German

  • Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!



    Go here and give us your nominations!
    Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Dyvim

Dyvim

Bronze Knight of the Realm
1,420
195
Similar issue, both versions are correct andcouldbe used. Again "an" is used for "(looking) at" and in this case could not stand there on its own and needs a (reflexive) pronoun. Still both remain correct grammar wise.
But the one with reflexive pronoun is more prevalent, almost unviersally used.
The for themselves part indicates, they/you are taking time (for themselves) to actually watch and sit through the movie.
While the second version indicates no such a thing and therefor strongly hints at just taking a quick glance at the movie.
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
<Nazi Janitors>
7,090
36,558
Dyvim_sl said:
Similar issue, both versions are correct andcouldbe used. Again "an" is used for "(looking) at" and in this case could not stand there on its own and needs a (reflexive) pronoun. Still both remain correct grammar wise.
But the one with reflexive pronoun is more prevalent, almost unviersally used.
The for themselves part indicates, they/you are taking time (for themselves) to actually watch and sit through the movie.
While the second version indicates no such a thing and therefor strongly hints at just taking a quick glance at the movie.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dyvim is English or German your first language?
 
P

Pyratec

Golden Knight of the Realm
330
169
Blazin_sl said:
Is this the same issue of action?

If I want to say They are watching a movie

Sie sehen sich einen Film an. (Im learning this as the correct way)

but why not the simpler

Sie sehen einen Film?

I really dont understand the use of sich and an in the first example.

I get sich being a reflexive pronoun for themselves but not why its being used.

(Forgive my lack of apostrophes when my keyboard is on German I suck at finding the punctuation marks)
Click to expand...
While German is not my mother tounge, shouldn't the verb in this case be schauen and not sehen?
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
<Nazi Janitors>
7,090
36,558
Pyratec_sl said:
While German is not my mother tounge, shouldn't the verb in this case be schauen and not sehen?
Click to expand...
I don't think so but I'm no expert either, but my understanding is that schauen would be used the way an English speaker would use "look" and sehen when they would say "watch" though that may not be the direct translation. One thing seems true in my studies so far is that translations by themselves are near useless.
 
M

Mascha

Trakanon Raider
16
6
"Schauen" and "sehen" can both be used for watching a movie, "Schauen" is a little bit older and used more in the south, while "sehen" is used by younger people and in the rest of Germany.
 
P

Pyratec

Golden Knight of the Realm
330
169
Blazin_sl said:
I don't think so but I'm no expert either, but my understanding is that schauen would be used the way an English speaker would use "look" and sehen when they would say "watch" though that may not be the direct translation. One thing seems true in my studies so far is that translations by themselves are near useless.
Click to expand...
Ok I will take Mascha's word for it. I currently live in the german part of Switzerland, which is also where I learned my German, so it makes sense that I learned the southern German way.

As I learned it Blazin, sehen would be more akin to see in english, while schauen is watch. Like a spectator at a football match is a Zuschauer, whereas "hast du das gesehen?" would translate to "have you seen this?"

I think you're right though, it's really very difficult to translate things on a one to one basis as how different words are used can and does vary from language to language.
 
Dyvim

Dyvim

Bronze Knight of the Realm
1,420
195
Blazin_sl said:
Thanks Dyvim is English or German your first language?
Click to expand...
German

Blazin_sl said:
I don't think so but I'm no expert either, but my understanding is that schauen would be used the way an English speaker would use "look" and sehen when they would say "watch" though that may not be the direct translation. One thing seems true in my studies so far is that translations by themselves are near useless.
Click to expand...
seconded

Mascha_sl said:
"Schauen" and "sehen" can both be used for watching a movie, "Schauen" is a little bit older and used more in the south, while "sehen" is used by younger people and in the rest of Germany.
Click to expand...
this too, also the german speaking part of switzerland uses "schauen" quite a lot.
 
P

Pyratec

Golden Knight of the Realm
330
169
For you German speakers out there, if you want a little fun go tohttp://translate.google.comand translate the following sentence from German to English:

"Meine Nachbarin hat Kohlmeisen aber was macht ein Hahn auf meinem Esel"

The results are....interesting.
 
Quineloe

Quineloe

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
6,978
4,464
Dyvim_sl said:
Essentially both sentences mean the same. Man smelling milk. While the first one actually translates to the man is smelling at the milk(box).
Click to expand...
You walk into a room, you smell milk. Somewhere. That's "der Mann riecht Milch"
You take the bottle from the fridge and smell if it's still good is "riecht an der Milch"

The second one is a deliberate action


As for the question about the movie, the way you're learning as the correct one is the more correct one, but usually people say the other one, because it is shorter.

as for schauen vs sehen, watching TV is called "fernsehen" and the TV is called "Fernseher". But in this context schauen is pretty much a synonym.
 
