A German Lesson

Matt always says that he thinks there are only about 20 words in the German language.  Then you just combine those 20 words to make compound words that will cover everything else you'd ever need to say.  The longer I try to teach him nouns, the more I think he's right.

For example, one day he asked me the word for airplane.  I said, "Flugzeug."

He paused for a minute, and then he looked at me with a grin and said, "flying thing"?  And I started laughing, because he was right.  Flug = flight + Zeug = thing/stuff.  In fact now that you know those words, it could help you figure out all of these words:

Spielzeug: toy (Spiel = play/game + Zeug = thing)

Werkzeug: tool (Werk = work + Zeug = thing)

Schlagzeug:  drums (Schlag = to hit + Zeug = thing)

One of his favorite German words is squirrel.  Since I grew up speaking German, I had never bothered to break it down until he asked me.

Eichhörnchen

Eiche = oak tree + hörn = horns + chen = not a word, and ending that means little

Literal translation: little horned oak tree creature

Yesterday he asked me what the word for chipmunk was.  I didn't know so I looked it up.  I should have guessed it.

Backenhörnchen

Backen = cheeks

Literal translation: cheeked little horned creature

Another great animal compound word? Skunk.  We came up with a whole new word for it, meanwhile the Germans just squished together two existing words, and I think it makes much more sense.  Let's say you've never seen a skunk.  How would you know to call it a skunk?  If you're German though, the first time you meet a skunk you will know it's name because the word helpfully gives you some clues to it's characteristics.

Stinktier

Stink = stink + Tier = animal

Literal translation: stink animal

Similar to the descriptive quality of Stinktier, is the word for Jello.  "Jello" tells you nothing!  But in German...

Wackelpudding

Wackel = wiggle/shake + Pudding = pudding

Literal translation: wiggly pudding

How about glove?  Why did the English go through the trouble of creating a whole new word that you have to memorize and learn if you want to speak our language?  In German, they took two words everyone already knew and combined them.

Handschuh

Hand = hand + Schuh = shoe

Literal translation: a shoe for your hand, so logical!

I think descriptive words are great, they paint a much clearer picture.  One thing Germany is known for worldwide is their green movement.  If you've ever been to Germany you know how strict they are with laws about recycling and environmental protection.  I'd like to theorize that their vocabulary helps the cause.  The last word I'd like to teach you today is the word for pollution-

Umweltverschmutzung

Um = around + Welt = world + verschmutz = to dirty up (schmutz = dirt) + ung = the process of

Literal translation: the process of dirtying up the world around you

Yikes!  That sounds so much scarier than "pollution," no wonder Germans are greener than the rest of us, when your word for pollution is so literal I'd think twice about throwing my plastic bottle in the trash too.

I hope you learned something with this blog entry and now realize how easily you too could learn to speak German. Pick up a few basic words and endings and then mix and match them to master the whole language!