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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Klartext

German isn't the most straightforward language in the world, but if you're trying not to beat around the bush, this helpful word is precisely what you need.

German word of the day: Klartext
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash + Nicolas Raymond / flickr

Why do I need to know Klartext?

Because this is a word you’re bound to hear everywhere – from your word processing software to discussions with a friend, and it’s useful to know when you’re in the mood for being upfront. 

What does it mean? 

Das Klartext (pronounced like this) quite literally translates as plain text: a computing term describing documents that generally contain readable text and nothing else. 

It can be used in this context when, for example, you want to copy and paste words into a new document without inserting all of the custom formatting like font type, size or colour. However, like many of these digital neologisms, it’s also taken on a colloquial meaning that is often repeated by politicians.

In fact, if you turn on the radio on any given morning, you’re bound to hear public figures boasting about their straight-talking ways – or urging their opponents to speak more honestly – by using the phrase “Klartext reden” (to speak plainly).

In everyday contexts, however, you can use it to encourage a friend to stop beating around the bush or to praise someone who has a knack for phrasing things in a simple and upfront way. 

It fulfils a similar function in a sentence as the words “simply put” or “to put it plainly”, which can also help signpost that you’re not about to mince your words.  

Use it like this: 

Lassen Sie uns in dieser Frage Klartext reden. 

Let’s speak openly about this question.

Es ist an der Zeit, dass wir die Fakten auf den Tisch legen und Klartext reden.

It is time that we put the facts on the table and speak plainly.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Blockade

If something's getting in the way - either literally or metaphorically - you may well reach for this German word.

German word of the day: Blockade

Why do I need to know Blockade?

As well as being a useful word in general, die Blockade is also one that is highly topical, whether you’re reading about protests on the street or deadlock and inaction in the political sphere.

What does it mean?

As you might have guessed, die Blockade is similar to the word blockade in English, though in German it tends to be used more broadly. 

You can use the word Blockade to talk about actions that prevent something else from happening, whether it’s an opposition party in the Bundestag blocking a controversial bill from passing or an artist’s lack of inspiration that prevents them working on a new project.

In a more literal sense, you’ll probably hear or read the word Blockade when it comes to street protests – most commonly climate activists blocking lanes on the motorway, for example. 

On a grander scale, eine Blockade can refer to the cordoning off of sections of sea, air or land in a specific region, such as Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip that has stymied the free movement of people and goods in and out of the area for 17 years, or the Soviet Union’s blockade to limit gas and electricity in West Berlin from 1948 to 1949. 

A word of warning: despite the similarities in spelling, the German word is pronounced very differently from its English counterpart, so be sure to use the German pronunciation whenever you’re using the word in German. 

Use it like this:

Dank des Protestaktions, drohen Blockaden auf Straßen. 

Thanks to the protests, there could be road blockades.

Diese Politikern regieren nicht, sondern nur Blockaden aufstellen. 

These politicians don’t govern – they just put up blockades. 

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