Archive for February 2014
Today I would like to pass on information about learning German in your mother tongue on the computer. This way of learning has the advantage, if you want to decide on how much and how long you would like to learn. You can also take the programme with you on an MP3-player or your I-Phone and learn whenever there is time.
The reason why I prefer to use these courses is that you can learn words by different tests and word lists or index cards which you can also print out to take along. The best thing about that is that words are repeated until you have memorised them correctly five times. On top, there is information about how you best learn a language. What I like about that is that you can freely choose and try the method which suits you most and is most effective for you.
As a beginner, without any knowledge of German, you would best choose the basic course to start with and continue with the advanced course. If you need to learn German in a faster way, the express couse would be right for you. But even if you are quite fit in understanding and talking German, the special vocabulary collection could help you to improve your communicative competence. An online dictionary is available as well.
The computer courses on DVD are available in 40 languages, so there is a good chance that your language is amongst them. Take a look and decide! If you live in a German-language environment, the conditions to really apply what you have learned are best, but even if you live somewhere where German is not spoken, take a lookout for German conversation groups; you will find them in nearly every bigger city, and, of course, on the Web.
The best of success and fun in learning German!
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At our last meeting, we had members from all corners of the world: US, Britain, France, Ukraine, South Korea, South Africa, Georgia and Germany. All of us love to get information about foraign countries, their culture, their history and their current situation.
So I learned a lot about Georgia, a lot of facts I did not learn about. Georgia is situated at the Black Sea, south of Russia. It has a great history, starting long before the history of most European states. It has a language and writing of its own which is far different from any other languages and writing. In some cases, when we have to form a sentence, in Georgian language its contents can be skimmed into one word. The letters are totally different from what Latin or Kyrillic letters look like.
While the Soviet Union existed, Georgia was a part of this empire, but regained its independency after the Soviet Union fell apart. Still, Russia is trying to keep its influence, by military and economic means, e.g. by cutting off gas supplies.
If you are as keen on learning more about different nations and conversing in English as I am, why don´t you join us on Tuesdays at Thai Su restaurant in Berlin-Kreuzberg? Everybody will give you a warm welcome.
German conversation part 4
Posted on: 15. February 2014
We have talked about birthdays and non-divisible verbs.
Ich habe Geburtstag – I have a birthday
Ich mache eine Geburtstagsfeier – I have a birthday party
Ich lade viele Leute ein – I will invite many people
Geburtstagskind – birthday child
Alle Geschenke sind auf meinem Geburtstagstisch – all presents are on my birthday table
Ich habe viele Geburtstagsgrüße bekommen – I have got many birthday wishes
Meine Frau hat mir einen Geburtstagskuchen gebacken – my wife has baked a birthday cake
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag – many happy returns
Viel gesundheit und ein langes Leben – the best of health and a long life
Other phrases:
Das schaffe ich / das geht – I can manage that
Das klappt/Das bekomme ich hin, das bekomme ich gebacken (informal)
to kod someone – jemanden veralbern/veräppeln (colloquial)/verarschen (rude)
schubsen – to push until sth/sb falls
=> Die Kinder schubsen sich / Schubs mich nicht um!
in contrast to: schieben – push
=> Sein Fahrrad ist kaputt, er muss es schieben
Push = drücken => die Tür, einen Knopf
Indivisible compound verbs:
überreichen: Ich freue mich, Ihnen die Urkunde zu überreichen (Nicht: über zu reichen!)
Wiederholen: Ich rate euch, die Vokabeln zu wiederholen
Überholen: Das Auto hat mich gerade überholt (nicht: übergeholt!)
In contrast to:
überziehen (Kleidung anziehen): Er hat sich gerade einen Pullover übergezogen / Zieh dir einen Pullover über!
Rule: If a compound verb has an own meaning and the preposition does not indicate a direction, is not meaningful itself, if dividing the verb into two words does not make sense, it stays together.
=> There is no meanig to über zu reichen, but there is one in weg zu gehen (going away).
See you soon with more German phrases!
German conversation part 3
Posted on: 10. February 2014
During the last meetings, we talked about flats/apartments.
die Wohnung – flat/apartment
die Dach(geschoss)wohnung – the penthouse
der Hof – the courtyard in the middle of a block of flats
das Stockwerk – the floor / storey
das Erdgeschoss – ground floor
der Souterrain – basement
das Treppenhaus – stairs / stairway
der Aufzug/Fahrstuhl – lift/elevator
der Flur – the corridor
der Dachgarten – roof garden
der Balkon – balcony
eine Wohnung mieten – rent
eine Wohnung vermieten – let an apartment
der Mieter – tenant
der Vermieter – landlord
die Miete zahlen – pay the rent
renovieren – renovate, redecorate
die Baugesellschaft – building society
die Baugenossenschaft – cooperative building society
der Eigentümer – owner
der Fußboden – floor
die Fliese/-n – tiles
das Parkett – parquett
der Holzfußboden – wooden floor
der Gas-/Stromzähler – gas / electricity meter
read the meter – den Zähler ablesen
die Schiebetür – sliding door
schieben / drücken – push
ziehen – pull
ein Fahrrad schieben – push a bike
die Zentralheizung – central heating
der Heizkörper – radiator
die Fernheizung – district heating
die Kaution – deposit
der Stuck (an der Decke) – stucco, plastering
der Mietvertrag – rental contract
einen Vertrag schließen – sign a contract
kündigen – cancel
in eine Wohnung einziehen – move into an apartment
umziehen – remove
umziehen: Kleidung – change clothes
ausziehen – move out
ausziehen: Kleidung – take off clothes
Keep on learning!
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