German: an über-cool language

3

[German] Hello, welcome to a short video about German. Do you understand me?

Hello! Today were talking about German. German has a reputation for long words and

difficult grammar. But far from being prosaic, it’s actually a language for writers, thinkers,

hipsters and business people, and is spoken by around 200 million people worldwide.

German is renowned for its complex grammar and syntax rules, which can pose a challenge

or a 'Herausforderung' – to any language learner. For some, learning German can even turn into

a full-blown love-hate relationship, or 'Hassliebe'. German is one of the most popular languages

taught in UK schools. Many people might remember a few phrases, but don’t delve deeper into

the complexities of the language. The two languages are still closely related

today. There are a lot of nouns that sound the same in English and German, such as 'friend'

(der Freund), 'coast' (dieste) or 'hair' (das Haar).

And finally ... gendered articlesthese are crucial for grasping the German language.

Without knowing their gender, you can’t decline nouns or adjectives properly in a sentence.

German nouns can also be very descriptive,

like 'Staubsauger', which means 'hoover', but literally translates as 'dust-sucker'. Or 'Schlafanzug',

which means 'sleeping suit', or just your pyjamas in English.

German is unique enough that its words have

been adopted into many other languages. Here are a few examples that have been borrowed

by the English language:

'Zeitgeist' – the defining spirit or mood

of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time

'Weltschmerz', which translates as world-weariness in the philosophical sense;

'Schadenfreude', meaning malicious enjoyment from the suffering of another;

andber-cool' – this one is a bit more obvious. It means 'very cool'.

If you decide to give German a try, it may seem complicated at first, but you will soon

discover that it is a beautiful language that’s not as prosaic as many people think. And since

it’s one of the top languages for international business, learning it might even pay off

with a new job.

So, is life really too short to learn German?

Definitely not. Nein!