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GERMAN LANGUAGE

10 words and phrases that will make you sound like a true German

As a non-native speaker, it can sometimes be tricky to blend in with the locals. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 10 words and phrases that will help you sound like a proper German.

Oktoberfest celebrations in 2017.
Oktoberfest celebrations in 2017. Photo: picture alliance / Felix Hörhager/dpa | Felix Hörhager

1. Na?

This little word is extremely common in spoken German and is most often used as a greeting, meaning “hello“ and, if elongated, (“naaa?”) as an implied “how are you doing?“ as well. 

“Na” is also often used in combination with other short words, to make some of the most frequently used German phrases, such as:

Na dann – Well then

Na ja – oh well

Na, toll – oh, great (sarcastic)

Na, und? – and so what?

Na klar! – but of course! 

Na, los! – go on then!

READ ALSO: German phrase of the day: Na klar

2. Doch

Using this multi-versatile four letter word will not only make you sound like a real German, but will also help you express yourself in a way that no English equivalent can!

The word has several meanings, but perhaps the most unique is its function as a negation of a negative statement, for example:

Hast du die Liste nicht mitgebracht? – Didn’t you bring the list? 

Doch! – Yes I did!

or 

Sie ist mir hoffentlich nicht mehr böse? – I hope she isn’t angry with me any more?

Doch! – Yes she is!

3. Hu hu

This is a typically German, informal greeting which you can use to get someone’s attention and is roughly equivalent to “hey!”

If you have German friends or colleagues in your phone book, at some stage you’re bound to receive a text message starting with this greeting. Or you could do it first!

4. arschkalt

Pit the Panda enjoying the snow in the Berlin Zoo.
Pit the Panda enjoying the snow in the Berlin Zoo. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Kira Hofmann

This rather rude expression will come in handy when you want to make your feelings known about the weather this winter.  Literally meaning “arse cold“, the word describes that sensation we all know well – when it’s so bitterly cold outside that your backside freezes.

The word is so widely used in Germany, that there was even a romantic comedy called “Arschkalt” released in 2011. It’s about an emotionally cold frozen food supplier.

5. Ach so

If you find yourself taken by surprise, or suddenly reminded of something, then use this phrase to convince everyone of your true Germanness. 

For example, if, while shopping, you’re reminded by the cashier to enter your pin, you can loudly and proudly declare: 

Ach soooo! – Ah, now I see!

6. Feierabend

When you’re about to leave work this evening, and your colleagues ask “gehst du schon?“ (are you going already?) tell them “ja – ich habe schon Feierabend“ (“Yes, it’s the end of work for me already”).

This cheerful sounding compound noun literally means “celebration evening“ and is used to mean “the end of work”. The “Feier” (celebration) part, reflects the meaning of leisure, free or rest time.

READ ALSO: How to overcome five of the biggest stumbling blocks when learning German

Examples:

um 17 Uhr ist bei uns Feierabend – We stop working here at 5pm

Wir machen jetzt FeierabendWe’re calling it a day now

Two workers celebrate their Feierabend in Frankfurt am Main.
Two workers celebrate their Feierabend in Frankfurt am Main. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Rumpenhorst

7. Egal

Don’t care? Then tell someone: “es ist mir egal!“ 

This word is used surprisingly often to express indifference or to describe something of little consequence, and has the same linguistic roots as the English word “equal”.

Examples:

es ist mir egal was du sagst  – I don’t care what you say

es ist egal wo du herkommst – It doesn’t matter where you come from

8. Das ist mir Wurst

If you want to go one step further than “egal“, you can declare: “das ist mir Wurst!“ – literally meaning “that is sausage to me!“ – to show that you really couldn’t care less. 

Want to sound even more authentic? Just make the word “Wurst” into “Wurscht” – because that’s how they pronounce sausage in southern Germany.

Olaf Scholz enjoying a Sausage after his second TV debate in September.
Olaf Scholz enjoying Currywurst after his second TV debate in September. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christophe Gateau

9. Es geht

Literally meaning “it goes”, this phrase is a very German way of saying that things are not great, but they’re ok. 

Examples:

Es wird eine Stunde dauern, geht das? – It will take an hour, is that ok?

Es geht – It’s alright

10. Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof

Finally, if you haven’t got a clue what someone is saying (or want to fit in), tell them: “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” – literally “I only understand train station” – a way of saying: “I’m confused.”

This idiom is similar in meaning to the English “it’s all Greek to me”, and shows that you don’t understand something, or don’t want to understand something.

Despite the actual meaning of the phrase, Germans will be immediately convinced that you are a true German yourself, and probably continue chatting.

READ ALSO: German phrase of the day – Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof

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GERMAN LANGUAGE

Fettnäpfchen to Pechvogel: What’s the story behind ‘unlucky’ German phrases?

For superstitious Germans, Friday 13th is a time to stay home if you want to avoid stepping in a puddle or busting a tyre. But if misfortune does strike, there are plenty of German idioms that deal with these unlucky situations.

