Stichwörter (Keywords):
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- Category: Speaking German
If you are already living with less or a minimum amount of possessions, or would like to, this philosophy works in your favor when learning German. Experience a language which is significantly more predictable than English; German is a great language to explore!
You'll also discover here how, in many ways, German is actually easier than English. I say this as a native English speaker, a near-native German speaker, and an instructor for both languages.
Of course both languages have their own unique quirks and things like prepositions are difficult no matter which language you're learning.
English has incredible capacities for expression and creativity that German can't begin to imitate.
At the same time, there are ways of expressing things in German through compound nouns that will never find their full equivalents in English. Schmerzensgeld, for example.
Here are four ways that German is easier than English and is a great fit for minimalists.
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- Category: German vocabulary
At the end of the year a lot of Germans use the phrase zwischen den Jahren. Between the years?! That's not possible!
Or is it?
There are two things you need to know about this phrase zwischen den Jahren.
1. It's a real thing.
A lot of German offices shut down on Heiligabend (Christmas Eve) and don't open again until after Neujahr (New Year's Day). That means all their everything must be done on December 23rd! Since they won't be back to work until the new year has begun, then they have finished one year of business and they are truly "between the years" when they go home on December 23rd!
Some offices stay closed even longer, they take off through Heilige Drei Könige (Epiphany), which is the 6th of January. So they stay closed for a full two weeks or even longer, depending on how the days fall on the calendar.
Germans sure do know how to take a break, that's for sure.
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- Category: German vocabulary
Today is the first day of Hanukkah (or Chanukka...no matter which way you spell it, it's the Festival of Lights!) It's the perfect opportunity for you to learn about Chanukka - auf Deutsch!
Currently there are approximately 98,500 members of Jewish communities in Germany. These members are a part of about 110 Jewish communities all around Germany, which you can read about here.
More on Chanukka - auf Deutsch!
When you've learned the vocabulary words, try reading this short article on Chanukka.
Want to try your hand at baking Sufganijot? Try this German recipe here.
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- Category: German culture and food
'Tis the season for concerts of the Messiah, composed by German composer Georg Friedrich Händel. (Which means I'm off to sing this weekend so I'm publishing this blog post early for you.) According to the legend, he locked himself in a room and composed night and day; according to his notes, he did write the entire piece in 24 days. The original autograph (what Händel wrote) was 259 pages long (source).
Here are 5 facts you might not have known about Händel:
1. Händel was born in 1685 in Halle, Germany. This was the same year Johann Sebastian Bach was born.
2. It's traditional in the English-speaking world to stand when the performers begin the Hallelujah Chorus. This tradition began supposedly when the Messiah was being performed in London and King George II stood. We've all been following suit ever since (source).
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- Category: Reading German
Amended: This post now includes 8 Easy German Book recommendations for A1-level learners,
3 from adult literature and 5 from young adult literature.
All of the books listed here are A1 books, however if you look in a bookstore, make sure you look for an emblem or a marking with the EU flag and/or "A1" on it. No matter where you buy it, I recommend you purchase a physical copy so you can take notes in the book and also so you can use the included audio/mp3 download with the book.
These are books I recommend for you for several reasons:
- You're in a class and you'd like more homework. (Yes, you can ask for more homework.)
- You love to read.
- You'd like to read a German story book, but you aren't sure where to start.
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