
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Willi, machst du dir auch manchmal Gedanken darüber, ob unsere wertvolle Natur irgendwann Opfer einer immer intensiveren Landwirtschaft, ausgerichtet auf Gewinnmaximierung wird?
Willi, do you ever worry about whether our precious nature will eventually become the victim of increasingly intensive agriculture geared towards maximizing profit?
Captions 60-63, Umwelt und Natur: Wo sind all die Bienen hin?
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To engage with a German perspective on the situation, you will need specific vocabulary related to problems like those mentioned above, but also related to steps we can take individually and collectively. First of all, there are the acts of recycling and paying attention to what we as individuals eat and consume:
In Heidelberg wird der Müll in verschiedene Gruppen getrennt, damit das, was recycelt werden kann, wiederverwertet werden kann, auch wieder wirklich wiederverwertet wird.
In Heidelberg, the garbage is separated into different groups, so that that which can be recycled, can be re-used, also really gets re-used.
Captions 14-16, Mülltrennung in Heidelberg
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Bio statt Agrarindustrie. Umweltschonend angebaut ohne Chemie mit niedrigem Energieverbrauch und gentechfrei.
Organic instead of the agriculture industry. Environmentally friendly without chemicals, with low energy use and free of genetic engineering.
Captions 33-34, Nachhaltige Ernährung: Animation
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Then there are the investments that need to be made in green energy by cities and countries:
Um etwas gegen die Klimaerwärmung zu tun, müssen wir in Deutschland aus der Braunkohle aussteigen.
In order to do something against global warming, we have to phase out brown coal in Germany.
Caption 36, WWF Deutschland Klimawandel hautnah: Was sind die Auswirkungen?
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Wir müssen jetzt in erneuerbare Energien, in... in Energieeffizienz investieren.
We must now invest in renewable energies, in... in energy efficiency.
Caption 19, Die Insel Fehmarn - Schlauchboote gegen den Atom-Irrsinn
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Also, hundert Prozent Ökostrom, können wir das hinkriegen? Das geht.
So, one hundred percent green electricity, can we do that? It's possible.
Caption 11, Terra X - Ohne Kohle und Atom - Geht uns der Strom aus?
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In all of this, the concept of "sustainability" remains the guiding principle. While the word is sometimes misused or even exploited, it is still the central focus of many concerted efforts.
Heute wird Nachhaltigkeit als ein Gesamtkonzept angesehen.
Today, sustainability is seen as a global concept.
Caption 17, Erklärvideos - Nachhaltigkeit einfach erklärt
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Further Learning
If you didn't catch our previous newsletter on vocabulary related to the climate crisis, have a look on our lessons page. Watch any of the videos above in their entirety on Yabla German, or select the category "Environment" to learn even more!
That is actually the title of a classic detective novel by Raymond Chandler, but the long and short of it is that there are a number of ways to say goodbye in German – some of them longer than others! Let's start with what you probably already know:
Ja, damit sind wir fertig. Auf Wiedersehen!
Yes, with that we are finished. Goodbye!
Caption 77, Das 1. Newtonsche Gesetz - erklärt am Beispiel des Dodomobils
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Ich sehe Sie dann morgen. Auf Wiederhören.
I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodbye.
Caption 52, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Because of the -sehen in Wiedersehen ("see you again") and -hören in Wiederhören ("hear from you again"), auf Wiederhören is the proper form to use on the telephone.
Wiedersehen, vielen Dank! -Tschüss. -Tschüss.
Goodbye, many thanks! -Bye. -Bye.
Caption 25, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
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Tschüss is an informal waym of saying goodbye that originally stems from the Spanish word for goodbye, adios.
Bis morgen. Ciao.
See you tomorrow. Ciao.
Caption 40, Bäppi im Fernsehstudio - Bäppis best model by Hilde Klump
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"Ciao" is actually from the Italian and can, depending upon the context, be used for hello or goodbye. It is not even translated as "bye" here as it has been adopted into English by most American and British dictionaries. It's usage in German is very informal.
Sie wissen schon, was wir meinen. Adieu.
You do know what we mean. Adieu.
Captions 64-65, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt
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The French word for goodbye, adieu, has also been adopted by English and is thus generally not translated.
Ich hab was vergessen. -Aha. -Wir sehen uns.
I forgot something. -Aha. -See you.
Caption 66, Die Pfefferkörner - Eigentor
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It is also common to say Wir sehen uns morgen ("We'll see each other tomorrow" or "See you tomorrow"), or Wir sehen uns wieder ("We'll see each other again"), and so forth. It sounds a bit impersonal to the ears of an English speaker, but you can also say man sieht sich, which translates as "We'll see each other" or simply "See you."
Mir hat's super gefallen. Bis dann!
I really enjoyed it. Until then!
Caption 93, Frisbee - Karlsruher Weihnachtsturnier
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Hast du die Mathehausaufgaben denn schon fertig? -Ja, bis später.
Have you finished the math homework already? -Yes, see you later.
Caption 2, Knallerfrauen - Mathehausaufgaben
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Mach's gut, Herbert. Bis bald.
Take care, Herbert. See you soon.
Caption 4, Nicos Weg - A1 Folge 3: Tschüss!
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Bis zum nächsten Mal.
