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Last week, we talked about how the Vorgangspassiv in the present tense is formed using a conjugation of werden + infinitive and answers the question "What is done/will be done to [X]?". In order to answer the question "What has been/was done to [X]?" we need the perfect or past tense of the Vorgangspassiv.
The Vorgangspassiv im Perfekt is used to talk about an action that began in the past, but may not yet be finished. Just like the passive voice in the present tense, the focus is removed from the subject of the sentence and placed instead on the object, the action, or other details. It is formed thusly:
conjugation of sein + past participle + worden
Das ist vielfach versucht worden.
That has been tried numerous times.
Caption 70, Angela Merkel: beim Nachhaltigkeitsrat
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Schau mal: In diesem Satz ist kein einziges Wort dekliniert worden.
Take a look: In this sentence, not a single word has been declined.
Caption 20, Deutsch mit Eylin: Die 4 Fälle
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Guten Tag. Ist vielleicht was für mich abgegeben worden?
Hello. Has something been dropped off for me?
Caption 6, Die Pfefferkörner: Gerüchteküche
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Rund fünfhundert Figuren sind in der Ausstellung verbaut worden.
About five hundred figurines have been used to build the exhibition.
Caption 3, 500 000 Legosteine: Lübecker Museum zeigt Hansegeschichte
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For actions that are finished, we use the Vorgangspassiv im Präteritum. It has a slightly less complicated structure:
conjugation of werden + past participle
Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde Berlin in vier Sektoren unterteilt.
After the Second World War, Berlin was divided into four sectors.
Caption 1, Berlin: der alte amerikanische Sektor
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Aber die wurde in Hamburg leider 1978 abgeschafft.
But unfortunately, they were eliminated in Hamburg in 1978.
Caption 17, Deutsch mit Eylin: Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel in Hamburg
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Und auch das Fehlen von Dienstgeräten für Lehrkräfte wurde bemängelt.
And the lack of service equipment for teaching staff was also criticized.
Caption 16, DPA Deutsche Presse-Agentur: Schüler sollen günstiges Internet bekommen
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Die Kunstshow wurde von Konzeptkünstler Ottmar Hörl aus Nürnberg entwickelt.
The art show was developed by conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl from Nuremberg.
Caption 6, „Mini-Marxe“: In Trier
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In this last example, the subject of the sentence (Konzeptkünstler Ottmar Hörl) is mentioned using von, but the passive voice serves to keep the focus of the sentence equally on the art show itself.
Further Learning
We'll be back next week with a lesson on the Zustandspassiv. In the meantime, practice building sentences using theVorgangspassiv in all three tenses! You can find more examples of these structures on Yabla German.
The passive voice is used to put the focus of a sentence on the object or the action, and often avoid naming the subject at all. The formation of the German passive voice can be quite confusing, so let's go step by step.
The Vorgangspassiv is formed with the verb werden, which in these cases is not translated as "to become," but instead as "to be." These sentences answer the question of "What is being done [to X]?" The sentences below have the following structure:
Conjugation of werden + past participle
Notice that in the first sentence, the question of who is carrying out the action (making sauerkraut out of cabbage) is left completely unanswered. This is actually the case in the third sentence as well. However, as you can see in the second example, the subject (die Ereignisse) can still be integrated into a sentence in the passive voice by using the preposition von.
Es wird aus Kohl gemacht und es schmeckt sauer.
It is made from cabbage and it tastes sour.
Caption 30, Deutsch mit Eylin: Denk schnell!
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Große Erfindungen werden oft von ungewöhnlichen Ereignissen inspiriert.
Great inventions are often inspired by unusual events.
Caption 3, 200. Geburtstag: Die Geschichte des Fahrrads in 2 Minuten
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Mit dem Handscanner wird jeder Koffer erfasst.
Every suitcase is registered with the handheld scanner.
Caption 40, Ab in den Urlaub: So kommt der Koffer in den Flieger
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A more complex structure is necessary when we ask, for example, "What is/was allowed to be done [to X]?", "What should be done to [X]?", or "What must be done [to X]?" Now werden is kept in the infinitive, and it is the modal verb that is conjugated. The structure for this is:
Conjugated modal verb + past participle + werden
Erst nach seinem Jahrestag im August durfte hier gefischt werden.
Only after its anniversary in August was fishing allowed here.
Caption 8, Alpenseen: Kühle Schönheiten
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Außerdem sollen Lebensmittel ökologisch angebaut werden.
In addition, food should be organically grown.
Caption 25, Erklärvideos Nachhaltigkeit einfach erklärt
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Das heißt also, dass auch das Adjektiv dekliniert werden muss.
So this means that the adjective must also be declined.
Caption 64, Deutsch mit Eylin: Die 4 Fälle
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Further Learning
Try to remove the subject and re-construct these simple sentences using the Vorgangspassiv. Clicking on the sentence will take you to the Yabla German video that contains the answer!
1. Die Leute essen das Gericht gerne mit Kartoffelpüree.
Today's newsletter will look at a rather advanced topic: the difference between sich weigern and verweigern. The verb verweigern ("to refuse") was mentioned briefly in our newsletter "Accepting, confirming, declining, and rejecting." But when do we use the reflexive verb sich weigern?
As it turns out, the verb sich weigern will generally be followed by a verb in the infinitive. It is a matter of refusing to do something.
Ich rede mit der Unfallversicherung, und wenn die sich tatsächlich weigern sollten zu zahlen, dann erstatte ich Ihnen den Betrag aus der Firmenkasse.
I'll talk with the insurance company and, if they in fact should refuse to pay, then I'll pay you the amount from the company's coffers.
