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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German phrase of the day: Die Große Liebe

This lighthearted German phrase about love also has a darker history.

Love of my life
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash + Nicolas Raymond / flickr

Why do I need to know Die Große Liebe? 

With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is in the air. Die große Liebe is a key phrase to have in your repertoire when it comes to conversations about love in Germany. And it can also come in handy if you want to learn more about German cultural history.

What does it mean?

Translating directly to “the great love,” die große Liebe also functions as the German equivalent of “love of my life.” Nowadays, it is mostly used in a light-hearted manner, but the term is also linked with a darker period of German history.

If you plug the phrase into Google, the first result you will get is for the 1942 film “Die große Liebe”: the most commercially successful film in Nazi Germany. It follows a German fighter pilot who falls in love with a famous Danish singer, but puts off their wedding in order to aid Germany’s war efforts against the Soviet Union.

Considered a classic example of Nazi propaganda, it is meant to demonstrate the virtue of placing one’s country above individual happiness. Love of country becomes the true “great love.”

Although the most famous example, this film is not the only one whose title uses the phrase, die große Liebe. There are at least ten (largely lighter) movies spanning from the 1930s to the 2010s carrying this name; a testament to the phrase’s long and enduring salience in German culture. 

And if you flip through any German tabloid leading up to February 14th, you’ll likely see a slew of articles with tips on how to find die große Liebe.

Use it like this: 

Ich bin hier, um die große Liebe zu finden.

I’m here to find the love of my life.

Vielleicht werde ich eines Tages die große Liebe finden.

Maybe one day I’ll find the love of my life.

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For members

GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Dudelsack

This hilarious sounding German word describes something quintessentially Scottish.

German word of the day: Dudelsack

Why do I need to know Dudelsack?

In the run-up to the German v Scotland opening match of Euro 2024, there were a lot of these gracing the streets of Munich. More importantly, why wouldn’t you want to know a word like Dudelsack?

Just say the word aloud and it will brighten your day. 

What does it mean?

Dudelsack (pronounced like this) is one of those German words that’s both charmingly literal and somewhat onomatopoeic, describing a big bag or sack that makes a ‘doodling’ kind of noise: in other words, the bagpipes.

As well as sounding like the noise this traditional Scottish instrument makes, dudeln also translates as ‘to drone’, and anyone who’s heard the bagpipes will know that this is also a fairly accurate description of how they sound. 

READ ALSO: 10 German words with hilarious literal translations

As Scotland geared up to play Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024 in Munich, many sacks were doodled in the Bavarian capital. 

Seeing parades of kilts and hearing the distinctive wail of the Dudelsack against the backdrop of Munich’s gothic town hall isn’t something you experience every day, and we’re sure it’s an experience the people of Munich also won’t forget for a while. 

Use it like this: 

Hör mal auf, Dudelsack zu spielen! Es geht mir auf die Nerven.

Stop playing the bagpipes! It’s getting on my nerves.  

Weißt du, wie der Dudelsack klingt? Man hört ihn überall in Schottland.

Do you know what the bagpipes sound like? You can hear them everywhere in Scotland. 

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