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Spechen Sie Deutsch?

Baz Auckland

07:57 / 07.04.02

In preparation for an upcoming trip to Ossteriech next month, I am trying to learn German. Any speakers out there that can help me with the pronunciation?

I have a pretty good phrase book, and I'm learning the grammar and verbs and whatnot, but I could use some phonetics if possible for some phrases, just so I know how an 'a' 'f' 'ts' 'ch', etc. sounds within a word.

Bear

10:50 / 07.04.02

I only know what I was taught in High school which doesn't amount to much. I don't think there are any German Barbelith people?

Alot of German sounds like broad Scottish if that helps at all, just imagine Groundskeeper Willy from the Simpsons...:P

Trijhaos

11:17 / 07.04.02

I spent 4 years in germany awhile back and took german for a language in high school so I figure I have a pretty good grasp of the pronounciation.

Fist Fun

12:38 / 07.04.02

Yeah, go for the Scottish accent it so works...I was reading out a Dutch email to an, erm, Dutch lad and he complemented me on my accent...I didn't explain how little I understood and it was all thanks to my celtic roots...

Trijhaos

12:55 / 07.04.02

Check out Exeter University Beginner's German.

Its got wav files so you can hear how the words are pronounced.

wembley can change in 28 days

17:21 / 07.04.02

This may sound weird, but try speaking German with a german accent. Works for me! Also, watch a few german films. Run, Lola, Run is really colloquial, but in Wim Wenders' films they speak quite clearly. Not that you need to understand what they're saying (subtitles ahoy!), but it helps with getting a feel for the language. There are also some poems and stories online with wav files. There's probably lots to be found in that department. Viel Glück, eh?

Dao Jones

18:27 / 07.04.02

Random relevant facts:

There is no 'j' sound - it's a 'y'. There is no 'w' - it's a 'v'. A 'v' is pronounced like an 'f'. The one remaining gothic letter is the Beta-S, which looks like a 'B' and is used as a double 's' in some words.

German verbs work like those in the older incarnations of English: 'you have' becomes 'thou hast' becomes 'du hast'.

Word order is more significant in German than in English, and some constructions inevitably send the verb to the end.

German has polite and informal forms, but if in doubt, use the formal (Sie) form. This is especially important when dealing with elected officials and policemen, who may take serious offense otherwise.

Austrians sometimes object to being told they speak 'German'. They speak Austrian...

higuita

08:30 / 08.04.02

Apparently, lots of germans like you to call them 'fotze'.

(snigger)

Kit-Cat Club

08:45 / 08.04.02

One thing I would say is, be careful with the 'u' sound. It's not the sound you expect it to be (- that's the sound they use for the 'u' with the umlaut. So Frankfurt doesn't come out 'Frankfert', but is more like 'Frankfort'; 'Burg' (castle) sounds like 'Borg'. Be very careful when you ask for cake to make this 'u' sound rather than the English 'u' sound - otherwise you will be asking for kitchens ('Küchen') rather than cakes ('Kuchen') and everyone will laugh at you...

Fist Fun

09:09 / 08.04.02

Wouldn't it be cool if more Germans posted on Barbelith? But it is kinda obvious than an english language board is going to be anglo-centric...there are only two things that divide the world - language and culture and one of them is gonna be gone as soon as puters understand "fruit flies like a banana"...

Baz Auckland

16:10 / 08.04.02

Thanks to all, especially for the .wav files. Wish I'd thought of that earlier.

Mourne Kransky

21:19 / 08.04.02

If you can be bothered, Herr Auckland, this site is quite good on specifically Oesterreichische Deutsch usage:
http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/Austrian.html

(hope my attempt to link worked).

Includes some charming and useful words such as:

abgefuckt (adj.) - well worn. Does not not mean 'fucked up'.
Can also be used to describe cool old Viennese coffee houses, e.g., Das ist ein abgefucktes Wiener Café.

deppert (adj./adv.) - stupid{ly}. Sounds suspiciously like our word "dippit".

geh' scheißen (expletive) - fuck you! This can be used in a friendly or extremely unfriendly way.

Oasch (male noun) - arse, e.g. Du Oasch! (You orifice/ Oedipal type, etc.)

Viel Spaß!

Fist Fun

08:04 / 09.04.02

Actually the best advice on learning German comes from Mark Twain. Basically the grammar is evil, but he says it so much more eloquently.

Fist Fun

08:05 / 09.04.02

Every noun has a gender, and there is no sense or system in the distribution; so the gender of each must be learned separately and by heart. There is no other way. To do this one has to have a memory like a memorandum-book. In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what overwrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the girl. See how it looks in print -- I translate this from a conversation in one of the best of the German Sunday-school books:

"Gretchen.
Wilhelm, where is the turnip?
Wilhelm.
She has gone to the kitchen.
Gretchen.
Where is the accomplished and beautiful English maiden?
Wilhelm.
It has gone to the opera."

grant

19:59 / 09.04.02

Oh, Austrian.
Good luck.

They don't say "ja" like "ya" in Austria, they say, "yoh." It's as different from textbook Deutsch as American is from British English, as far as I could hear.

Baz Auckland

22:24 / 09.04.02

AND to add even more fun and linguistic hell: It looks like I'll be going to Tyrol as well, which means Italians with German accents! or Austrian/Italians with Very Strange accents! I should just point and smile, shouldn't I.....

Dao Jones

22:35 / 09.04.02

You're screwed. No one understands the bloody Tyrolians. Just speak English and be polite.

Wrecks City-Zen

22:46 / 09.04.02

All my Robert Anton Wilson books drop these german phrases I have always been curious about...is there anybody here that can help me out?

grant

01:53 / 10.04.02

Ewige = eternal
Schlangen = serpent (a "boomslang" is a "tree-snake" in Dutch)
Blumen = flower
Kraft = power

Turk

02:16 / 10.04.02

Think, ve ave vays of makeng you tork, and go from there.

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