Captions 34-35, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern
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Er weigerte sich aufzugeben.
He refused to give up.
Caption 43, Märchen - Sagenhaft Die Weiber von Weinsberg
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Ja, klar, auf jeden Fall, auf jeden Fall, aber ich weigere mich, dass diese schlechten Tage irgendwas dominieren.
Yes, of course, definitely, definitely, but I refuse to let these bad days dominate things.
Captions 8-9, Cassandra Steen: Geheimnis für positive Energie
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Zum anderen weigert sie sich auch, den Zuzug von Geflüchteten zu begrenzen.
On the other hand, she also refuses to limit the influx of refugees.
Captions 31-32, Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten: Atomenergie und Flüchtlingspolitik
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Ich belästige Sie ja nur ungern, aber einer meiner Mitarbeiter weigert sich, seinen Schreibtisch zu räumen.
I don't want to bother you, but one of my coworkers is refusing to clear out his desk.
Captions 47-48, Großstadtrevier: Nicht mit mir
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The verb verweigern, on the other hand, will generally be used with a noun, even if this noun actually refers to action:
Darf die Müllabfuhr wegen falscher Mülltrennung den Abtransport verweigern?
Is the garbage collection service allowed to refuse transport due to incorrect trash separation?
Caption 75, Richter Alexander Hold: Wer hat recht bei falscher Mülltrennung?
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Die Müllabfuhr verweigert die Dienstleistung wegen Vermüllung, also falscher Mülltrennung.
The garbage collection service refuses to continue service because of littering, that is, improper trash separation.
Caption 64, Richter Alexander Hold: Wer hat recht bei falscher Mülltrennung?
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Both of these verbs are quite strong and typically used in more formal or legal contexts, such as refusing a request or denying to do something one must do. A verb like ablehnen can be used when someone declines an offer, whereas verweigern and sich weigern generally indicate that action is actually required.
Further Learning
You can find more examples of these verbs used on Yabla German.
Festival season is upon us, and in Germany there are many music festivals happening both in the big cities and more remote locations. In addition, many musical artists are on tour, filling stadiums and smaller venues alike.
Due to the international nature of the topic, a lot of the vocabulary in this lesson is adopted from or similar to English, but not all! And even when a word derived from English is used, you still need to know the appropriate gender in German.
Mit seiner Konzertagentur erhielt er den LEA in gleich drei Kategorien: für die beste Stadion-Tour des Jahres, das beste Festival und die beste Show.
With his concert agency he received the LEA in as many as three categories: for the best stadium tour of the year, the best festival, and the best show.
Captions 54-55, Live-Entertainment-Award: Glamouröse Preisverleihung
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Das Konzert war großartig, denn die Band war fantastisch.
The concert was great because the band was fantastic.
Caption 14, Deutsch mit Eylin: Konjunktionen
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Der letzte Auftritt der Band war im Februar auf einer Hochzeit.
The band's last gig was at a wedding in February.
Caption 11, Coronavirus: Drei Musiker geben Ballonkonzert über Cloppenburg
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Vor kurzem hatten wir ein kurzes, aber knackiges Revival, haben gespielt bei einem Open Air.
Recently, we had a short but sweet revival, played at an open air festival.
Caption 21, Deutsche Bands: Cabanossi
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The more formal word for "the ticket" is die Eintrittskarte, but it's very normal to use the English word, which is neuter: das Ticket.
Ich denke, die Tickets sind ausverkauft.
I think the tickets are sold out.
Caption 9, Nicos Weg: Theater und Konzerte
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Festivals generally have a number of stages, each with their own lineup.
Bist du lieber auf der Bühne oder vor der Kamera?
Do you prefer to be on stage or in front of the camera?
Caption 86, 1Live: Nina Chuba im 1LIVE Fragenhagel
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Ja, wir haben in diesem Sommer ein erstklassiges Programm in der Musik-Arena .
Yes, this summer we have a first-class lineup in the music arena.
Caption 7, Das Tollwood-Festival: BAP und Clueso in der Musik-Arena
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Certain festivals may involve camping, and in Germany this can mean dealing with rain and mud. But not always, of course!
Was auf diesem Campingplatz wohl schon für Freundschaften entstanden sind?
What kinds of friendships might have started at this campground?
Caption 40, Golden Oldies in Wettenberg Musik, Motoren Modetrends
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Peppa springt auch gerne durch den Matsch.
Peppa also likes to jump through the mud.
Caption 54, Peppa Wutz: Einkaufen und mehr
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Further Learning
Have a look at our "Musicians" category on Yabla German, or check out the websites of music festivals in Germany.
How do you say "I don't mind" in German? At the end of the recent lesson about the verb ausmachen, I mentioned that the verb ausmachen, combined with a dative pronoun and the negation nicht, is a way of asking if somebody "minds" something, or of stating that "you don't mind."
Ach, was soll's! Die Alten meckern ja dauernd, aber das macht mir nichts aus.
Oh, never mind! Old folks are always complaining, but I don't mind.
Captions 19-20, Es war einmal... der Weltraum Die Saurier
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The adverb meinetwegen is a curious one. It may be translated, according to the context, as "for all I care," "because of me," "as far as I'm concerned," or even just "whatever." But sometimes it's also "I don't mind":
Meinetwegen. Aber wenn du das Geld von meinem Vater hast, dann sag...
I don't mind. But if you got the money from my father, then say...
Captions 38-39, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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The phrase von mir aus may also be translated as "for all I care," "fine with me," "fine by me," or "as far as I'm concerned," but also as:
Wir wollen mit! Also gut, Jungs, von mir aus.