Dyvim

Dyvim

Bronze Knight of the Realm
1,420
195
either, just be aware that Spielsachen would always be a plural noun, so when you refer to just a single toy (like a doll) youd better use Spielzeug.
Like in "Vergiss dein Spielzeug/Puppe nicht!"
Vice versa for multiple toys Spielsachen is prefered to Spielzeuge.
For example: "Vergiss nicht deine Spielsachen einzupacken!"

Edit: Also be wary that nowadays the plural "Spielzeuge" is often (up to almost exclusively) used among adults to adresssextoys.
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
<Nazi Janitors>
7,090
36,558
Dyvim_sl said:
Edit: Also be wary that nowadays the plural "Spielzeuge" is often (up to almost exclusively) used among adults to adresssextoys.
Click to expand...
Die Frau spielt gern mit Spielzeuge.


So fun being able to say new things without looking them up!
 
Dyvim

Dyvim

Bronze Knight of the Realm
1,420
195
Blazin_sl said:
Way to rain on my parade! Danke, I still need a lot of practice with cases. Ich habe zwei Jahres vor gehe zu Deutschland. Ich komme besser. I don't know how to say "become"
Click to expand...
become is a false friend; since there is a german word "bekommen" = getting something (handed), so dont ever get that mixed up.

Correction in spoilers
Ichhabe vorzwei Jahrenach Deutschlandzu gehen.Ichwerdebesser(werden).=Iwill becomebetter.
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
<Nazi Janitors>
7,090
36,558
Dyvim_sl said:
become is a false friend; since there is a german word "bekommen" = getting something (handed), so dont ever get that mixed up.

Correction in spoilers
Ichhabe vorzwei Jahrenach Deutschlandzu gehen.Ichwerdebesser(werden).=Iwill becomebetter.
Click to expand...
Confused by the nach Deutschland, doesn't nach mean after? And why conjugate as gehen when I'm saying "Ich" Word order is so confusing
frown.png
 
Dyvim

Dyvim

Bronze Knight of the Realm
1,420
195
Blazin_sl said:
Confused by the nach Deutschland, doesn't nach mean after? And why conjugate as gehen when I'm saying "Ich" Word order is so confusing
frown.png
Click to expand...
to go to = gehen zu/nach; depends on going to a person/store (Ich gehe zu Tom; Lidl whatever) or going to a bigger place like town/county/country (Ich gehe nach M?nchen/Bayern/Deutschland). But yes "nach" means after when used in a temporal context, too. eg: Ich fliege nach 2 Stunden Wartezeit endlich nach Deutschland = I fly after 2h waiting time/delay to Germany.

I colored in the correction what parts depend on each other. Ich habe for = I plan to do; zwei Jahre = for 2 years; nach D = to Germany; zu gehen = to go to; being part of the split verb at the beginning of the sentence, which is only part that needed conjugating. Yes hard as fuck.
 
Blazin

Blazin

Creative Title
<Nazi Janitors>
7,090
36,558
Dyvim_sl said:
to go to = gehen zu/nach; depends on going to a person/store (Ich gehe zu Tom; Lidl whatever) or going to a bigger place like town/county/country (Ich gehe nach M?nchen/Bayern/Deutschland). But yes "nach" means after when used in a temporal context, too. eg: Ich fliege nach 2 Stunden Wartezeit endlich nach Deutschland = I fly after 2h waiting time/delay to Germany.

I colored in the correction what parts depend on each other. Ich habe for = I plan to do; zwei Jahre = for 2 years; nach D = to Germany; zu gehen = to go to; being part of the split verb at the beginning of the sentence, which is only part that needed conjugating. Yes hard as fuck.
Click to expand...
I really appreciate you taking the time, I'm really wanting to learn this and it can be quite frustrating. I'm likely to learn the language on some base level and just sound retarded until I can get around German speakers who can help me fine tune my grammar.

Obviously, even for native English speakers people mess up grammar all the time but we get the point, whether they say "their they're or there" "good instead of well etc." I think it's going to take me years to learn this, the vocab and spelling is not bad I consistently learn about 30 words a week but grammar is going to come slowly without native speakers to converse with in German .
 
McCheese

McCheese

SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
6,921
4,323
There are lots of places online where you can set up language exchanges via Skype, such as English/German so you can practice your speaking with a native speaker and get instant feedback. Plus, when learning a foreign language I've found nothing is quite as useful for improving as actually using the language in a real, unplanned conversation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.