What are you doing about languages? (German language primer)

[bltleo]

It's OK, we can all help each other. That's what this thread is for. :)

Bltleo, your post here does remind me of a story my mother once told years ago, on a return to the U.S. from a vacation in Mexico (one of her oldest friends lives and works in the medical profession there, so she went down for a visit) -- coming back on the plane, she was sitting next to a gentleman and they were having a rather long conversation. How that came about is that he admitted that his English was only just good enough (just how you think yours is) while my mother admitted that her Spanish wasn't quite fluent, either.

So they decided to talk to each other in the other's native language, for the purpose of communicating to the other one's ears. I guess that worked out pretty well with them, during the long flight.

hello babytigger,

nice story.

Yes the best to learn any language is really to find nice friend and talk to him in foreign language. You can learn from your friend and your friend can learn from you. Good deal:).

So you if you Americans help me to improve my English, I can help with German.:). Good business and it is free of charge.

bltleo
GERMANY

[Alex_K]

Hand = Der Hand
Ball = Der Ball (maybe Das)
Play = Spiel

German = Ein/Der Handballspiel
Die Hand (f), Der Ball (m), Das Spiel (n).

Der Handball (m) - (the) handball, refering to an actual ball (the thing you play handball with)
Handball (without a article) - the sport handball
Das Handspiel (n) - basically handball as well, that's the one in soccer
Das Handballspiel (n) - this would actually refer to a game of Handball ;)

The grammatical gender of a combined noun always follows the gender of the last single noun.

Vielen Dank!
Kein Problem ;)

[REVS FAN 1]

How do you say "handball" in Deutsch?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38090000/jpg/_38090209_handball_afp.jpg

[JoeSoccerFan]

Just started this myself. Most of it I still recall from HS, but I was happy with the first 2 lessons. The 30 minute classes fit in perfectly with my commute.

Which set are you using? I have the 6 CD set, but I have a feeling I'll need the 10-disk.

I got the 4 tape last christmas. Supplementing with Pims conversation, pims + (which isn't really consecutive with the 1st set), and Pims III (very hard).


what is "zag - an - ze"? I assume ze is you, what is "zag an"

[Shibb]

I got the 4 tape last christmas. Supplementing with Pims conversation, pims + (which isn't really consecutive with the 1st set), and Pims III (very hard).


what is "zag - an - ze"? I assume ze is you, what is "zag an"

Sagen Sie, which means "Say",

Sagen = Say
Sie = (formal) You

[JoeSoccerFan]

Sagen Sie, which means "Say",

Sagen = Say
Sie = (formal) You


Danke :o

[miked9]

I know German pretty well, I just have to brush up a bit. I'm renting a bunch of german movies from Netflix to prepare.

[JBigjake]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38090000/jpg/_38090209_handball_afp.jpg
Wow! What a photo! For some reason, I have never seen this before! You could almost even argue that it's over the goal line! (look at Kahn's shadow)

[SnakeEyes]

I was going too learn, probably will memorize a few important things (like BEER and RESTROOM ;) ), but when I asked around a few places online for advice on learning tools I was told by friends who are from or live in Germany that it wouldn't be necessary since there will be people who understand English all over the place.

[USAin2006]

My roommate was born in Germany, speaks fluent German, so I should be set there. Oh, and his family keeps an empty apartment in Frankfurt for whenever they go back, so we've got a free place to stay.

[Magpie Maniac]

I started studying way back before the first FIFA draw. Made some progress until I got screwed out of tickets in that lottery last spring. I lost all motivation assuming that my chances were slim.

Now I'm lucky enough to get a pair to Czech Rep and Italy through the USSF fiasco. I might try to learn a little more German, but I'm not going to worry about it. After the number of beers I plan to drink, my English will sound like German anyway.

[Ultra Peanut]

A German vocabulary word appropriate to recent events 'round this forum:

freicheit "fry-shyte" - a complete screwup.

Ich sprechen deutsch wie italienisch Fußballtrainer! (http://www.zompist.com/phrases.html)

[mandrake]

I guess I should have had a little foresight and added a sixth option to the poll:

" I'm not going to bother learning a language since I got ********ed by USSF "

[miked9]

I was going too learn, probably will memorize a few important things (like BEER and RESTROOM ;) ), but when I asked around a few places online for advice on learning tools I was told by friends who are from or live in Germany that it wouldn't be necessary since there will be people who understand English all over the place.

that's easy enough...
to ask for the bathroom, just ask for "toilette".

Beer = Bier (even pronounced the same)
more importantly, though
beers= bieren

as in, "i'll buy my new buddy mike d zwei bieren after the yanks beat the czechs"


see? it's easy!

[Alex_K]

A German vocabulary word appropriate to recent events 'round this forum:

freicheit "fry-shyte" - a complete screwup.



Do you mean Frechheit? It means impudence though.

as in, "i'll buy my new buddy mike d zwei bieren after the yanks beat the czechs"

It would be "zwei Bier" (the plural is identical with the singular in this case).

[Dougly]

Do you mean Frechheit? It means impudence though.

UltraP was looking for "Frechheit", as in "nerve", or "a nervy thing to do to someone." One of my favorite German words, right up there with "jain" and "Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz".

[Dougly]

Oh yeah, "ein Mass Bier, bitte" is crucial.

As long as you're aware that that only works in Bavaria, yes.

[Dougly]

Oh, yeah, a loooot of hot girls are lined up to take German. . . LOL

???

[jorge805]

I guess I should have had a little foresight and added a sixth option to the poll:

" I'm not going to bother learning a language since I got ********ed by USSF "

Hear that. I dropped my class because that's $400 I might need to pay scalpers for tix now. Dammit, the professor was HOT, too.

[Shibb]

Hear that. I dropped my class because that's $400 I might need to pay scalpers for tix now. Dammit, the professor was HOT, too.

Just keep showing up at the class. If your teacher calls on it explain your situation to her -- maybe she'll be understanding. And if she really presses you on it then offer to perform certain, um, "favors" in exchange for class and special tutoring privileges. That's the way it works in the movies, anyway.