We want to come along! All right, boys, I don't mind.
Captions 15-16, Es war einmal... der Weltraum: Planet Omega
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The phrase nichts dagegen haben could be literally translated as "to have nothing against it," but in many contexts that is awkward. This is often a better solution:
Also, wenn du nichts dagegen hast, kann ich dieser Jackie ja mal 'nen Besuch abstatten.
So, if you don't mind, I can pay that girl Jackie a visit.
Captions 103-104, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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To summarize, the phrases nicht viel ausmachen (with a personal dative pronoun), von mir aus, nichts dagegen haben, and the adverb meinetwegen may all, depending upon the context, be translated as "don't mind."
Further Learning
Read the German Lesson Meinetwegen and von mir aus to go deeper into those terms. Then go to find some more examples on Yabla German to see other German words and phrases translated as "(I, you, we, they) don't mind."
The verb dienen translates as "to serve." But like in English, there are many contexts for this verb that don't have to do with relationships between people. Very often, dienen is used to describe how something serves a certain purpose:
Sie dienen dazu, in Häusern böse Geister zu vertreiben.
They serve to drive evil spirits out of houses.
Caption 27, Cettina erklärt: Pfingsten
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Sie dienen vielen Tieren als Futter.
They serve as fodder for many animals.
Caption 50, Deutsch mit Eylin: Bäume
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The verb bedienen is related, but actually has a couple of different meanings. It can relate to waiting tables, though the actual act of serving food, whether at home or in a restaurant, is servieren. The reflexive verb sich bedienen means "to help oneself." Below, you'll see the formal and informal versions:
Dann bedienen Sie sich einfach. Komm! -Komm!
Then just help yourself. Come on! -Come on!
Caption 24, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern
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Viel Spaß! Da hinten steht was zu Trinken. Bedient euch. -Ja.
Have fun! There's stuff to drink back there. Help yourselves. -Yeah.
Caption 52, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang
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The noun die Selbstbedienung, a word that you might find at a café or gas station, means "self-service." But this doesn't necessarily mean you can help yourself!
An important meaning of bedienen is "to operate," as in to operate a device or machine. A user's manual is called die Bedienungsanleitung.
Wenn ihr diesen Wendehammer richtig bedient, könnt ihr die Mauer einreißen.
If you operate this turning area correctly, you can break down the wall.
Captions 73-74, Es war einmal … Entdecker und Erfinder: Archimedes
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Further Learning
You'll find many examples of these nouns and verbs used in context on German Yabla. Just do a quick search!
The two most common meanings of the verb ausmachen are "to turn something off" and "to bring something to a conclusion with someone, to arrange something, or to agree on something." These are the first two definitions listed in the academic Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache (DWDS) from the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Interestingly, both of these usages are listed as slang.
The commercial dictionary publisher Duden lists the two definitions as numbers one and three, respectively, but only lists the "turning off" definition as slang.
It does make you wonder: Should the most widely used version of a word still be considered slang?
TURN IT OFF!
Jetzt mach doch bitte mal den Fernseher aus!
Now please turn off the television!
Caption 12, Lerchenberg: Du bist, was du isst
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Ey DJ! DJ, mach die Musik aus!
Hey DJ! DJ, turn the music off!
Caption 70, Laserkraft 3D: Nein, Mann
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Was bedeutet es, wenn wir das Licht ausmachen?
What does it mean when we turn out the light?
Caption 56, Kinder lernen: Wie aus Wind Strom gemacht wird
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Aber ein Hund, ne? -Machen Sie die Kamera jetzt aus.
But a dog, right? -Turn the camera off now.
Caption 30, Kurzfilm-Festival: Nicht nur der Himmel ist blau
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A less informal way to ask somebody to turn a device off would be to use the verb ausschalten.
MAKE ARRANGEMENTS
Die Mitarbeiter stellen uns den Kontakt zu den jeweiligen Ansprechpartnern her, so dass wir alle nötigen Infos vorab schon einmal erfragen und die Drehtermine ausmachen können.
The staff puts us in touch with the respective contact person so that we can request all the necessary information in advance and set up the dates for the shoot.
Captions 10-12, Rund um den Airport: Hinter den Kulissen
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Und da haben wir auch, direkt auch, einen Songwriting-Termin ausgemacht.
And then we also arranged a songwriting session right away.
Caption 31, LOTTE & Max Giesinger: Interview
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Ihr könnt doch hier nicht einfach alles ausräumen. So war das nicht ausgemacht.
You can't just clear out everything. This is not what was agreed upon.
Captions 14-15, Lilly unter den Linden: Umzug in die DDR
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A more formal way to agree to something or arrange something would be to use the verb vereinbaren.
Yet a third meaning of ausmachen combines the verb with a dative pronoun (mir, dir, euch, Ihnen, uns). It's often translated as "would you mind," or "if it doesn't disturb you" etc.
Würde es dir was ausmachen, wenn du allein kommst?
Would you mind coming alone?
Caption 71, Meine fremde Freundin: Was alle denken
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Further Learning
Go to the DWDS and Duden definitions linked above and learn a couple of the less-used meanings of ausmachen. Then go to find some more examples on Yabla German to see ausmachen used in a real-world context.
For many, commuting to work is part of daily life. The verb for "to commute" in German is pendeln and a person who commutes is der Pendler or die Pendlerin.
Er pendelt zwischen Paderborn, seinem Wohnort, und Hamburg, seinem Arbeitsplatz.
He commutes between Paderborn, where he lives, and Hamburg, his workplace.