Until next time.
Caption 21, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem
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Many of the ways to say goodbye using bis and some point in the future may be translated, depending upon the context, as either "till," "until," or "see you..." So if somebody says bis morgen, you could translate it as "till tomorrow," "until tomorrow," or "see you tomorrow."
Note that macht's gut, which could be literally translated as "fare well" or "farewell," is used as an informal way to say goodbye in some German regional dialects. Another good equivalent translation could be "have a good one."
But how do you say "to say goodbye" as in "to take leave" of somebody? The most common ways are Abschied nehmen and the reflexive verb sich verabschieden:
Aber als Flüchtling muss man eben oft Abschied nehmen.
But as a refugee, you often have to say goodbye.
Caption 35, Filmtrailer - Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl
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Und hier verabschieden wir uns auch von euch.
And we will say goodbye to you here.
Caption 39, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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Further Learning
I hope that learning about goodbye didn't take too long—this is a lesson and not a novel, after all! Look for some of the ways of saying goodbye on Yabla German, and take special note of how some are used in formal contexts and others in more casual situations. So until next time, mach's gut and stay healthy!
When you read about legal issues in the German news, you may come across the noun das Urteil, which you may already know as "judgment," "verdict," or "ruling." But did you know that there are several verbs containing urteil- as their word stems that have broader meanings in everyday life? Let's take a look today at how these different words are used for a variety of meanings and contexts.
The verb urteilen is used in the more formal sense of passing a judgment or, as in the last two examples, a way of showing the impression somebody has of something or someone:
Das Gericht hat geurteilt, dass seine Taten illegal seien.
The court ruled that his actions were illegal.
Je weniger man weiß, umso schneller urteilt man.
The less you know, the faster you judge.
Dem Brief nach zu urteilen muss es dir sehr gut gehen.
Judging by the letter, you must be doing very well.
The verb beurteilen, however, is the less formal expression of an opinion of someone or something's qualities:
Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich so das fast besser beurteilen kann,
I have the feeling that this way, I can almost judge better
wenn ich näher dran bin.
what's needed when I am closer to it.
Captions 42-43, Hell - Science-Fiction-Kinotipp
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Dann ist es immer so schwierig,
Then it is always so difficult,
und hinterher wird man nur nach dem Foto beurteilt.
and afterwards you are only judged based on the photo.
Caption 25, Barbara Schöneberger - Das Roter-Teppich-Einmaleins
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The verb verurteilen is usually translated as "to sentence," although in other contexts you may see it translated as "to condemn," "to convict," or even "to doom."
Ein französisches Gericht hat den TÜV Rheinland zu insgesamt 60 Millionen Euro Schadenersatz verurteilt.
A French court of law sentenced TÜV Rheinland to provide a total of 60 million euros compensation.
Captions 34-36, Tagesschau - Amtseinführung von Donald Trump
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Für seine Witze gegen das Regime wurde Zarganar
For his jokes against the regime, Zarganar was
zu 35 Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt.
sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Captions 8-9, Michael Mittermeier - mit Witzen gegen das Regime
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Eigentlich von seinem Grafen bereits zum Tode verurteilt,
Actually sentenced to death already by the count,
gab dieser ihm noch eine letzte Chance.
he was given one last chance.
Captions 12-13, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte - Bayern
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To summarize: verurteilen is in some ways the easiest to learn, as it is usually translated as "to sentence." Both urteilen and beurteilen may be translated as "to judge," but the main difference between the two is that urteilen is usually used in a more formal sense (such as the judgment of a court), or to express an impression you have of something or somebody. The verb beurteilen, however, is more often used to express an opinion about the the qualities of somebody or something.
Further Learning
Write some sentences in English using the verb "to judge," and then translate them into German using either urteilen or beurteilen. Check your work online or have your teacher take a look at it with you. You can also try searching for urteilen, beurteilen, and verurteilen on Yabla German to see other ways the words are used in different contexts.
The German adjective and adverb dicht sounds a lot like the English word "thick," and while there are cases where it can be translated as "thick," it's the exception rather than the rule. Let's take a look today at the different ways that dicht can be translated in formal and informal contexts.
Dicht is often translated into English as "dense" or "densely," or in the case of dichter, "denser":
Er sollte dehnbar sein, und je dichter, desto besser.
It should be stretchy, and the denser, the better.
Caption 79, Coronavirus - Schutzmasken zum Selbermachen
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Die Kaimauer des Südhafens ist dicht mit Seescheiden besiedelt.
The quay wall of the south harbor is densely populated with sea squirts.
Caption 13, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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It's also common to see dicht translated as the adjective "close" or the adverb "closely":
Die kommen ganz dicht dran.
They come very close.
Sie beachtet die Leute überhaupt nicht, die Besucher.
She doesn't pay attention to the people, the visitors at all.
Caption 43, Für Tierfreunde - Geparden
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Darin warten etwa 3.600 kleine Zähne,
Inside await roughly 3600 little teeth
die in mehr als 300 dicht zusammenstehenden Reihen angeordnet sind.
that are arranged in more than 300 closely set rows.
Captions 66-67, Evolution - Meeresbewohner
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In slang usage, dicht machen can mean "to close":
Komm, wir machen hier dicht.
Come on, let's close up here.
