German Language Stack Exchange
German Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [standard-german]

Standarddeutsch – questions relating EXPLICITLY to the supra-regional German used in written language. Please read the tag wiki before applying this tag.

There are many regional variations and dialects in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Hochdeutsch is the standard German that can be understood by all German speakers. It is probably the only way for a Bavarian, Austrian or Swiss to communicate with a North German. Newspapers and other publications are generally printed in Hochdeutsch, which is regarded as ‘proper’ German. The standards and rules of Hochdeutsch are fixed in dictionaries and grammars.

Only use this tag for questions about standard German as such, e.g., how it is defined, when it is used, or how it relates to other variants of German.

Do not use it to indicate that you want to know about a particular grammatical feature, rule of orthography, or word in Standard German. This is not necessary, as standard German is assumed as the default anyway.

335 questions
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Hochdeutsch und Luthers Bibelübersetzung

Ein Deutscher hat mir einen Grund dafür genannt, warum man in Hannover (und in dessen Nähe) Hochdeutsch spricht. Es habe damit zu tun, dass Luther in diesem geographischen Gebiet die Bibel übersetzt oder gedruckt und „dadurch die biblischen Texte…
c.p.
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When should you use "du" instead of "Sie"?

When should you speak to people using "du" instead of "Sie" if you want to be polite but not seem snobby? My parents were German but I was born and raised in Canada. My German is fairly limited but I have many relatives in Germany and have visited…
Henry
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When to use German Auxilary Verbs

I understand the meaning of each auxilary verb (and their grammatical usages) but when do you use each in practice. For example: “Sie ist gestern nicht mitgekommen.” I get that “mitkommen” is an intransitive verb, so if you use an auxilary, you’d…
Aaron
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Prepare for the German examination

Ich will mich für die Prüfung für das Große Deutsche Sprachdiplom vorbereiten. Wisst ihr wo ich online Prüfungsmodulare finden kann? Kennt jemand das Buch: "Fromme/Guess, Fit fürs Goethe-Zertifikat C2. Lehrbuch mit integrierter Audio-CD: Großes…
Mary Star
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Double-nominative constructions and “von”

When do you use von and when do you use a double-nominative construction, such as discussed at this linked question, when talking about the amount of something? Compare, for example, ein Glas Wasser and tausende von Büchern
Aaron
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Can anyone explain on when to use vielleicht and wahrscheinlich?

I often hear people saying this word wahrscheinlich. I generally use vielleicht. Is it correct? Could anyone explain some examples if there is any difference between the two?
Sujatha Rajesh
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Ist es „auf dem Tisch“ oder „auf den Tisch?“

Zum Beispiel: Die Flasche ist auf dem Tisch. Aber was passiert wenn man in Bewegung ist? Zum Beispiel: Ich lege die Flasche auf den Tisch. Gibt es einer Unterschied nur weil die Flasche in Bewegung ist? Oder weil es eine Beziehung zwischen dem…
user33443
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Is there a database for german words with their pronunciation?

I found many databases with most of the german words, but non of them contained the pronunciation of the words. (In Phonetic spelling) Something like: Hund - Húnd OLivenbaum - oˈliːvn̩ba͜um would be great. Wiktionary is also not suffient, as it can…
LenzAbi
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Ambiguous sentence with "bei"?

Is this sentence ambiguous? Er war bei den Demonstranten. Duden gives this as an example of "bei" meaning "unter, zwischen (einer Menge)" but to the best of my non-native understanding, it seems as if this could mean either "he was near the…
Aaron
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Words and Words with "ver-" Prefix

If a word and the same word with a "ver-" prefix mean "essentially" the same thing, are there any general differences between them? If so, what are they? Examples: Folgen / Verfolgen Prügeln / Verprügeln (Others that I can't remember... haha)
Aaron
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Present tense with indicators of other time frames

When do you use the present tense with indicators of other time frames and when do you just use those time frames? Present Tense examples: Ich gehe früher nach Deutschland. Ich habe nach Deutschland gegangen. Ich esse Abendbrot später. Ich…
Aaron
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When to use separable verbs and normal verbs to express an action?

I understand German has separable verbs and normal verbs for some actions For example: zumachen - schließen aufmachen - öffnen absagen - stornieren and lot more.. When to use the separable and when to use normal verb? Is there any hard and fast…
Sujatha Rajesh
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What is the concept expressed with the word 'quasi' in day to day conversation?

My German colleagues use the word 'quasi' . I wanted to use that word in my conversation but I am still confused about the usage of the word and grammar.
Sujatha Rajesh
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4
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What is the difference between drin and darin?

What is the difference between drin and darin? I often hear people saying these two words, but I am not sure about situations on how to use them.
Sujatha Rajesh
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What is the DIN standard for a business letter?

I'm told that there is a DIN standard that specifies the format of a business letter in Germany. What standard is it, and where can I find it?
nibot
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