Captions 60-61, Sportclub Story: In der Badehose durch die Weltmeere
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Many people in Germany do this using public transportation, whether it's by S-Bahn, U-Bahn, or bus within the city, or by regional train to a different town. Relatively recently, it became possible to go anywhere in Germany by regional train for just 49 euros a month!
Commuting can be quite seamless for the most part, but issues may arise, particularly when a route isn't direct.
Aber auch die Bahn bietet alle zwei Stunden eine Verbindung von München an.
But also the train offers a connection from Munich every two hours.
Caption 22, 48 h in Innsbruck Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps - Part 1
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Muss ich umsteigen, um in die Innenstadt zu fahren?
Do I have to change [trains or buses] to get to the city center?
Caption 67, Deutsch mit Eylin: Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel in Hamburg
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Ich muss mich beeilen, sonst verpasse ich den Bus.
I have to hurry or I'll miss the bus.
Caption 22, Deutsch mit Eylin: Reflexive Verben und Pronomen
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Ich hoffe, ihr habt nicht zu lange gewartet. Mein Flug hatte Verspätung.
I hope you haven't waited too long. My flight was late.
Caption 34, Die Wohngemeinschaft: Besuch
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While commuting by car doesn't have these problems, there is one constant problem that one will face:
Im Elbtunnel war Stau!
There was a traffic jam in the Elbtunnel!
Caption 22, Großstadtrevier: Nicht mit mir
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Und bleibt nicht im Stau stecken!
And don't get stuck in traffic!
Caption 11, Es war einmal ... das Leben: Die Zelle
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Further Learning
For a humorous take on commuting with the German train system, watch this video and this video from the comedy and satire series extra3 on Yabla German.
You may already know the noun der Schlag and the verb schlagen:
Eine Ohrfeige ist ein Schlag auf die Wange.
A slap is a blow to the cheek.
Caption 34, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Baden-Württemberg
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Sie schlagen mit ihren Flossen auf die Oberfläche, um die Möwen anzulocken.
They strike their fins on the surface to attract gulls.
Captions 75-76, Die Top Ten: Die 12 freundlichsten Meerestiere der Welt
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Both Schlag and schlagen have to do with "hitting" or "striking" something. But did you know that they are the root words for over a thousand German nouns and verbs? Let's take a look first at some common nouns with Schlag as their root word:
Der Anschlag, ja. -Da war dann alles völlig anders. -Am 11. September.
The attack, yes. -Then everything was completely different there. -On September 11th.
Captions 53-54, Dieter Kränzlein: Bildhauer
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Wenn dir der Vorschlag zu riskant ist, dann mieten wir die Fahrräder einfach nur bei dir.
If the proposal is too risky for you, then we'll just rent the bikes from you.
Captions 25-26, Nicos Weg: Praktisch!
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Ich spiele viel Klavier auch sonst, aber ich spiel' auch Schlagzeug.
I play... I play a lot of piano also otherwise, but I also play drums.
Caption 58, Rockfabrik-Open-Air: Love-Street-Interview
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It's pretty clear how the root word Schlag is related to the noun der Anschlag ("the attack"). It's less clear, however, how the root word is related to der Vorschlag ("the proposal"). If you reduce das Schlagzeug to its root words, you have der Schlag and das Zeug, which could render "drums" into the literal translation "hit thing!" There is a certain logic here, however, as a drum is something that is struck.
Let's follow up with some verbs:
Und der Treves wurde vom Amt beschlagnahmt. -Ja, das war eine sehr, sehr schlechte Haltung.
And Treves was seized by the pound. -Yes, that was a very, very bad situation.
Caption 12, Ein Herz für Tiere: Tierschutzhof in Huggenhardt
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Die anderen Steine können durchschlagen.
The other stones can penetrate.
Caption 47, Es war einmal... der Weltraum: Planet Omega
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Der einst in Berlin ansässige Kunsthandel des jüdischen Paares wurde von den Nationalsozialisten zerschlagen.
Once based in Berlin, the art business of the Jewish couple was destroyed by the National Socialists.
Captions 6-7, Restituierung von Raubkunst: aus der Nazi-Zeit
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With verbs too, the relation to schlagen is sometimes clearer: durchschlagen ("to penetrate") may also be translated more literally as "to break through." The verb zerschlagen also has an element of hitting or striking in its meaning "to destroy." It's not as clear, however, how beschlagnahmen ("to seize") is connected with its root word.
Very often you have to go back centuries to Middle or Old German to find out how the words were originally related before their meaning changed over time. Sometimes even linguists aren't certain how the words came to have such different meanings from their root words!
Further Learning
Read through this list of words that use der Schlag and schlagen as root words, and look some of them up on Yabla German to see them used in a real-world context.
Today's lesson is about materials used for building and construction. Some of these are associated with modern construction, while others have been around for thousands of years!
Deine Schuhe waren wie aus Beton.
Your shoes were like they were made of concrete.
Caption 5, Emilio: Roter Sand
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Hätte es nicht einfacher Gips auch getan?
Wouldn't plaster of paris have done?
Caption 63, Tatortreiniger: Currywurst
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Hier laufen die enormen Mengen an Sand, Zement, Stahl und Kies ein.
Here is where the enormous quantities of sand, cement, steel, and gravel arrive.
Caption 10, Die Insel Fehmarn: So wird der Fehmarnbelt-Tunnel gebaut
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Im Jahre vierzehnhundertzweiundsiebzig haben die Menschen die Brücke aus Stein gebaut.
In fourteen seventy-two, the people built the bridge out of stone.
Captions 25-26, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Thüringen
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Other nouns to know are der Backstein and der Mauerziegel ("the brick") and die Rigipsplatte ("the Sheetrock").