Caption 15, Die Pfefferkörner - Alles auf Anfang
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Frau Korff kann dicht machen, ich verliere meinen Job,
Ms. Korff will have to close the business, I'll lose my job,
Caption 2, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
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A rather unexpected formal usage of dicht conveys that something is sealed, in the sense of "not leaking":
Das Boot ist dicht.
The boat is sealed.
Das Fass hält nicht mehr dicht.
The barrel is no longer sealed.
Probably related to dicht halten as “to keep sealed,” dichthalten is a slang way of referring to keeping a secret, in a similar sense to "my lips are sealed":
Bitte halte dicht, psst...
Please keep it a secret, shhh...
Caption 7, JoNaLu - Wo ist Rosalie?
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When you rather rudely call somebody "thick" in English, you're saying that they are slightly crazy or stupid. But in German slang, you'd say nicht ganz dicht, the suggestion being that thoughts are "leaking" out of someone's head:
Johannes ist nicht ganz dicht.
Johannes is a crazy.
Last but not least, dicht may be formally translated in certain contexts as "thick":
Das Wetter heute: Vormittags dichter Nebel, nachmittags sonnig.
Today's weather: morning thick fog, afternoon sunny.
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and search for dicht to see the many different ways it is used in a variety of real-world contexts.
If you ever watch or listen to news reports in German, whether it be on Yabla or a complementary resource such as Deutsche Welle's Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten, you will encounter a whole set of vocabulary for talking about the climate crisis. In this lesson, we'll look at some words that describe some of the threats our planet is facing.
Um etwas gegen die Klimaerwärmung zu tun, müssen wir in Deutschland aus der Braunkohle aussteigen.
In order to do something against global warming, we have to phase out brown coal in Germany.
Caption 36, WWF Deutschland Klimawandel hautnah - Was sind die Auswirkungen?
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Wir starten immer mit einem Modul zum Klimawandel.
We always start with a module on climate change.
Caption 21, Schüler lernen Nachhaltigkeit - Bildungsinitiative gestartet
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When we talk about the impact humans have on the environment, the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases are often mentioned:
Ein Passagierflugzeug, das von New York nach Kalifornien und zurück fliegt,
A passenger plane that flies from New York to California and back
stößt eine Menge Treibhausgase aus,
emits a lot of greenhouse gases:
ungefähr so viel wie ein Auto in einem ganzen Jahr.
about as much as a car in a whole year.
Captions 28-30, Die Welt in der Zukunft - Flugzeuge im Jahr 2050
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Bei dem Song, der „Mutter Erde“ heißt,
With the song, which is called "Mother Earth,"
versuchen wir halt auch, das Thema Umweltschutz irgendwie zu vermitteln...
we also try to somehow impart the theme of environment protection...
wie der Treibhauseffekt zum Beispiel geschieht.
how the greenhouse effect happens, for example.
Captions 57-59, Rapucation - Lernen durch Rapmusik
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Awareness and regulations related to CO2 have been on the rise in an attempt to improve a very dire situation. "Carbon dioxide" is das Kohlendioxid in German, but, like in English, the chemical formula is used quite often:
Die Anreise mit Flugzeug oder Auto sorgt für
Traveling by plane or car creates
eine schlechte CO2-Bilanz.
an unfavorable carbon footprint.
Caption 3, WissensWerte - Tourismus und Nachhaltigkeit
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Punkt für die Bahn
Point for the train
mit grade mal zweiundzwanzig Komma fünf Kilogramm
with just twenty-two point five kilogram
an CO2-Ausstoß pro Person.
of CO2 emissions per person.
Captions 62-63, Galileo - Zug vs. Flugzeug: Von München nach Berlin
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Und ein federführendes Projekt ist die
And a leading project is the
CO2-zwei-neutrale Landesverwaltung,
CO2-neutral state government
die beispielhaft in Deutschland ist.
that is exemplary in Germany.
Captions 42-43, Rheinmain im Blick - Nachhaltigkeit
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Further Learning
We will be back with more words related to climate change and how individuals can do their part. In the meantime, you can go to Yabla German and select the category "Environment" or "News" to hear a German perspective on current issues and learn more about people and organizations dedicated to protecting the environment and fighting climate change.
You may remember our previous lesson on nouns for describing romantic relationships. With a nod to Valentine's Day approaching, let's look at how adjectives and phrases are used to describe relationship status and experiences related to love.
First, where it all begins: You may already know the adjective verliebt. Der Liebeskummer can mean either "heartache," or describe the stress and grief that occurs during fights in a relationship.
Sag mal, bist du krank... oder verliebt?
Tell me, are you sick... or in love?
Caption 37, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt - Part 1
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Krank vor Liebeskummer irrte der Prinz viele Monate lang umher.
Sick from heartache, the Prince wandered about for many months.
Caption 77, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Rapunzel
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As for relationship status, let's start with the word ledig, which means "single" or "unmarried." This is the proper word that is, for example, used in documents for someone who is not married. Therefore, someone who is in einer Beziehung ("in a relationship") or in Partnerschaft lebend ("living in a domestic partnership") might also check ledig on a form. To describe someone who is not in a romantic relationship, the English word "single" has been adopted by younger Germans and appears on most advertisements for dating apps.
