Who Here Speaks German on PF?

[Turtle]

Does anyone here know german?

 

[kyleb]

ja


but i am rather out of practice sense i moved back to the states in '88.

 

[Monique]

Naturlich!

 

[enigma]

Nur ein bischen. Ich hab vieles fergossen.

 

[Mulder]

Ich lerne seit vier Jahren.

Given up now though

 

[enigma]

Als Ich sehr klein war, hab Ich in Deutschland fuer acht Yahre gewohnt.

Ich habe in West Berlin, Bonn, und Heidelberg gewohnt, und in Heidelberg hab Ich zur Deutsche schule gegangen.

(Hope I didn't butcher that too bad)

 

[Dissident Dan]

I recently decided to start learning German.

Guten tag! Wie geht's.
Ich bin gut.
Ich muesse lernen deustch.
Bist du ein herr oder frau?
Auf wiedersehn.

 

[FZ+]

Ich habe seit funf Jahre Deutsch gelernt. Mein Deutsch ist nicht furchbar, und nicht zu gut. Was meinen Sie daruber?

 

[enigma]

The only three things you really need to know when traveling in Germany:

1) Ein Bier bitte!
2) Ein Zimmer bitte!
3) Wo ist die toilette?

 

[quantumdude]

"Ich bin ein Hamburger!"
--JFK

 

[enigma]

actually, it was "ein Berliner"

 

[Bubonic Plague]

I've always wanted to learn German, but I just can't find time out of my school syllabus! Damn school system!

I think i'd learn much more if i wasn't being educated.

 

[kyleb]

lol Bubonic Plague, i wound up disregarding much of my assignments simply so i did have time to learn things; and they had the nerve to call me an underachiever.

 

[rutwig]

Schön zu sehen, dass einige der Mitglieder verschiedene Städte des Landes zitiert haben, aber ich bin etwas entrüstet, weil nur Orte der ehemaligen BRD betrachtet worden sind, und keine Stadt der Ostteile. Und doch gibt es hier, in den Ostprovinzen angenehme Orte wie Leipzig und Dresden, die beileibe viel wichtiger sind (in historischer Hinsicht) als Bonn!

 

[enigma]

Originally posted by rutwig
Schön zu sehen, dass einige der Mitglieder verschiedene Städte des Landes zitiert haben, aber ich bin etwas entrüstet, weil nur Orte der ehemaligen BRD betrachtet worden sind, und keine Stadt der Ostteile. Und doch gibt es hier, in den Ostprovinzen angenehme Orte wie Leipzig und Dresden, die beileibe viel wichtiger sind (in historischer Hinsicht) als Bonn!

Check me:

It's nice to see that some ?members (Mitglieder)? have visited different cities of the land, but I am somewhat ?entruestet?, that only places of the ?ehemaligen? Bundesrepublic Deutschland ?betrachtet worden sind?, and no cities of the ?eastern parts(Ostteile)?.

The last sentance I'm lost. Something about cities like Leipzig and Dresden are more important historically than Bonn?

How'd I do, having not really spoken it for 12 or 13 years?

I didn't have much say about where I lived. I was less than 10, and I went where my dad got stationed. I apparently drove through the ex-DDR once or twice. Caused the border guards all sorts of headache. I was too small to see at a quick glance, so they had one too many passports... they apparently got us all out of the car and searched it entirely before they let us pass.

 

[Mulder]

From what I remember of my German A-Level..

You translated the last sentence pretty much right, angenehme Orte just means nice, pleasant places. ' More important in historical regard (or context)' I think is the last bit.

Mitglieder does mean 'members' like you said, ehemaligen = former, betrachtet also = regarded.

'Entruestet' I had never heard of, looked it up to find 'indignant'.

Of course any Germans feel free to edit me


Hope I still remember that much German in 12 years

 

[Dissident Dan]

Originally posted by Bubonic Plague
I've always wanted to learn German, but I just can't find time out of my school syllabus! Damn school system!

I think i'd learn much more if i wasn't being educated.

I know the feeling...I've said this so many times.

 

[Bubonic Plague]

lol Bubonic Plague, i wound up disregarding much of my assignments simply so i did have time to learn things; and they had the nerve to call me an underachiever.

That's what I'm doing right now too. And almost everyone calls me a slacker or the fool.

I know the feeling...I've said this so many times.

You know...we oughta start a petition to get the governments of the world to Clean UP their act! And get themselves a new programme!

 

[steppenwolf]

it is probably my one regret that i never learned german, especially seeing my favourite author is german, herman hesse, but i can say:

shlus mit dem veibeshen gedoodle!*

which is no doubt spelt incorrectly as i only ever heard it said.


*'enough of this pansy crap!'

 

[Turtle]

Ich mage deutsch.

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Bubonic Plague
I've always wanted to learn German, but I just can't find time out of my school syllabus! Damn school system!

I think i'd learn much more if i wasn't being educated.