There are many kinds of wood that are used for different purposes. When we talk about lumber, we use the name of the tree followed by -holz, sometimes adding an "n" in between.
Eichenholz ist sehr fest und wertvoll. Es ist ein Holz zur Herstellung von Möbeln und Parkettböden.
Oak wood is very strong and valuable. It is a wood for making furniture and parquet floors.
Captions 47-48, Deutsch mit Eylin: Bäume
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Other examples are das Buchenholz ("the beech wood"), das Birkenholz ("the birch wood"), das Kiefernholz ("the pine wood"), and das Ahornholz ("the maplewood").
Further Learning
What is the building you are living in made of? Create a few sentences and search for more examples on German Yabla.
In English, gender-specific words for professions, such as "policeman" and policewoman," are relatively rare. Some professions that previously had gender divisions, such as actor/actress and hero/heroine, have seen the female usages fall largely into disuse. But in German, most professions are divided by gender: a male doctor is der Arzt and a female doctor is die Ärztin. Some more examples are der Polizist/die Polizistin; der Architekt/die Architekin; der Künstler/die Künstlerin.
Most German writing and speech up until the end of the 20th century discriminated grammatically against women by using only the male plural when referring to people in a profession. For example, it was common to see the masculine plural die Ärzte used to refer to all doctors, as if there were no women in the profession.
The simplest and currently standard solution for being more gender-inclusive is to state both gender plurals when talking about professions and other gender-specific words. Note that it's unnecessary in the following two cases to translate both German male and female nouns into English, since the equivalent English words "doctor" and "artist" are gender-neutral.
Ich möchte mich bei dieser Gelegenheit zuallererst an alle wenden, die als Ärzte oder Ärztinnen, im Pflegedienst oder in einer sonstigen Funktion in unseren Krankenhäusern und überhaupt im Gesundheitswesen arbeiten.
I would like to take this opportunity to address first and foremost all those who work as doctors, in the field of nursing, or in any other function in our hospitals or in the healthcare system in general.
Captions 1-4, Coronavirus: Fernsehansprache von Angela Merkel
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Er ist über einen Kilometer lang und er wurde von 118 Künstlern und Künstlerinnen aus der ganzen Welt gestaltet.
It is over a kilometer in length and it [the artwork] was created by 118 artists from all over the world.
Captions 20-22, Eva zeigt uns: die Berliner Mauer
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Since the early 2000s, many German speakers began to reject the usage both male and female plurals, seeing it as an anachronism of a male-dominated society. The interim solution has been to combine the male and female forms and separate them with non-alphabetical symbols. The current symbols in use today to denote gender-neutral plural nouns are:
Der Gender-Gap (_) marked by an underscore;
Das Gendersternchen (*) marked by an asterisk;
Der Genderschrägstrich (/) marked by a slash;
Der Gender-Doppelpunkt (:) marked by a colon.
Instead of writing die Ärzte und Ärztinnen, you could utilize the system above and choose from die Ärzt_innen, die Ärzt*innen, die Ärzt/innen or die Arzt:innen. When speaking the words, you are supposed to make a slight pause where the symbol break happens, so as to distinguish from the standard plural of the female noun.
If this seems confusing to you, you're not alone. It's still a topic that is widely debated in German society. Many language purists and linguists think that the words look aesthetically unappealing in print and are simply grammatically incorrect. It's also rejected by conservatives who see it as a symptom of politically-correct "woke" and "cancel culture." On the other hand, many people support it because it overcomes a kind of latent gender discrimination in the German language.
Hallo, liebe Yabla-Schüler*innen. Heute erzähle ich euch etwas über das Thema LSBTQ.
Hello, dear Yabla pupils. Today, I'm going to tell you something about the topic of LGBTQ.
Captions 1-2, LGBTQ: Gendern
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Vielleicht habt ihr bemerkt, dass ich bei meiner Begrüßung eine kleine Pause zwischen Schüler*innen gemacht habe.
Maybe you noticed that, when I greeted you, I made a short pause in the word Schüler*innen [pupils].
Captions 14-16, LGBTQ Gendern
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Wie ist denn das Verhältnis zwischen Bürger:innen und Inflationsrate, und haben uns auf die Straße begeben und da einfach mal nachgefragt.
How the relationship between citizens and the inflation rate is, and we took to the streets and simply inquired there.
Captions 7-9, TV Total: Straßenumfrage zum Thema Inflation
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As you see above, both the Gendersternchen and Gender-Doppelpunkt styles of gender-neutrality are to be found on Yabla. As of date, there are no standards set for the formulation.
Since 2020, the German states Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hessen prohibited the use in schools of grammatical symbols in the middle of words denoting gender-neutral nouns. If pupils or students living in one of these states use a gender-neutral word marked with a symbol in a school paper, it will be marked as a spelling error and thus possibly lower their grades. In the German states Baden-Württemberg and Bremen, the acceptance of gender-inclusive writing is left to the discretion of the individual schools. The Swiss government forbade the use of symbols marking gender-neutral nouns in Swiss governmental German-language documents in 2021, but it equally forbade the use of exclusively male noun forms.
So ist es, liebe Yabla-Schüler und Yabla-Schülerinnen – oder lieber Yabla Schüler*innen?
Further Learning
The debate about gender-neutral nouns continues to this day in German society. Read the German Wikipedia articles linked above, and watch the relevant videos on Yabla German to get a better sense of the topic.
Today, we'll look at the distinction between treffen and sich treffen.
You may know that the verb treffen means "to meet," but not in the sense of "to make the acquaintance of," which is (sich) kennenlernen. The reflexive verb sich treffen is used when the meet-up is planned, expected, or predictable.