Ich bin sechsunddreißig Jahre alt und ledig.
I am thirty-six years old and single.
Caption 32, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche - Part 2
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Wir waren sehr lange verlobt.
We were engaged for a very long time.
Caption 20, Nicos Weg - Mein Traumpartner
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Ich bin glücklich verheiratet.
I'm happily married.
Caption 55, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt - Part 7
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When a relationship comes to an end, we speak of die Trennung ("the separation" or "the break-up") and use the verb sich trennen or the adjective getrennt.
Mein Mann und ich leben seit einem Jahr getrennt.
My husband and I have been living separately for a year.
Caption 60, Großstadtrevier - Alle für einen
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Ist das eigentlich OK für dich mit Alisa, dass ihr getrennt seid?
Is that really OK for you with Alisa, that you are separated?
Caption 18, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche - Part 5
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Ich glaub, er hat gesagt, er ist geschieden.
I think he said he was divorced.
Caption 26, Nicos Weg - Mein Traumpartner
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Of course, "hope springs eternal"...
Viele von ihnen sind bestimmt frisch verliebt.
Many of them are surely newly in love.
Caption 63, Konjugation - Das Verb „sein“
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Further Learning
There are a number of films and series about love and relationships on Yabla German — just search under the "Drama" category or by series. You can also read our lessons on Valentine's Day in Germany and talking about love in German.
Many of us are living in countries with shopping restrictions due to health measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic, meaning we may need to shop for many things we need on the internet. The word bestellen, most commonly translated in this context as "to order," has thus become an especially important term this year.
Diesen Film können Sie als DVD unter folgender Adresse im Internet bestellen.
You can order this film on DVD at the following web address.
Caption 18, Bibliothek der Sachgeschichten - Müllmännerlied
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We also use bestellen when ordering food in a restaurant, although these days that usually means ordering food for takeaway:
Die Tochter hat Pizza bestellt...
My daughter ordered pizza...
Caption 82, Weihnachtsinterviews - Cettina in Linkenheim
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Möchten Sie denn schon was zu trinken bestellen?
Would you like to order something to drink now?
Caption 10, Abendessen - mit Marko
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Although bestellen is most commonly used to mean "to order" something, there are also a number of other contexts where the verb is used that require a different translation altogether. Quite differently from the English "to order," where something will be coming to you, the German bestellen can also be used to send out greetings (Grüße bestellen) or to ask someone to say thank-you for you:
Bestellt dem Marquis meinen herzlichsten Dank!
Send the Marquis my most heartfelt thanks!
Caption 41, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der gestiefelte Kater
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Bestellen Sie dem Feldmarschall von Kluge,
Tell Field Marshall von Kluge
ich danke für das in mich gesetzte Vertrauen.
I thank him for the trust he places in me.
Captions 55-56, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
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In the context of biology, you can use bestellen with the preposition um to describe the condition of a species:
Um die seltene Marmorata-Forelle ist es schlechter bestellt...
Regarding the rare marble trout, it looks worse...
Caption 29, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
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Jetzt interessiert mich das aber doch, wie's um den Bestand bestellt ist.
Now, however, I'm interested indeed in how the population is doing.
Caption 5, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Further Learning
Take a look at all of the meanings of bestellen on the Duden website and search for bestellt and bestellen on Yabla German to see other ways the word is used in different contexts.
In this week's edition, we'll examine these easily confused words: The verbs kündigen, ankündigen, erkunden, and sich erkundigen.
The verb kündigen refers to terminating an agreement or contract. When it comes to employment, it can describe action taken by either the employer or employee to end a professional relationship. Kündigen is also used when cancelling an account or contract (for example, a cell phone contract, a magazine subscription, or a fitness studio membership). Therefore, it can be translated as "to cancel," "to terminate," "to give notice," "to quit," "to resign," "to fire," or "to dismiss," depending on who is carrying out the action and for what purpose.
Ich träume davon, meinen Job im Büro zu kündigen.
I dream of giving notice on my job in the office.
Caption 44, Konjugation - Das Verb „brauchen“
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Schöller hat uns beiden gekündigt.
Schöller has fired both of us.
Caption 45, Marga Engel schlägt zurück - Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall
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Sie haben ihm hoffentlich nicht erzählt, dass Sie Ihre Lebensversicherung gekündigt haben.
I hope you didn't tell him you cancelled your life insurance.
Caption 53, Oskar - Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist - Der Panther
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The verb ankündigen has the essentially unrelated meaning of "to announce." You will notice below that it is a separable verb.
Eines Tages kündigte der Zauberer an, dass er ausgehen würde.
One day, the Sorcerer announced that he would be going out.
Caption 21, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der Zauberlehrling
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Ja, Ihr Anruf wurde bereits angekündigt.
Yes, your call has already been announced.
Caption 29, Marga Engel schlägt zurück - Auf der Suche nach Beweisen
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The verb sich erkundigen means "to inquire," "to find out," or "to look into." Note that this is a reflexive verb, and there is no umlaut!
Ich würde gerne aus privaten Gründen meine Stunden reduzieren
I would like to reduce my hours, for personal reasons,
und wollte mich erkundigen, ob das möglich wäre.
and wanted to find out whether that would be possible.