In the Netherlands we don't have a choice, we have to learn dutch, english, german and french (in order of comprehension). Too bad that they only teach grammar -in stead of learning to speak- which is quite difficult in German: ein, einer, einem, eines,

And quite impossible in French:
I am in different forms: je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous etes, ils sont (present); j'etais, tu etais, il etait, nou etions, vous etiez, ils etaient (imparfait); je serai, tu seras, il sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils seront (futur)

I have in different forms: j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont (present); j'avais, tu avais, il avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils avaient (imparfait); j'aurai, tu auras, il aura, nous aurons, vous aurez, ils auront (futur).

I didn't have much fun learning this stuff :S

 

[rutwig]

Originally posted by rutwig
Schön zu sehen, dass einige der Mitglieder verschiedene Städte des Landes zitiert haben, aber ich bin etwas entrüstet, weil nur Orte der ehemaligen BRD betrachtet worden sind, und keine Stadt der Ostteile. Und doch gibt es hier, in den Ostprovinzen angenehme Orte wie Leipzig und Dresden, die beileibe viel wichtiger sind (in historischer Hinsicht) als Bonn!

It is nice to see that some members have cited different cities of the country, but I am a bit disgusted by the fact that only locations of the former BRD have been considered, and none from the east. And there are quite pleasant cities in the eastern regions, like Leipzig and Dresden, which are, historically, more important than Bonn.

This is the translation. Enigma has one a fine job!

To Monique: la grammaire francaise n'est pas difficile, c'est tout une question d'assimiler les éléments le plus naturels. Néanmoins, étudier seulement les regles est un gaspillage de temps, parce que on peut absorber l'essence (pas de voiture!) de la langue seulement par l'expérimentation de son âme.

 

[Another God]

I learned german in High school, and went to germany on Exchange for two months after year 11. I can understand a lot, but am now terrible when it comes to forming sentences etc.

I am planning on going back to germany in a couple of years to do my PHD. I figure that way I get a PHD and a second language. Sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[Bubonic Plague]

In the Netherlands we don't have a choice, we have to learn dutch, english, german and french (in order of comprehension). Too bad that they only teach grammar -in stead of learning to speak- which is quite difficult in German: ein, einer, einem, eines,

I didn't have much fun learning this stuff :S

Well, in Singapore we only have to learn English and Chinese.

But by itself, Chinese is already a killer. You can't write the words by pronouncing the words, instead, you have to memorize all the different strokes and lines that make up a word.

 

[enigma]

Originally posted by rutwig
but I am a bit disgusted by the fact that only locations of the former BRD have been considered, and none from the east.

I hope you won't hold it against me...

I was 8, the wall hadn't come down yet, and my old man was working for the US Army. The Soviets didn't take too kindly to American Intelligence officers that side of the curtain.

 

[rutwig]

Originally posted by enigma
I hope you won't hold it against me...
I was 8, the wall hadn't come down yet, and my old man was working for the US Army. The Soviets didn't take too kindly to American Intelligence officers that side of the curtain.

Not at all, I have immediately deduced that some relative of you was in the Army, and a visit to the East would have probably been quite problematic. It was only a general comment, with no hidden intention.

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by rutwig
To Monique: la grammaire francaise n'est pas difficile, c'est tout une question d'assimiler les éléments le plus naturels. Néanmoins, étudier seulement les regles est un gaspillage de temps, parce que on peut absorber l'essence (pas de voiture!) de la langue seulement par l'expérimentation de son âme.

Well, I had the hardest time with French.. I AM able to understand what you are saying though, but I would never ever be able to construct that sentence myself. Only learning the rules didn't give me the tools to communicate, I think that communication is learned best by listening and speaking, so that one can find the underlying rules themselves (that is how we learn language in the first place). Experimentation of the heart, true.. until then I'll just say "Je ne comprends pas, je ne parle pas francais." :)

 

[Turtle]

Monique, I wish my school has french. I am teaching myself french though. I am not the greatest at french, but I enjoy it.

 

[rutwig]

The best method is indeed to let evolve the language, not to memorize a lot of rules that you will forget later. How many of you still know the grammar of their mother tongue?
The listening and speaking method you describe is exactly what is (or was) the Groupe Assimil. I'm sure you have seen this earlier. Unfortunately nowadays they are difficult to find.

 

[ottjes]

Originally posted by Monique
In the Netherlands we don't have a choice, we have to learn dutch, english, german and french (in order of comprehension). Too bad that they only teach grammar -in stead of learning to speak- which is quite difficult in German: ein, einer, einem, eines,

And quite impossible in French:
I am in different forms: je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous etes, ils sont (present); j'etais, tu etais, il etait, nou etions, vous etiez, ils etaient (imparfait); je serai, tu seras, il sera, nous serons, vous serez, ils seront (futur)

I didn't have much fun learning this stuff :S

Happy to know there are more Dutch people here :)
Only German you in The Netherlands need to know is: immer gerade aus :P

Also had all 4 languages. Had troubes with german and french. My french was better than my german. But can read both a bit, that
's the only thing they teach nowadays (second fase, you prob heard lot's about it monique)