Beim Engadin Snow treffen sich die Weltbesten.
The world's best meet at the Engadin Snow.
Caption 13, Wintersport: Engadin Snow 2009
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Anne hat sich mit ihrer Freundin im Café getroffen.
Anne met with her friend at the café.
Caption 15, Deutsch mit Eylin: Das Perfekt
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Sie darf sich nicht mit mir treffen!
She's not allowed to meet up with me!
Caption 26, Nicos Weg: Meiner Meinung nach
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The non-reflexive verb treffen is used when the meeting was not planned or expected. It can even be translated as "to run into," or "to see."
Weißt du, wen ich gestern getroffen habe?
Do you know who I ran into yesterday?
Caption 9, Deutsch mit Eylin: Menschen beschreiben
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Ich hab dir grade erzählt, dass ich Tarik getroffen habe
I just told you that I saw Tarik.
Caption 60, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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Wir haben jetzt hier auch die Frau von dem Herrn Treiber getroffen.
We've met the wife of Mr. Treiber here now too.
Caption 22, Malerei Benno und Ira Treiber
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Further Learning
There are many more examples to be found on Yabla German, but why not see if you can form some sentences of your own? Think of the last 5 people you have seen and write a sentence that describes meeting them using either treffen or sich treffen.
Would you believe that there was sleet and hail this past week in Berlin? Spring generally arrives slowly in northern Germany, but such cold weather is rather unusual for the end of April.
A few weeks ago, things were totally different. People had put away their winter coats and a few brave souls even wore sandals. So, this week's lesson is on vocabulary for spring and summer clothing, with the hope that we will need these soon! This lesson is a companion to a lesson on winter clothing that was sent out some time ago.
Let's start out with the basics:
Bei so einer Witterung gerne eine kurze Hose oder auch mal ein T-Shirt.
With such weather, gladly a pair of shorts or a T-shirt once in a while.
Caption 26, Rheinmain Szene Unheilig: „Der Graf“
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Einen Rock, vielleicht zum Weggehen abends.
A skirt, perhaps, for going out in the evening.
Caption 11, Christiane: fährt in den Urlaub
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In her video on clothing, Eylin demonstrates that the nouns der Rock and das Kleid can be combined with der Sommer for specificity:
Im Sommer braucht man: Sandalen, Flipflops, Sommerkleider, kurze Hosen, Sommerröcke ...
In summer you need sandals, flip-flops, summer dresses, shorts, summer skirts...
Captions 37-39, Deutsch mit Eylin: Farben und Kleidungsstücke
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In addition to sandals, sneakers (which are also referred to as such in German) can be seen everywhere in the spring and summer.
Ich gehe noch schnell nach Haus und hol meine Turnschuhe.
I'll go home real quick and get my sneakers.
Caption 27, Janoschs Traumstunde: Der Wettlauf zwischen Hase und Igel
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Of course, you may very well find yourself needing eine leichte Jacke ("a light jacket"), eine Übergangsjacke (der Übergang means "the transition"), or eine Regenjacke. We are in Germany, after all!
Und wenn es draußen regnet, dann brauchen wir die hier... eine Regenjacke.
And if it's raining outside, then here we need... a raincoat.
Captions 20-21, Eva zeigt uns: Kleidungsstücke
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Further Learning
What spring clothing items have you worn so far? Try out a few sentences and watch all of Eylin's video on Yabla German for more clothing-related vocabulary.
You're probably already familiar with using natürlich as an adverb to say "of course." It's also occasionally translated as "naturally" or "obviously," depending upon the context.
The adverb selbstverständlich is also often translated as "of course," especially at the beginning of sentences:
Selbstverständlich, aber nicht so gewaltig.
Of course, but not too terribly much.
Caption 12, Silvester Vorsätze für das neue Jahr: Linkenheim
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Selbstverständlich, however, has more finely nuanced usages than natürlich. Let's take a look at a variety of translation possibilities available in this useful adverb. Something that is selbstverständlich is also "a matter of course":
Für viele von Ihnen ist das Mitmachen ganz selbstverständlich und wichtig.
For many of you, taking part is very much a matter of course and important.
Caption 31, Angela Merkel: Neujahrsansprache
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And may be "taken for granted":
Uns allen fehlen die Begegnungen, die sonst selbstverständlich sind.
We are all missing the interactions that are otherwise taken for granted.
Caption 10, Coronavirus: Fernsehansprache von Angela Merkel
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Selbstverständlich may also "go without saying":
Nun ja, sehen Sie, das ist doch ganz selbstverständlich.
Well, you see, that goes without saying.
Caption 66, Der kleine Nick: Nachmittag bei Adalbert
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Or simply "be a given":
Hier in Deutschland zum Beispiel ist es vielleicht schon selbstverständlich.
Here in Germany, for example, it may already be a given.
Caption 62, Rat für nachhaltige Entwicklung Mode gegen Armut
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And sometimes, it's "anything but self-evident":
Diese Bilder sind alles andere als selbstverständlich.
These pictures are anything but self-evident.
Caption 1, Abenteuer Nordsee: Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Note that the noun version of selbstverständlich, das Selbstverständnis, has a somewhat different meaning: "self-image":
Im Selbstverständnis der Strothoff International School Rhein-Main wird viel Wert auf eine enge Lehrer-Schüler-Beziehung und den respektvollen Umgang miteinander gelegt.
In its self-image, the Strothoff International School Rhein-Main highly values a close teacher-student relationship and a reciprocal respect.
Captions 50-51, Strothoff International School Imagefilm
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Further Learning
Do a search for selbstverständlich on Yabla German to see the adverb used in a variety of different contexts. Its usages are not always so selbstverständlich!