Captions 10-11, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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Ich habe mich erkundigt. Sie darf nicht in unseren Taschen kramen.
I looked into it. She's not allowed to dig around in our bags.
Caption 14, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche
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The verb erkunden can be translated as "to discover" or "to explore."
Man kann also einfach reinspringen und die Höhlen beim Tauchen erkunden.
You can, therefore, simply jump in and explore the caves while diving.
Caption 46, Der Blautopf - Ein sagenumwobener See
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Dann lass uns gemeinsam die Yabla-Spiele erkunden.
Then let's discover the Yabla games together.
Caption 36, German Intro - Cettina
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Further Learning
Write out sentences using these verbs in both the present and past tense. If you need guidance, search for them on Yabla German.
Berliners have traditionally taken New Year's celebrations very seriously, so much so that in the past, I usually did my best to be away from Berlin on Silvesterabend. I remember one year in the early 2010s, I was walking to a friend's party a few streets away in Berlin-Kreuzberg and had three bottle rockets shot at me from apartment windows, narrowly missing my face before exploding. After that, I decided to never stay in Berlin again on New Year's. This year, of course, it would be socially irresponsible to travel in the midst of a Corona lockdown, so I am staying in Berlin.
Until just a few years ago when the City of Berlin began doing more timely street cleaning, the first weeks of the new year found the sidewalks, bike paths, and street gutters strewn with broken bottle glass and soggy, smelly fireworks remnants. If there had been any snow or ice, this trash would sometimes remain clogging the sidewalks with debris until the snow had melted, as late as March. Luckily, after numerous citizen complaints, Berlin began cleaning the New Year's street debris within a week or two of the celebrations. Berlin may be terrible at building airports, but at least the city has proven itself capable of timely street cleaning!
So New Year's is not just a time to "cleanse" our lifestyle with resolutions—most of which we probably don't keep anyway—it is also a good time to clean up our own clutter in our house, basement, or storage unit. Let's take a look today at some German verbs that mean "to clean."
Kuck mal, wie das hier aussieht!
Look at the state of this place!
Mama, steh auf!
Mom, get up!
Wir müssen aufräumen. Komm, bitte!
We have to clean up. Come on, please!
Captions 21-23, Die Pfefferkörner - Alles auf Anfang
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The separable verb aufräumen (in British English "to tidy up") is a good word to use when you are generally cleaning up.
Ich muss die Küche aufräumen, den Abwasch machen,
I have to clean up the kitchen, do the dishes,
das Bad putzen, Staub saugen und Staub wischen.
clean the bathroom, vacuum and dust.
Captions 5-6, Hausputz - mit Eva
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Here aufräumen appears again, but what is the difference between that and putzen? As a rule, you can use putzen for cleaning your house or an item in your house such as your refrigerator or stove. But if you use aufräumen in the context of a refrigerator or stove, it would suggest that you were clearing out the fridge or clearing off some pans from the stove rather than properly cleaning them. So for proper cleaning rather than just "picking up" or "tidying up," putzen is the better word choice.
Doing the dishes may be den Abwasch machen, as in the above example, but you can also say das Geschirr spülen or das Geschirr abwaschen. As for vacuuming (or "hoovering" in British English) with der Staubsauger, you may write that as the noun and verb Staub saugen or the nonseparable verb staubsaugen.
Wir reinigen hier mindestens zweimal am Tag komplett durch,
We clean through here, completely, at least twice a day
und wir reinigen auch die ganzen Ställe und Zwinger,
and we also clean all of the stalls and cages
nachdem sie benutzt worden sind.
after they have been used.
Captions 29-30, Frankfurter Flughafen - Animal Lounge
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The German adjective rein, which means "pure," is suggested in the verb reinigen, and thus reinigen has specific contexts too:
Dadurch sollen die Steine helfen, die Luft zu reinigen.
Thus, these stones should help to purify the air.
Caption 15, Schadstoffarme Straßen - Neue Gehwegplatten für reinere Luft
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The verb reinigen also means to give something a thorough cleaning. How and what is being cleaned determines which verb to use. It would not really work, for example, to use aufräumen in this context!
Further Learning
Read the Yabla German lesson Around the House and watch the Yabla video Hausputz with Eva to learn more about German cleaning words in different contexts.
In a Yabla interview filmed at a Christmas market a few years back, one couple describes their ideal Christmas:
Gemütlich, mit gutem Essen, Spielen,
Comfortably, with good food, games...
unsere Kinder sind groß,
Our children are grown up,
die brauchen keine Riesenpakete mehr.
they don't need huge presents anymore.
Captions 16-17, Weihnachtsinterviews - Diane in Karlsruhe
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It's true that Christmas this year in Germany took a bit of getting used to. Due to the continuing social-distancing regulations prohibiting parties and big gatherings, people stayed indoors with their focus firmly set on increased Gemütlichkeit. The word gemütlich means "comfortable" or "cozy" as an adjective and "comfortably" as an adverb.
Ganz zum Schluss werde ich noch den Kerzenständer aufstellen,
At the very end, I'll also set up the candle holders
damit wir es gemütlich haben.
so that it's cozy for us.
Captions 13-14, Tisch decken - mit Eva
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Wie verbringen Sie Silvester? -Ganz gemütlich zu Hause.
