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Jens Clasen

Some German nouns are used completely out of context:

Bock = goat
Ich habe keinen Bock (I have no goat) = I don't want to

Wurst = sausage
Das ist mir Wurst (That's sausage to me) = I don't care

Besen = broom
Ich fress einen Besen (I eat a broom) = I don't believe this

Keks = cookie
Du gehst mir auf den Keks (You go on my cookie) = You're annoying me

Bahnhof = train station
Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (I understand only train station) = I don't understand anything

❓
🤔

Enjoy our language!

7 May at 9:52 | Open on mastodon.social
15 comments
Mike Gifford

@jensclasen gotta say it was fun to read this in Frankfurt!

7 May at 9:54 | Open on mastodon.social
Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him

I think all languages do that. English examples out of the top of my head (I'm sure a native English speaker could find more, and more absurd examples):

"It's raining cats and dogs."

"This is all Greek to me."

"Ballpark figure."

"The discussion ended in a train wreck."

@jensclasen

7 May at 10:06 | Open on mastodon.radio
Marion Bernhardi

@dj3ei @jensclasen
German:
Es regnet junge Hunde - it's raining whelps.

How to describe people who are not in their right mind.
In German:
Der spinnt - He's spinning.
Der hat nicht alle Tassen im Schrank -
He does not have all the cups in the cupboard.
Er hat einen Sprung in der Schüssel. -
He's got a crack in the bowl.

In English
He lost his marbles. - Er hat seine Murmeln verloren.
He is one brick shy of a load. - Dem fehlt noch ein Backstein für die (vollständige) Ladung.
😉

@dj3ei @jensclasen
German:
Es regnet junge Hunde - it's raining whelps.

How to describe people who are not in their right mind.
In German:
Der spinnt - He's spinning.
Der hat nicht alle Tassen im Schrank -
He does not have all the cups in the cupboard.
Er hat einen Sprung in der Schüssel. -
He's got a crack in the bowl.

7 May at 11:24 | Open on mastodon.social
Marion Bernhardi

@dj3ei @jensclasen

One more:
someone is slow to understand.
German:
Er steht auf dem Schlauch. - He is standing on the hose.
English:
His train of thought is still boarding at the station. - Sein Gedankenzug steht noch am Bahnhof und wird beladen.

My favorite! 😅

7 May at 11:27 | Open on mastodon.social
Catherine Flick

@jensclasen I wonder if the last one is because one of the first phrases English speakers often learn in German is "Wie komme ich am Bahnhof?"?

7 May at 10:25 | Open on mastodon.me.uk
Hraban (fiëé visuëlle)

@CatherineFlick
I don’t think so, it’s not related to foreigners. Origin unclear, some speculations: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahnhof_

BTW it’s “zum Bahnhof”.

@jensclasen

7 May at 10:36 | Open on literatur.social
Catherine Flick

@fiee @jensclasen goes to show how long it's been for me ^_^;;;;;;

7 May at 10:40 | Open on mastodon.me.uk
Hraban (fiëé visuëlle)

@CatherineFlick
Prepositions are generally not easy, I guess. And I assume I make many mistakes in English…

am = an dem = at the
zum = zu dem = to the

Many Germans also use wrong prepositions, depending on dialects. Common joke:

„Wo geht’s denn hier bei Aldi?“
„ZU Aldi!“
„Was, schon so spät?“

7 May at 10:44 | Open on literatur.social
Catherine Flick

@fiee haha! fair enough :D thanks!

7 May at 11:36 | Open on mastodon.me.uk
ppscrv

@CatherineFlick @fiee My favourite:„Gib mir ein Bier aber mit ohne Alkohol.“

7 May at 11:47 | Open on mathstodon.xyz
Hraban (fiëé visuëlle)

@ppscrv @CatherineFlick
“mit ohne” is quite common, but always used jokingly (so far…)

WRT alcohol: people often use “antialkoholisch” instead of “alkoholfrei”, but to drink something that removes alcohol is still wishful thinking 😉

7 May at 11:52 | Open on literatur.social
Momo

@jensclasen
Oh, a colleague of mine had a calendar with those. So many german proverbs are hillarious if translated to english:

Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt (Then the dog in the pan becomes crazy) = You won't believe this shit!

Rutsch mir den Buckel runter (slide my back down) = Go away and don't bother me.

Komm, geh fort (come, go away) = Really!? Unbelievable!

Ich helf dir gleich (I'm gonna help you) = Shut up right now or I'll beat you up!
@Natanox

@jensclasen
Oh, a colleague of mine had a calendar with those. So many german proverbs are hillarious if translated to english:

Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt (Then the dog in the pan becomes crazy) = You won't believe this shit!

Rutsch mir den Buckel runter (slide my back down) = Go away and don't bother me.

7 May at 10:26 | Open on social.linux.pizza
Laura

@jensclasen I would presume that "Ich fress nen Besen" is just short for "Wenn das stimmt fress ich nen Besen" ("If that's correct, I'll eat a broom"), which does make a whole lot more Sense.

7 May at 11:36 | Open on techhub.social
Sasha 'squirrel' Göbbels

@jensclasen TIL: "Bock haben" actually comes from a Romani phrase (the language of Sinti & Roma people).

7 May at 11:45 | Open on chaosfem.tw
:evdonia_corner_emblem: Melanie Bjornsdottir (she)
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