German language

Germany has shaped its neighbours as much as they have shaped it. This applies not only to culture and technology but also…

German idioms rarely translate word for word, which is what makes them useful. Get one right in a meeting and you sound…

As spring approaches, the shifting weather patterns offer a unique insight into the German language. As in many other cultures, proverbs about…

On your journey of learning German, you inevitably encounter a situation that requires you to express something limited to an amount, some…

German idioms are part of everyday language use and a good way to say something that a hundred plain words would not…

Prefabricated components in building are relatively new. In language they have been in use for centuries, in the form of idioms and…

Leaving the European Union changed how British companies trade with the Continent, but not who they trade with. Germany remains one of…

Inspired by a recent question from one of their freelance translators about inclusive/gender-neutral language in German (below; feel free to skip past…

German speakers and German-speaking countries Standard German is the official form typically taught in schools in German-speaking countries. We also teach Standard…

Every language has expressions that resist translation, and that make little sense even once translated. When you learn German, these are not…

During your German studies, you have come across the letter ‘ß’ which your German teacher calls SZ or sharp S. The letter…

Often during German lessons, I get asked if there are words in German that are of Indo-Aryan or Austronesian origin. Many words covering…

Do you know what Gallicisms are? Gallicisms are words from French that have found use in another language. When learning German, you…

When taking German lessons or attending a German course, you’ll come across many German words of foreign origin. German, like other languages,…

Only 1.571% of the world speaks German. Why learn German, you may ask? Please read on. There are about 7,000 languages worldwide….

German is a very useful language to learn, but you might confuse some words for others, especially when they sound very similar,…

English has been steadily adopting words from German for several centuries. Here are a few: the tip of the iceberg, so to…

‘Denglisch’ is a combination of Deutsch (German) and English. Introduced to Germany by the American way of life, it has crept into…

What is Plautdietsch (Plattdeutsch), and do people worldwide speak that language variant? Plautdietsch or Mennonite Low German is a Low Prussian dialect….

Each year, Germany votes for the Anglicism of the year. The Anglicism has to be an English word that was widely used…

Germans are loyal and trustworthy folks. However, some false friends in the German language may confuse the English speaker. If the German…

Germans, like many others worldwide, celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one with festivities and…

Few people can be unfamiliar with Martin Luther, the German theologian and instigator of the Reformation. The story of Luther posting his…

Since 1880 one name has been the authoritative source for the correct spelling, pronunciation and usage of German words: Duden. Duden is…

There is an official body regulating the German language, just as there is for many other languages. These institutions are often called…

Like many languages, German has evolved to include words that originate from other languages; many of these surprisingly derive from Arabic. Arabic…

In our previous blog, we have been looking at German words used in English and now we would like to introduce you…

During my German lessons, students often ask how the German language as we speak it today came about. The modern German language,…

If you’ve taken a German language course to improve your business German, a trip to the country to meet clients or colleagues…

Have you ever taken a plane to Zurich or Basel, expecting upon arrival that people would sound like your friends or colleagues…

You may have heard of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR for short. It is quite a mouthful,…

What do Germans really understand when the English talk to them? The English language has many subtleties that do not exist in…

Are you planning to relocate to Germany for professional reasons? Or perhaps you are working with Germans regularly?  The following words are…