How will you spend New Year's Eve? -Very comfortably at home.
Caption 7, Silvester - Vorsätze für das neue Jahr - Linkenheim
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The current restrictions in Germany will continue through New Year's, but many people are making the most of it and simply appreciating getting to spend time at home (zu Hause) with those closest to them.
Wir haben beide gedacht, dass wir zu Hause bleiben müssen.
We both thought that we would have to stay at home.
Caption 14, Konjugation - Das Verb „denken“
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Es war sehr, sehr spannend,
It was very, very exciting
aber jetzt möchte ich lieber zu Hause bleiben, hier bei euch.
but now I'd rather stay at home, here with you.
Captions 100-101, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der kleine Däumling
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Since restaurants and bars will be closed on New Year's Eve, the festivities will be limited and more focused on coziness and quality time than seeing lots of people. To avoid feeling too cooped up, however, it's important to get outside a bit as well. A nice stroll or hike in the few hours of daylight is always a good idea:
Natürlich kann man auch einfach nur spazieren gehen.
Of course, one can also simply just go for a walk.
Caption 10, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
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Further Learning
If you're spending extra time at home this week, use it as an opportunity to keep up your language skills with Yabla German! Take a look at our latest videos or catch up on recent lessons here.
Wir wünschen Euch einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!
The noun der Beleg, the verb belegen and the adjective belegt have related roots, but are used differently in a variety of contexts. Let's start with the noun der Beleg.
Du brauchst einen Ort, an dem deine Belege sicher sind.
You need a place where your documents are safe.
Caption 7, Reposito - in 60 Sekunden
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Der Beleg is often translated as "evidence," "proof," "document," "documentation," "voucher," or "receipt." In everyday life in Germany, I probably hear it most often when leaving the cash register at the supermarket after having paid: Möchten Sie den Beleg haben?
Now onto the verb belegen:
Nun muss ich meinen Teig nur noch mit den Apfelstücken belegen.
Now I just have to cover the batter with the apple pieces.
Caption 29, Apfelkuchen - mit Eva
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Unfallstudien belegen sogar, dass Autos mit hoher passiver Fußgängersicherheit
Accident studies even prove that cars with a higher passive [automatic] protection for pedestrians
für den Unfallschutz von Radfahrern kaum helfen.
barely help in the protection of cyclists from accidents.
Captions 12-13, Crashtest - Fahrradfahrer profitieren kaum vom Fußgängerschutz am Auto
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Wie man hier sieht, haben wir auch frisches Gemüse
As you see here, we also have fresh vegetables
wie Tomaten, Gurken,
like tomatoes and cucumbers
da wir frisch, äh, Sandwiches und Brötchen belegen.
since we make fresh sandwiches and rolls.
Captions 21-23, Berlin - Judith und die „Brezel Bar“
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In most cases, belegen is usually translated as to "to cover," "to prove," or "to document." In the last example, however, an open-faced sandwich is a belegtes Brot in German. Thus when you literally "cover" sandwiches and bread rolls, you are in fact "making" them. Again, understanding properly all depends upon the context!
The verb belegen can also be translated as "to occupy" or "to take," at least in the sense that you "occupy" a position in a race or "take" a university course:
Nürnberg belegt jetzt Platz fünfzehn...
Nuremberg is now in fifteenth place...
Caption 46, FC Bayern München - in einer eigenen Liga
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Na ja, in der Justizvollzugsanstalt Fuhlsbüttel kannst du ja einen Kursus belegen als Alleinunterhalter.
Well, at Fuhlsbüttel Penitentiary you can take a class to become a solo entertainer.
Caption 66, Großstadtrevier - St. Pauli rettet HSV
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Last but not least, let's take a look at belegt as an adjective:
Die besten Plätze sind schnell belegt.
The best places are quickly occupied.
Caption 43, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Drei Damen vom Grill, die eine belegte Schrippe mit 'ner Bulette gefüllt haben [Inhaber]
Three ladies from the grill who have filled an open-faced roll with a meatball [owner]
und das Hamburger genannt haben.
and called that a hamburger.
Captions 14-15, Berlin - Die beste Auswahl an Hamburgern
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Further Learning
See if you can find other examples of der Beleg, belegen, and belegt on Yabla German and find a tandem partner to take turns making up and checking your own sentences using these words.
It has truly been a year of ups and downs, to the extent that it takes a pretty advanced vocabulary to describe what we're feeling sometimes. This week, we'd like to provide a list of some adjectives that are used to express both positive and negative emotions.
The adjective aufgeregt in German describes a mixture of "excited" and "nervous," like before you do a presentation or go on a roller coaster. On the other hand, gespannt is used to describe a type of excitement more linked to curiosity or looking forward to something. Besorgt could be translated as "worried" or "concerned."
Gleich geht's los, ein bisschen aufgeregt bin ich schon.
It will start momentarily, I am certainly a little bit nervous.
Caption 3, Deutsche Welle - Hin und weg - Best of Europa-Park!
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Ich bin mal gespannt, wie es klappt. Ich hoffe, es gefällt euch.
I am excited to see how it will go. I hope you like it.
Caption 41, Eva Croissant - Interview
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Ich bin ein bisschen besorgt, ob ich es zu der Wohnung von den beiden schaffe.