Fettnäpfchen to Pechvogel: What's the story behind 'unlucky' German phrases?

As Halloween approaches at the end of October and the nights start closing in sooner, it’s a time of year when many people’s thoughts turn to the darker side of life. And on Friday 13th, those of us with a superstitious mind may feel inclined to be that little bit more careful while we’re out and about.

Traditionally, this is a date with an unheimlich – or rather creepy – reputation. It’s a day known for bringing bad luck – a connection that is largely believed to stem back to the story of Jesus’ Last Supper in the Bible. 

During the Last Supper, which happened on a Thursday, 13 people – Jesus and his 12 apostles – were seated at the table. Jesus was arrested later that night and was crucified on the Friday. The crucifixion therefore brought together this day of the week with the unlucky number 13.

Though not all Germans believe in the morbid power of Friday 13th, the German language does offer a wealth of sayings that deal with  misfortune and impending doom. Here are our five picks and the stories behind them.

READ ALSO: Friday the 13th: Eight strange superstitions that Germans hold dearly

Vom Regen in die Traufe

If you start with a minor bit of a bad luck and end up in a far worse situation, you might want to tell people you’ve gone “vom Regen in die Traufe” – or from the rain into the eaves. This analogy has apparently been used in Germany to describe such situations since the 17th century.

If it doesn’t sound too bad at first, it’s worth remembering that the eaves – or Traufe – refer to the bottom of the roof where rain collects and spills off. In fact, it comes from the Old German word ‘trouf’, which means ‘dripping’. So if you find yourself sheltering from a storm under the eaves, you might just find yourself hit by a fountain of cascading water and far wetter than you were to begin with.

In English, we have a similar phrase, but with a far more hellish connotation: jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Pech haben

Whether it’s a Pechvogel (unlucky person), a Pechsträhne (streak of bad luck), or being ‘vom Pech verfolgt’ (followed by misfortunate), German is littered with phrases that deal with the subject of ‘Pech’. On its own, you may recognise Pech as meaning bad luck, but you may not be aware that the word literally means tar.

A calendar with Friday 13th marked with a pin.

A calendar with Friday 13th marked with a pin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

So how exactly did this gooey black liquid come to be associated with the worst of misfortunes? Many believe it relates to the world of hunting. In the Middle Ages, people would rub tar on tree branches for birds to get stuck on. Any unsuspecting fowl caught in this way came to represent a figure of misfortune, which is where the German phrase ‘Pechvogel’ likely comes from. 

Another less likely explanation comes from Germany’s beer-making traditions. In order to store beer over longer periods, barrels used to be coated with tar on the inside – meaning some unlucky pub-goers may well find some of the black liquid floating in their drink. 

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Der Pechvogel

Ins Fettnäpfchen treten

Whether you’ve blabbed about a surprise birthday party or accidentally offended a work colleague, Germans have a phrase to describe these silly blunders: stepping in a bowl of fat. 

In recent years, the fat-bowl – or Fettnäpfchen – in itself has come to signalise a blunder or a piece of bad luck, in a similar way to the French phrase ‘faux pas’. 

According to the chemist and author Georg Schwedt, the metaphor dates back to a time when farmhouses would often keep a bowl of fat near the front door in order to clean and preserve wet shoes. If people weren’t careful, however, the bowl could easily be stepped on or kicked off, spreading stubborn grease stains all over the floor. 

In English, incidentally, clumsy people also “put their foot in it”. In this case, however, the unpleasant substance you step in is left up to the imagination.

Damoklesschwert

English speakers may well recognise this reference to the ‘Sword of Damocles’ – an idiom indicating that a streak of luck or happiness may soon end in misery.

The expression has its roots in a story by the Roman writer Cicero that has been handed down from antiquity. In it, the courtier Damocles praises the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse as the most fortunate and happiest king.

Damocles' sword

Damocles’ sword. Photo. Wiki Commons

Dionysus agrees to swap places with his courtier, but has a sword hung above the throne, hanging only by a horse’s hair. This sword comes to symbolise a constant threat to Damocles’ present happiness.

In die Bredouille kommen

Anyone who finds themselves in a sticky situation in Germany may well tell the world that they’ve fallen into the mud – or “Bredouille”, in French.  

The reason for this, according to cultural historian Andres Furger, was the decades-long occupation of large swathes of German land between the French Revolution in 1789 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815. During this time, combat forces would often find themselves in tricky situations – in the “Bredouille”, so to speak.

READ ALSO: 10 German words to get you in the mood for autumn

However, others believe that the phrase may have it roots in a popular boardgame. 

In the French backgammon variant Tricktrack, the Bredouille is a game advantage that makes it much harder for the opponent to win. So if the person you’re playing gets into this position – especially on Friday 13th – you’re likely to be well and truly in the Bredouille. 

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