One is the Loneliest number

Published on August 20, 2006 By Dr Guy In Home & Family

My wife is off to Germany to attend a wedding, so I got 10 days of boring and batching it. But before she left, I gave her a crash course in a few German phrases. And that was a riot!

I first told her to forget "Quanta Costa?" that in Germany it was "Wievil?". They are more succinct, you got to admit (my wife is fluent in Spanish and she does all the talking when we go to Mexico).

But it took 15 minutes of tutoring to get her to say Ich correctly. Even Kennedy could not say it right. It is not Ick, it is Ich, sliding the ch. Probably the hardest word in the German language for a non-German to learn. And one that all Germans smile at tourist who get it wrong (they are a very friendly people and will help you if you ask, but will not automatically correct you).

Yesterday, I was talking to one of our neighbors and she was reminiscing about her trip to Germany many moons ago. And she said "I just wanted to know how to ask "Where is the bathroom"?

Off the top of my head, I could not remember "Wo die Toillete ist?" (Germans borrow from other languages too!), but told her to give a colloquialism. "Wohin jeder Kaiser zu fuss gehen muss". So in thinking about it, I emailed my wife that colloquialism! I know for women, that is a very important phrase, and most any German (Deutscher) will know what that means.

But I had to laugh at her attempts to say Ich. She finally got it right! But it did take a long time. As German and English have a common root, I wonder why it is so hard for English Speaking people to get that one right?

Comments

dharmagrl

on Aug 20, 2006

German is a very gutteral language. You have to use your throat rather than your tongue to enunciate the words correctly, and (as you know) the sentence structure is a lot different than english.

I was taught to use 'vo ist der badenzimmer?' and that always worked for me when I was in Germany.

Dr Guy

on Aug 20, 2006

and (as you know) the sentence structure is a lot different than english.

Yes, but actually when you get the hang of the action verb being at the end of the sentence, it is very logical and easy to speak. Except for knowing the gender of the noun! In that, we English Sprechers are spoiled! All Nouns are neuter!

BTW: 'vo ist der badenzimmer?' That is probably best. But I just looked for the signs, so never really asked. I will email that one. Thanks!

MasonM

on Aug 20, 2006

I used to hang out with Russian and German sailors. Although I speak very, very little German I could usually understand them due to many words being somewhat similar to the English. Russians on the other hand were impossible to understand. Good thing they all knew a little English or we could never have communicated beyond sign language (which usually worked quite well).

It was the Cold War of course, and neither Americans or Germans were supposed to socialize with Soviet military, but in a bar in Naples we were all comrades.

uDigItTheMost

on Aug 20, 2006

---But I had to laugh at her attempts to say Ich. She finally got it right! But it did take a long time. As German and English have a common root, I wonder why it is so hard for English Speaking people to get that one right?---

Ich really difficult for me to say, too.

Dr Guy

on Aug 20, 2006

Although I speak very, very little German I could usually understand them due to many words being somewhat similar to the English. Russians on the other hand were impossible to understand. Good thing they all knew a little English or we could never have communicated beyond sign language (which usually worked quite well).

You nailed it! I told my wife if she wanted to go the park, just tell them "Das Park"! yea, a lot of German is English and vice versa. But Russian? I know Nyet! and that is about all.

Dr Guy

on Aug 20, 2006

Ich really difficult for me to say, too.

I will call you on that! From what I have seen, nothing is hard for you to do or say!

Now repeat after me, Ich bin ein Berliner! (I am a donut! ! Kennedy never got that one, and he did butcher the Ich part).

feisty_in_ohio

on Aug 20, 2006

Where's the bathroom would be first on my list!

MasonM

on Aug 20, 2006

Where's the beer would be first on my list. Where's the bathroom would definately be second.

foreverserenity

on Aug 20, 2006

It's all 'greek' to me! I used to have some german interns when I lived in NY. They were always fun people to be around. It was also fun hearing them speak english. They got the words, pronounciation and such right most of the time, just using the words in sentence sometimes was hilarious!

uDigItTheMost

on Aug 21, 2006

I think German would be so hard to learn. Rose was telling me how to pronounce some words. I couldn't get it at all.

btw ... Is there any funny German comedians?

Dr Guy

on Aug 21, 2006

Where's the bathroom would be first on my list!

Yea, so my neighbor told me. But being a guy, I had not thought of that.

Dr Guy

on Aug 21, 2006

Where's the beer would be first on my list. Where's the bathroom would definately be second.

Gibt mir ein Bier bitte.

Dr Guy

on Aug 21, 2006

They got the words, pronounciation and such right most of the time, just using the words in sentence sometimes was hilarious!

What is even funnier is to hear them talk with a British accent (most of the english taught over there is British English).

Dr Guy

on Aug 21, 2006

Ich really difficult for me to say, too.

I bet you can say it like a native.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!