I'm a little bit worried as to whether I'll be able to make it to their apartment.
Caption 21, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Besuch
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When something turns out well, your reaction may range from zufrieden ("pleased," "satisfied") to erstaunt ("astonished"), depending on whether the outcome was expected or not.
Ich bin sehr zufrieden. Für diese gute Leistung geb ich dir eine Eins.
I'm very satisfied. I'll give you a "one" for this good performance.
Caption 51, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte - Bayern
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Eine Freundin von mir war schon einmal in der Hauptstadt Oslo und sie war begeistert.
A friend of mine was already in the capital, Oslo, once and she was thrilled.
Caption 11, Jenny - Reiseziele
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Die Menschen waren erstaunt über das, was sie sahen.
The people were astonished at what they saw.
Caption 63, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Des Kaisers neue Kleider
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Of course, many of us have had our share of difficult experiences this year and had to face their corresponding emotions:
Ich war total gestresst, weil mein Chef im Büro mich so genervt hat.
I was totally stressed out because my boss was really getting on my nerves at the office.
Caption 19, Konjugation - Das Verb „brauchen“
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Müde und erschöpft stand er schließlich vor ihrer Tür.
Tired and exhausted, he finally stood in front of their door.
Caption 20, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Büchse der Pandora
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Die Leute wären genauso enttäuscht und genauso deprimiert.
People would be just as disappointed and depressed.
Caption 55, Böhmermann - Wie geht man als Satiriker mit Rechtspopulismus um?
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Na ja, also, der Junge ist einfach schlichtweg überfordert mit dem Projekt.
Well... well, the boy is just completely overwhelmed by the project.
Caption 8, Mama arbeitet wieder - Die Trennung
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Völlig überwältigt stellt sie sich den vielen Fernsehkameras.
Completely overwhelmed, she faced the many television cameras.
Caption 41, Miss Germany 2011 - Auf High Heels zur Krone
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The hope is, of course, that we can generally find a balance and remain optimistic as the year comes to an end.
Ich versuche, optimistisch zu bleiben,
I am trying to stay optimistic,
aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich die Stelle nicht bekommen habe.
but I have the feeling that I didn't get the job.
Captions 4-5, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Wart ihr sehr aufgeregt oder wart ihr ganz entspannt?
Were you very nervous or were you totally relaxed?
Caption 37, Modedesignerin Nina Hollein - Floria Prinzessin von Hessen
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Further Learning
There are many more adjectives you can look up on Yabla German, of course. You can start with erleichtert, froh, verärgert, verzweifelt, wütend, verängstigt, and zuversichtlich. Since adjectives and adverbs can often be identical in German, do not be surprised if you encounter these words being used as adverbs as well — it's a 2 for 1 deal!
Advent is the time of year in Western Christian practice that starts on a Sunday at the end of November or first week of December and ends on December 24th, though it is popularly celebrated starting on December 1st. Let's take a look today at some German customs of the Advent season.
Der Advent, das ist die Zeit vor Weihnachten.
Advent, that is the time before Christmas.
Und an den Adventstagen ist es ein beliebter Zeitvertreib,
And during the days of Advent it is a favorite pastime
über den Weihnachtsmarkt zu spazieren.
to take a walk through the Christmas market.
Captions 3-5, Weihnachtsmärkte - mit Eva
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Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) are going to be very limited this year due to the Corona pandemic. There are, however, plans to allow limited access by selling tickets with specific entry times. Some cities have even introduced drive-through Christmas markets so that people can shop from the relative safety of their cars!
Am Sonntag haben wir den ersten Advent.
On Sunday we'll have the first Advent.
Und dann machen wir natürlich das erste Lichtlein hier an dem Adventskranz an.
And then we'll, of course, put on the first little candle here on the Advent wreath.
Am zweiten Advent kommt dann das zweite Licht, am dritten Advent das dritte Licht,
On the second Advent comes then the second candle, on the third Advent the third candle,
und am vierten Advent ist Weihnachten.
and on the fourth Advent is Christmas.
Captions 58-61, Unterwegs mit Cettina - auf dem Bruchsaler Weihnachtsmarkt
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Advent wreaths with candles originated in the mid-19th century in Hamburg, Germany, but they were not commonly allowed in German churches until after the Second World War.
In der Adventszeit oder eben in der Vorweihnachtszeit gibt es viele verschiedene Bräuche.
In the Advent season or in the run-up to Christmastime, there are many different customs.
Caption 5, Eva erklärt - den Adventskalender
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One of these customs is the Advent calendar:
Der Adventskalender hat 24 Türen, und auf jeder steht eine Zahl.
The Advent calendar has 24 doors, and each one has a number on it.
Caption 11, Eva erklärt - den Adventskalender
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The Advent calendar also originated in 19th century Germany, but of course the best-known Christmas tradition with roots in German culture is der Weihnachtsbaum, also called der Tannenbaum or der Christbaum.
Heute wollen wir einen Weihnachtsbaum aufstellen.
Today we want to set up a Christmas tree.
Caption 8, Frohe Weihnachten - der Christbaum
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Further Learning
Watch all of the videos above in their entirety to get a feel for some German Christmas customs and search for more holiday-related videos on Yabla German. Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season from us at Yabla!