There are basically two types of unpleasant realities that everyone has to accept at some points in life: involuntary and voluntary.
The involuntary realities are things that have happened outside of your control, whose necessity is undeniable—anything from your car needing to be repaired to having to undergo a medical procedure for the sake of your health.
The voluntary realities are when you actively choose to accept something you don't like because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. For example, you take a new job because it pays well, even though you don't like the boss.
German has an idiomatic phrase for having to accept something that can fit either of the above realities: etwas in Kauf nehmen.
Das ist es nicht wert, dass wir dafür so viele Verschlechterungen dann in Kauf nehmen müssen.
That's not worth having to accept so many changes for the worse.
Caption 9, Deutsche-Welle-Nachrichten: Massenprotest gegen TTIP
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DWDS defines etwas in Kauf nehmen in both senses:
1. Having to put up with something (a difficulty or the like); having to put up with something unpleasant or uncomfortable by necessity.
2. Someone voluntarily accepts something negative (a disadvantage or unpleasant side effect) if the positive incentive outweighs the negative overall.
Zurzeit muss man entweder eine stundenlange Zugfahrt in Kauf nehmen oder man fliegt.
Currently, you either have to put up with an hours-long train ride, or you fly.
Captions 22-23, DW-Nachrichten: Der Traum vom Hyperloop
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... dass die einem normalen Risiko, wie man's zum Beispiel auch beim Straßenverkehr in Kauf nimmt, entsprechen.
... so that they correspond to a normal risk, as one would also have to accept in road traffic, for example.
Captions 50-51, Abenteuer und Sport: Fallschirmspringen
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According to Redensarten, the idiom originated historically with etwas mit in den Kauf nehmen. A buyer would sometimes get some additional goods with the purchase if the trader did not have enough small change on hand to give back to the buyer.
Also, lenders sometimes charged interest by asking borrowers for goods that the lenders didn't really need, but which they accepted in order to do business at all. This led to the meaning "to accept an unwelcome addition to something that is otherwise advantageous."
Further Learning
Watch the full-length videos above on Yabla German to see the phrase used in different contexts. You can additionally write some some sentences with "We had to accept that..." or "I had to accept that..." and practice translating them into German using in Kauf nehmen.
In previous lessons, we've examined adjectives ending with -bar and adjectives with un- and -los. This week, we'l look at the ending -sam. The nice thing about adjectives, as you may remember, is that the related adverb is often the exact same word rather than having a different suffix.
The word sparsam is a positive adjective related to trying to save money, and could also be translated as "frugal" or "thrifty." The word geizig is less flattering, and essentially means "stingy."
Das ist sehr sparsam!
This is very economical!
Caption 38, Der Trabi: Das Kultauto aus dem Osten
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While interviewing individuals who are against vaccination, comedian Lutz van der Horst heard the following statement:
Es gibt keine einzige wissenschaftliche Studie, die das wirklich klar belegt, dass Impfen wirksam und vernünftig ist.
There is not a single scientific study that really clearly proves that vaccination is effective and sensible.
Captions 19-20, heute-show: Lutz van der Horst trifft auf Impfverweigerer
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Here are a few more common adjectives ending with -sam. The first two may be known to you through the related verbs raten ("to advise”) and unterhalten ("to entertain").
... ist es auf jeden Fall ratsam, sich so gut wie möglich zu benehmen.
... it is definitely advisable to behave as well as possible.
Captions 55-56, Deutsch mit Eylin: Tischsitten
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So unterhaltsam kann Lernen sein!
Learning can be so entertaining!
Caption 5, Theaterstück über gesunde Ernährung: Henrietta in Fructonia
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„Aber ich war so grausam und gemein zu dir“, weinte die Prinzessin.
"But I was so dreadful and mean to you," cried the Princess.
Caption 84, Märchen - Sagenhaft: König Drosselbart
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Und nun wurde auch ein Schwein auf sie aufmerksam.
And then a pig became aware of them.
Caption 58, Märchenstunde: Der Lebkuchenmann
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Immer wenn du weg bist, bin ich so einsam.
Whenever you're away, I am so lonely.
Caption 7, Janoschs Traumstunde: Post für den Tiger
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Warum die Atmosphäre zwischen uns beiden so seltsam in letzter Zeit ist, kann ich mir auch nicht erklären.
I can't figure out either why the atmosphere between us has been so strange lately.
Caption 48, Die Wohngemeinschaft: Probleme
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Many of these words become nouns with the addition of -keit. Have a look:
Danke für die Aufmerksamkeit.
Thanks for your attention.
Caption 28, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Brandenburg
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Langfristige Studien zur Wirksamkeit des Superabsorbers gibt es bisher keine.
There haven't been any long-term studies of the super absorber's effectiveness yet.
Caption 37, Wunderkräfte aus der Windel: Wasserspeicher für Blumenerde
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Aber Flora und Fauna können sich in dieser Einsamkeit noch ungestört entfalten.
But in this solitude, flora and fauna can develop without being disturbed.
Caption 7, Die letzten Paradiese: Die Schönheit der Alpen 2
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Further Learning
Make flashcards in order to memorize the adjectives above. You will find other adjectives with -sam on Yabla German, of course.
Or as you'd say in German: Lass uns über „lassen“ reden. The verb lassen can be translated in many different ways: "to let," "to leave," or "to have," among others. Let's take a look today at some examples, and see if we can learn how the different contexts affect the meanings and the translations of the word.
Lange klingeln lassen und dann wie gehabt verfahren.
Let it ring for longer and then proceed as usual.
