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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Noch

With a myriad of meanings, this is one of the most commonly used words in the German language.

Noch
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need ‘noch’?

Listen in on any conversation in German (or engage in one yourself!) and you’re bound to hear this tiny word thrown around several times, in different contexts.

So what does it mean exactly?

Firstly, noch can simply be translated as “even”, in the sense of “noch besser” (even better), “noch schneller” (even faster) or “noch kälter” (even colder).

It’s also commonly used to mean “still”, so you could say “Ich bin noch nicht da” (I’m not there yet). But to emphasise this, you’ll also hear “immer noch”. 

This gives the sense of something which has been going on for a long time, which is why “immer noch” is also synonymous with the English phrase “to this day.” “Ich bin immer noch auf der Suche nach einer Wohnung” signals that you’ve been trying to find a flat for awhile.

If you’re sitting in a cafe, you’ll also likely hear someone ask for “noch ‘nen Kaffee”, or another coffee. The barista might reply with “sonst noch einen Wünsch?” or “Noch etwas?” (anything else?)

Here the word implies “another” so it’s handy to have in your vernacular when you would like “noch ein Bier” or have “noch eine Frage”: another question. 

It’s also part of the German expression “neither…nor” or “noch…weder”. As in “Ich habe noch die Zeit weder die Interesse, diesen Artikel zu lesen.” (I have neither the time nor interest to read this article). Though we hope that’s not the case!

Noch other meanings?

Along with all of these ways of utilising the word which you’ll likely learn by the time you reach a B1 German class, there’s a slew of slang uses which your textbook probably won’t teach you.

READ ALSO: 10 ways of speaking German you’ll probably only ever pick up on the street

If someone asks “Geht’s noch?”, they’re not inquiring if something still functions but rather uttering the equivalent of “Are you mad?”

A frustrated person at the end of their tether might sigh and say “Auch das noch!” (Not that as well! or That’s all I need!) about one more thing going wrong. Someone might try to reassure them with “Das geht noch,” or “It’s still alright”.

“Weißt du noch?” – or “Weest noch?” in Berlinerisch – is another way of asking “Do you remember?”.

And if someone says that something has occurred “noch mal” (also written as nochmal or nochmals), it’s simply happened again.

READ ALSO: Grüß Gott, Moin, Hallo! The complete guide to regional dialects in Germany

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

This German word marks the changing of seasons, and the longest day of the year.

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

Die Sommersonnenwende, pronounced like this, is the German term for the summer solstice, which is the day that marks the meteorological beginning of summer in Germany and the northern hemisphere.

Alternative names for the day are Sommer Solstitium, which comes from the Latin term, and Mittsommer.

Like so many great German words, the term for the summer solstice is a compound noun which translates quite literally. It’s made up of three simple words: Sommer (summer), Sonnen (sun) and Wende (turn or turnaround).

So the name for the summer solstice in German is meant to remind you that this is the day that the sun ends its journey northward in the sky, and turns around.

As you can probably guess, the winter solstice is called die Wintersonnenwende.

You might recognise the term Wende from another compound noun that got a fair amount of attention in recent years – Energiewende, which means energy transition, has also been used to describe Germany’s big picture plans to phase out fossil fuel use.

The summer solstice usually falls on June 21st or 22nd. But it fell on June 20th this year, due to 2024 being a leap year.

How is ‘die Sommersonnenwende’ observed in Germany

Humans have taken note of, and celebrated, the summer solstice for thousands of years.

Archaeologists suggest that Stone Age cultures were already able to determine the day. Evidence of this was uncovered in 2004 at the site of a 7000-year-old solar observatory found in Goseck in Saxony-Anhalt.

Among Germanic tribes, the summer solstice was celebrated with pagan folk festivals that often included fire rituals.

After Christianization of the region, the Catholic Church tried to abolish the pagan solstice traditions – eventually designating the day for a memorial day for John the Baptist (June 24th), and adopting the fire as a symbol for Jesus Christ. 

Most of the original solstice traditions have been lost, but some are being reinvigorated for tourism, especially on the Baltic Sea coast.

More broadly, the long daylight hours experienced in the weeks before and after the summer solstice, offer a chance to stay out or do outdoor activities late into the evening. There are also a number of music festivals around Germany at this time of year.

READ ALSO: How to make the most of Germany’s long summer days

Use it like this:

Die Sonne geht so spät unter, es muss die Sommersonnenwende sein.

The sun is setting so late, it must be the summer solstice!

Haben Sie dieses Jahr Pläne, die Sommersonnenwende zu feiern?

Do you have plans to celebrate the summer soltice this year?

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