Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) German for Runaways

Gut zu sehen, dass Sternenschweif (mit Kiyas himmlischer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" /> Hilfe) den Thread mit großen Erfolg aufstellen konnte.

How did you do this Janggut? It was already pretty good <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> (admit, you cheated <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" /> )
Kiya

If there would be a "Dutch for Runaways" thread.....

no i did not cheat. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" /> i typed with a bit of dictionary help from the link that barnabus provided. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

ok, sorry .... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />

first & foremost, i have 2 learn the spelling of german words before learning to write the sentences.

Well, putting a sentence together with a dictionary is really not cheating: It was very good, really! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

No, your probs were not due to spelling - we have words that have to be separated in some cases and then written together in others. Word settings are different - that's my prob if I translate and explains why my English sounds stiff and clumsy sometimes = German setting.

gee, thanks kiya. well i'll go cheating... i mean learning more german immediately. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

NOOO!!!
How could I not conjugate 'sein' right?!
I mean write 'is' instead of 'ist'...
*bangs head on the wall while saying:
"Ich bin
Du bist
Er/sie/es ist
Wir sind
Ihr seid
Sie sind"
*

Ahbah, Janggut, grammar is just a structure, don't let it strangle you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> - language is communication and this counts IMO. And it's fun to puzzle out what someone means <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

Ahbah, Grammatik ist nur eine Struktur, lass dich davon nicht erwuergen <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> - Sprache ist Kommunikation und das zaehlt IMO. Und es macht Spass heraus zu puzzeln was jemand meint.

Look at "heraus zu puzzeln" = you can even write this as one word, though I'd take "herauszufinden" (find out), this is more common. And if you believe I'm going to look up if this word is correctly written together = nope, I'm too lazy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Grammar is a slave not a master
Grammatik ist ein Sklave nicht ein Meister

DEATH, banging doesn't help <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> - I can't see blood and I'm running out of dinosaur plasters <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Now, please conjugate "ich bin" in simple past tense.

Ich war
???? go on

I believe it's now time to reveal the meaning behind the title of this Topic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

It's not as clear as "Englishmen" might think. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Actually, it's a joke, but only understandable for people with knowledge in German AND English. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

Well, here I go :

The title is "English for Runaways".

You know what a "runaway" is; I don't need to explain that.

"Running away" means "Weglaufen " or "Fortlaufen" in German.

"Weg" has two meanings : "Away" and "way".

"Fort" has also two meanings : "forth" and "away" in a sense, too.

"Laufen" is simply "running". Although it's not as fast as the actual German "rennen". "Running in English has the meaning of both words, also in terms of speed, where we here in Germany have two words for two degrees of speed while "running".

I heard the actual joke for the first time as a joke by the famous Otto Waalkes, a famous "clown" or "joker" here in Germany (kiya, do you have better words describing him ? Or anybody else ?).

Someone advancing in a certain field of knowledge is in German a "Fortgeschrittener", an "advanced one".

Do you notice something ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

SPOILER ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/exclamation.gif" alt="" />
.
.
.
.
.

The word "fort" is in both "fortlaufen" and in "fortgeschritten". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />



NON SPOILER :

Well the word "fortgeschritten" CAN be interpretet in a totally different meaning, too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

The word "schreiten" means a special way of walking, spreading the legs wide while walking. It's "to stride" or "to trod" in English, I think.

"Schreiten" is therefore also a way of "going away", but in a "walking speed", so to say. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

So ...

"Fortschreiten" CAN be interpreted in a way (although NEVER used !) as "weglaufen". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Here the circle closes :


"German for Runaways" -> "Deutsch für Fortgeschrittene". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

That's it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Another nice thing German/English have in common: double/triple meanings of one word - but as German is gender crazy, this is defined by changing the article.

You all know trunk? (Elephant part, car boot, tree part)?

Well, we have nearly the same (yes, nouns start with a capital letter):
Das Band = ribbon
der Band = book volume

der Bund = Union
das Bund = bunch

der Flur = corridor
die Flur = field (thanks, Flash, bad typo <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" /> )

der Gehalt = value (aha!)
das Gehalt = salary, loan

der Heide = pagan, non-Christian
die Heide = heathland, moor

der Kunde = customer, client
die Kunde = message, news (yep, we're chatty again)

der Laster = lorry, wagon
das Laster = bad habit, non virtue

der Leiter = boss
die Leiter = ladder

der Tau = dew
das Tau = rope

die Steuer = tax (now why is this feminine? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> - maybe we're expensive)
das Steuer = steering wheel (hmm, I'd prefer this in feminine and not neuter)

der Hut = hat
die Hut = caution (yeah, I agree <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> )

Kiya

Comedian, Alrik <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

Hut in English ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

That's why the Star Wars character "´Jabba the Hut" was once translated into German als "Jabba die Hütte", meaning "Jabba the hut" in a very literary sense. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Hütte = hut, shed, cottage ...

Shouldn't field be "die Flur"? Ich stand allein auf weiter Flur <-> Ich stand allein auf weitem Flur? Or is both allowed?
I'm sometimes confused, too. Accoding to the Duden Joghurt can be der, die and das.
Tunnel is another funny word. You can say "der Túnnel", or "das Tunnél", both meaning tunnel, but notice the difference in the pronounciation.

correct, Flash <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />. I'll modify.
Kiya

Ich stand allein auf weiter/weitem Flur?

In the 1st case you're alone in the field, in the 2nd case, you're lonely in the corridor - but in both cases: you're alone <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> - if you don't mind the wrong preposition (auf weitem = im weiten?)

Tunnel = hm, depends on entymology, now where does this word originally come from? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> ARGH! Need my 20 volumes of the Grimm dictionary for this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> AHHHH! Now watch this: "Tunell", southern German/Austrian way to write "Tunnel" - resembles the 2 ways to pronounce. My precious little Duden says, this word has English origin.

Another example : Demo.

Some of us <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> cannot agree upon the "Demo" being "Die Demo" or "das Demo".

Demo comes from "Demonstration", and can mean a lot of people protesting against something, or a show, , a sample, an example of a greater work.

I still don't know. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> I say "das Demo".

The Duden says: Die Demo.
Kiya

Explanation for the English: The Duden is the yellow bible for German spelling/grammar and is useful for discussions/arguments and even as a missile weapon, 860 pages

Can you translate this then please..."germany one ENGLAND five, do-da do-da ,germany one ENGLAND five do-da do-da day!!" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Ok, here your translate:

Deutschland Eins : England Fünf, do-da do-da, Deutschland Eins : England Fünf do-da do-da!!



Spick, I know Ya form another Forum, but which?

Soccer? Who won, who lost?
Kiya

Could have something to do with the ... thing between England and Germany, regarding soccer ?

(I dobn't know how I should call it; but I know that it's based upon the fact that inn ancient times Germany once won a game against England, a thing that some English fans are still "thankful" to us for.)