Caption 38, Antilopen Gang: Enkeltrick
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Also lassen Sie mich mal nachsehen, welche Termine noch frei sind.
So let me take a look what appointments are still available.
Captions 41-42, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Ich lass dich nicht raus, ich lass dich nicht gehen.
I won't let you out, I won't let you go.
Caption 15, Ab durch die Heimat: 4 Comedians unterwegs im Südwesten
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As you see above, a common translation of lassen is "to let."
Ich kann euch versprechen, dieser Film lässt niemanden kalt.
I can promise you, this movie will leave no one unmoved.
Captions 47-48, Twinfruit: Glaubhaftigkeit in der Werbung
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Du lässt mich niemals allein.
You'll never leave me alone.
Caption 42, Sophia: Niemals Allein
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Sometimes too, lassen is translated as "to leave," but not in the sense of leaving (verlassen) a place.
König Konrad schickte Boten voraus und ließ sie in der Stadt verkünden.
King Conrad sent messengers ahead and had them make an announcement in the city.
Captions 36-37, Deutsche Sagen: Die tapferen Weiber von Weinsberg
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In cases where somebody is following orders, it wouldn't make much sense (as in the example above) to say the King "let" them make an announcement. In cases like this, you'll occasionally understand lassen as "to have."
Auch Natali will sich das nicht entgehen lassen.
Natali doesn't want to let herself miss out on this either.
Caption 50, Abenteuer Nordsee: Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Often, when lassen is used in a reflexive sense with sich, it's not translated at all. In the example above, it could just as well have been translated as "Natali doesn't want to miss out on this either." In such cases, sich lassen is often redundant in translation.
... um meine neue Adresse in meinen Personalausweis eintragen zu lassen.
... to register my new address on my identity card.
Caption 3, Deutsch mit Eylin: Personalien und Namen
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Wann haben Sie sich scheiden lassen?
When did you get divorced?
Caption 17, Yabla Gerichtshof: Probleme des Zusammenlebens
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The sentences above could have been translated as "... to let my new address be registered on my identity card" and "When did you let yourself get divorced," but this seems pretty clumsy. In these cases, the better translation for sich eintragen lassen is "to register," and for sich scheiden lassen "to get divorced."
Last but not least, I'll "let" you see some example of some common idioms using the verb lassen:
Sie haben meiner Tochter schöne Augen gemacht und sie dann sitzen lassen.
You made eyes at my daughter and then abandoned her.
Caption 20, Oskar; Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist Loslassen
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Du kannst es ja nicht lassen.
You just can't resist.
Caption 85, Alexander Hauff: Showreel
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ich will niemanden im Stich lassen.
I don't want to let anyone down.
Caption 19, Nicos Weg: Lernen
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Du kannst es nicht lassen is a bit like the English "You just couldn't leave it alone." As der Stich can mean a sting or a stab wound, the saying im Stich lassen, which first appeared in the 1400s, may be related to jousting: if someone left a comrade behind, they risked being stabbed! Luckily, we live in a society today where such violence is socially and legally unacceptable.
Further Learning
Search for lassen in its various conjugations on Yabla German to see the verb used in different contexts. You may also want to read more about it in the previous Yabla lesson "German verbs connected with lassen."
In our recent newsletters about giving directions and driving, one verb that hasn't come up yet is wenden. This verb and its reflexive form sich wenden an have different meanings and a multitude of possible translations.
The verb abbiegen means "to turn," for example when you are in a car and have to turn left. But when it comes to turning the car around completely, you would often use the verb wenden. It signifies a turnaround, reversal, or shift.
Filmpferde müssen viel können: steigen, sich verbeugen, blitzschnell wenden oder todesmutig vor ein Motorrad galoppieren.
Film horses have to be able to do lots of things: rear up, bow down, turn lightning fast or gallop undaunted by death in front of a motorcycle.
Captions 1-2, Für Tierfreunde: Pferde beim Film
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It also comes in handy when you talk about turning something over, like flipping a pancake or, in this case, a sausage:
Ein anderes Highlight in Walter Günthers Werkstatt: ein Grillrost, der die Würstchen automatisch wendet.
Another highlight in Walter Günther's workshop: a grill that automatically turns sausages.
Captions 24-25, Erfinder: Nie erfundene Erfindungen
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This may have already occurred to you, but the noun die Wende is indeed related. It is used to talk about the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and subsequent changes after 1989.
Warum nennt man die Zeit im Herbst neunzehnhundertneunundachtzig in der DDR die Wende?
Why do you call the time in the fall of nineteen hundred eighty-nine in the GDR "the turnaround" ?
Captions 10-11, Bundesrepublik: Deutschland Einbürgerungstest
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The noun can generally be used to describe a "turn of events," like in this caption:
Während die Männer ihren Doppelsieg feiern, nimmt das Damenrennen eine dramatische Wende!
While the men are celebrating their double win, the lady's race takes a dramatic turn!
Captions 58-59, Knallharte Sportler: Ironman in Frankfurt
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Now let's look at sich wenden an, which has a more figurative meaning of "turning to" someone:
Autofahrer, die am Unfallmeldedienst teilnehmen wollen, können sich dafür an ihren Autoversicherer wenden.
Drivers who want to participate in the accident reporting service can contact their auto insurance company to do so.
Captions 45-56, Sicherheit im Straßenverkehr: Versicherer entwickeln automatischen Notruf für alle Autos
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Du kannst dich natürlich auch direkt an mich wenden.
You can also, of course, reach out to me directly.
Caption 60, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern
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Further Learning
Look at the placement and integration of sich wenden an in sentences on Yabla German and try to construct your own sentences.
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