explanations vocabulary / grammar video show /hide
video 10: explanations::grammar::vocabulary
Hallo! = Hola!
Und Guten Tag! = and Good Day!
Obviously young people don't greet each other with 'Guten Tag', this is very formal.
Diesen Mal erzählen wir euch alles, was wir über Baden-Württemberg wissen. = This time we are going to tell you something about Baden - Württemberg.
erzählen - erzählen = to tell - we tell
euch = you
über = about
wissen - wissen = to know - we know
Grammar: In the present there is no difference between the first person singular (we know) and the third person plural (they know): wissen => we know => they know
Nun fang endlich an! = Start!
endlich = finally
fangen = to catch
anfangen = to start
Grammar: We have already seen that several times. In some cases the verb is separated from the prefix if the verb is conjugated: anfangen => Ich fange an, du fängst an, er fängt an....
Ich? Wieso ich? = Me? Why me?
Wieso = why
Grammar: Instead of wieso you can use as well warum.
Wie meinst du das, wieso ich? = What do you want to say with that? Why me?
meinen - meinst = to opine - you opine
Grammar: 'meinen' means 'to opine' but not in this context. In this context someone doesn' t opine something, but he is asked to express his opinion.
Du wolltest dich doch auf Baden-Württemberg vorbereiten! = That' s you who want to prepare yourself for Baden - Württemberg!
vorbereiten = to prepare
sich vorbereiten = to prepare onself
wollen - wolltest = want - you wanted
Grammar: 'Vorbereiten' belongs to the verbs with a prefix whose prefix is separated from the verb if the verb is conjugated: vorbereiten => Ich bereite mich vor. It is usefull to know that this separation doesn' t occure always, it doesn' t occure for instance with the verb übersetzen (translate): übersetzen => ich übersetze.
Nein, du! = No, you!
Weißt Du denn gar nix über Baden-Württemberg? = You no really nothing about Baden - Württemberg?
wissen - weißt = to know - you know
nix => nichts = nothing
Nix instead of nichts is slang used by young people, but it is very common.
Nein, du? = No, you?
Nein! = No!
Jetzt stehen wir aber doof da. = No we look really stupid.
stehen = to stand
doof da stehen = to look silly
'Doof da stehen' is an idiomatic expression, but it works as well with some other adjectives. 'Gut da stehen' => 'To make a good impression', 'schlecht da stehen' => 'to be in a bad situation'.
Stimmt =Yes
'Stimmt' derives from the verb 'stimmen' (to be correct). The case is a little bit curious, because in this case actually the subject is omitted, the whole sentence should be 'das stimmt', 'that is right'. But this construction is so common that the subject got lost and nowadays one say simply 'stimmt' instead of 'das stimmt'.
Na dann erklär das mal unseren Zuschauern! = Then explain that to our spectators!
Grammar: We are not going to explain the details of the german grammar here and we don' t think that it is possible to explain the german grammar, or the grammar of any language, with videos. Actually 'unseren Zuschauern' is an indirect object, it must therefore be declined. It is useful to have a global overview over the WHOLE system, but it is not necessary to become an expert on any detail, before you regard these videos. The declension is explained here:declension of unser.
Was kann ich denn dafür, wenn du dich nicht vorbereitest? = What can I do if you don' t prepare yourself?
können - kann = can - I can
vorbereiten - vorbereitest = prepare - you prepare
Grammar: The construction 'Was kann ich dafür' is a little bit strange because if you translate it to english you to add the verb 'to do'. It is an idiomatic expression and the verb got lost during the centuries. The whole sentence should be "Was kann ich dafür tun', 'What can I do for that'. There are similar constructions like 'Ich kann nicht' s dafür' which should be 'Ich kann nicht' s dafür tun'. The meaning of this construction is 'It is not my fault'.
Weißt du denn gar nix über Baden-Württemberg? = Do you really know nothing about Baden - Württemberg?
denn = here: by chance
Naja, ich weiß, dass es im Südwesten liegt, fast so südlich wie Bayern, = Well I know that it is situated at the south - west, almost as far in the south as Bavaria,
naja = here: well
Naja is an interjection, in other words, it doesn' t really mean something. It is used if one doubts about something, to get more time thinking about it.
aber es grenzt nicht an Österreich, sondern an Frankreich und an die Schweiz. = and it doesn' t have a border with Austria, but with France and Suisse.
grenzen - grenzt = limitar - limita
Grammar: 'Schweiz' (Suisse) is a direct object in this case. 'Schweiz' is one of the few countries, the other one is 'die Vereinigten Staaten' (USA) where an article is to be used. One say 'Deutschland grenzt an Österreich' but 'Deutschland grenzt an die Schweiz'.
Na, das ist doch schon mal was. = Well, that' s something.
Ich weiß, dass Stuttgart die Hauptstadt ist von Baden - Württemberg, = I know that Stuttgart is the capital of Baden - Württemberg
und dass ganz in der Nähe von Stuttgart eine große Autofabrik steht. = and near Stuttgart there is a car manufacturer.
Nähe = vicinity
in der Nähe = near
Autofabrik = car manufacturer
stehen - steht = to stand - it stands
Stimmt, Mercedes Benz, in Sindelfingen. = Yes, Mercedes Benz, in Sindelfingen.
Und ich weiß noch, dass die Stuttgarter ganz tolle Bahnhöfe bauen können. = Beside that I know that the people of Stuttgart can built fantastic train stations.
noch = hier: beside that
toll = fantastic
ganz toll = very fantastic
The two girl are kidding. The conservative gouverment of Baden - Württemberg wanted to construct a new train station to substitute the existing one under the earth at enormous costs and nobody really knew, if this train station is necessary, because the existing one worked fine. Against this project a movement arose joined even by people who generally do not protest against anything at all. Unfortunately for the conservative goverment in Baden-Württemberg in this time elections were hold and the CDU, which have governed in Baden - Württemberg without any interruption since the end of world war two lost and the new goverment was formed by the green party, 'die GRÜNENE' and the SPD.
Ja, das ist ja schon mal besser als nichts! = Well, that' s better than nothing!
besser = better
Viel besser! = much better!
Da kann sich doch wirklich niemand beschweren! =So nobody can complain!
beschweren = to complain
Bis zum nächsten Mal! = Until next time!
Tschüß! = Ciao!
Tschüß! = Ciao!
3.2.6
The sound ss / ß
Here - again - we
do have a sound that is the same and has two different
ways of being written. It's actually nothing special
just a simple s like in song or sauce. But as everything
German language has a history that makes this actually
redundant, but since we like tradition we keep it.
ss
/ ß
Er
hieß
His name
was.
weiß
white
Then there is the orthographic rule when to use which
one of those. Actually you don't have to worry about
it for quite a long time. Since everyone will understand,
if you say that this letter is not on your keyboard
so you always can substitute it with two ss. Just that
you know, that there is a rule (after long vowels and
diphthongs is ß, after
short vowels the ss).