Whether you visit Germany in the future and bump into someone in a train station, or accidentally interrupt someone in an online class or meeting, it's important to know how to excuse yourself or apologize in German to an appropriate degree.
First, you need to know (and learn to pronounce!) the word Entschuldigung and the verb sich entschuldigen. As you can see in the following two examples from Nicos Weg, our series for beginners, Entschuldigung can mean either "excuse me" or "sorry" depending on the context.
Entschuldigung, wen suchen Sie? -Lisa Brunner.
Excuse me, who are you looking for? -Lisa Brunner.
Caption 4, Nicos Weg - A1 Folge 39: Wo ist der Aufzug?
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Ach, Nico, Entschuldigung, ich komme viel zu spät.
Oh, Nico, sorry, I'm much too late.
Caption 27, Nicos Weg - A1 Folge 35: Wann spielen wir?
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Occasionally, you may hear the word Verzeihung used to apologize. This is a bit more formal.
„Oh, Verzeihung, mein Herr!", sagte Frederick.
"Oh, excuse me, sir!" said Frederick.
Caption 37, Piggeldy und Frederick - Der Esel
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To apologize for something more serious than just being late or interrupting someone, the phrase Es tut mir leid is used to say "I'm sorry." It can also be used to express sympathy.
Es tut mir wirklich leid, das zu hören, Frau Hoffmann,
Ms. Hoffmann, I'm very sorry to hear
dass es Ihren Kindern nicht gut ging.
that your children aren't doing well.
Captions 48-49, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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The phrase Mein herzliches Beileid is used to express sympathy in the face of loss. Be careful not to get it mixed up in any way with the verb beleidigen, which means "to insult."
Herzliches Beileid, Lilly.
Heartfelt condolences, Lilly.
Caption 4, Lilly unter den Linden - Kapitel 1: Im Krankenhaus
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Wenn man etwas durch die Blume sagt, dann bedeutet das,
If you say something through the flower, then it means
dass man sein Gegenüber nicht beleidigen möchte.
that you don't want to insult the other person.
Captions 7-8, Eva erklärt - Sprichwörter
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If you have unintentionally insulted someone or made a decision that affected someone adversely, you can also express regret with the verbs bereuen and bedauern.
Bereut er den Entschluss, sein Studium abgebrochen zu haben?
Does he regret the decision to have broken off his university studies?
Caption 62, Deutsche Welle - Lieber Ausbildung als Studium
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Doch, doch! Obwohl ich noch immer bedauere, dass
Yes, yes! Although I still regret that
er damals nicht zu mir in die Firma gekommen ist.
that he didn't join me in the company back then.
Captions 20-21, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt
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Further Learning
Search for Entschuldigung, the verb sich entschuldigen, and the imperatives Entschuldigen Sie (formal) and Entschuldige (informal) on Yabla German to hear all of these options used in context. You can also look up the verb verzeihen. This is the best way to get an understanding of which expression is right for a particular kind of situation.
A few weeks ago in Part I, we looked at the most common ways to say "before": vor, vorher, and bevor. Let's take a look today at some more German words that are commonly translated into English as "before."
Warum hatte man bis vergangene Woche denn so wenig von ihr gehört?
Why had we heard so little from her before this past week?
Caption 65, Coronavirus - Kommentar zu Angela Merkels Rede
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The preposition bis, usually requiring the accusative case, is also often translated as "until."
Ist natürlich ein besonderer Umstand, nur mit Leuten, die man bisher nicht kannte...
Of course, it's a particular circumstance to only be with people you didn't know before...
Caption 11, Anja Polzer - Interview
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The adverb bisher is sometimes translated to English as "previously."
Ehe du einschläfst, wollte ich dir schnell bloß sagen,
Before you fall asleep, I just wanted to quickly say to you,
Caption 51, Janoschs Traumstunde - Post für den Tiger
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Not to be mixed up with the noun die Ehe ("the marriage"), the conjunction ehe is sometimes spoken in a shortened form as eh.
Alles das, was früher war
All that was before
wischst du einfach weg
you just wipe away
Captions 20-21, Adel Tawil - 1000 gute Gründe
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The adverb früher (which is also seen as an adjective) is sometimes translated as "previously" or "earlier," depending upon the context.
Die hatte ich vorhin an, zum Beispiel beim Umzug
I had it on before, for example during the parade
oder als wir noch 'nen Auftritt hatten.
or when we had an appearance.
Captions 14-15, Bretten - Das Peter-und-Paul-Fest
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The adverb vorhin sounds similar to vorher, which we read about in Part I, but expresses something that happened in the very recent past—just seconds, minutes, or perhaps a few hours previously.
All das wird auf die Probe gestellt wie nie zuvor.
All of this is being put to the test like never before.
Caption 5, Coronavirus - Fernsehansprache von Angela Merkel
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The adverb zuvor is often translated as "previously" or "beforehand," depending upon the context.
So voll Energie, so hoch wie noch nie
So full of energy, as high as never before
Caption 4, Beatrice Egli - Wir leben laut
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The German phrase noch nie would translate literally as "yet never," but that doesn't make any sense in English and it is usually translated as "never before."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and search for some of the words above that are commonly translated as "before" to get a better feel for the contexts in which they are used in a real-world context.
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