German Language Stack Exchange
German Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [usage]

Sprachgebrauch - Questions about subtle points of usage of German words or phrases.

You should use this tag if your question is about how to use words or phrases appropriately.

If your question is about a specific single word, please use instead.

If your question is about meanings of a word, please use instead.

568 questions
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"Schlaf mir nicht ein" - warum "mir"?

Wie kann man denn genau die Verwendung von "mir" in einem Satz wie "Schlaf mir nicht ein!" erklären? Auf Englisch würde mir sowas wie "Don't you quit on me!" einfallen, aber auch da hätte ich leichte Probleme die genaue Bedeutungsnuance zu erklären.
deceze
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Difference between "ziemlich" & "ganz"

I learned that ziemlich means "quite, rather" and ganz means "whole, entire." but I just encountered this tweet: ganz leichter Schneefall. sehr dekorativ. My dictionary agrees that ganz can also mean "quite." So now I'd like to know what…
Arthaey
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1 answer

What time is it?

When learning German in college, I was taught "Was Uhr ist das?" or possibly "Wieviel Uhr ist es" (not sure which). However most online translators such as Google show "Wie spät ist es?". What is the way to ask what the current time is?
Russell Steen
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2 answers

Wie zitiert ihr Markennamen in Büchern/Artikeln?

Wie zitiert ihr Markennamen in Büchern/Artikeln? Ich schreibe derzeit an einer Arbeit und frage mich, wie ich bspw. Windows, MATLAB, Maple oder Excel verwende. Folgendes Beispiel demonstriert mein Problem mittels…
Marco Daniel
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12
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2 answers

Usage of “bunt”

I thought bunt was a neutral term that simply means colorful or multicolored. One German-speaking friend recently told me that bunt was not neutral at all and often carried a judgement. For example, ein buntes Kleid can be positive and…
Dan Leifker
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11
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1 answer

Usage of “in der Tat”

I learned from a dictionary that the phrase in der Tat means indeed. Can I use this phrase as a positive response to a statement? A: Heute ist es so kalt! B: In der Tat! Or can I only use it to modify a sentence? In der Tat stimmt, was du gesagt…
Mika H.
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10
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3 answers

"Vorname Name" oder "Name, Vorname" auf Visitenkarten

Da ich einen für deutsche Ohren kompliziert klingenden Vor- und Nachnamen habe, überlege ich, meinen Namen auf Visitenkarten im Format "Name, Vorname" anzugeben, damit klarer zwischen Vor- und Nachname unterschieden werden kann (insbesondere weil…
user16310
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10
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5 answers

Is “es gibt” not used as often as the English “there is”?

Do Germans use other verbs like befinden or existieren or totally different constructions to avoid using es gibt regularly?
Myf
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9
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1 answer

nur vs. nur noch

Is there a rule that tells me when to us "nur noch" over "nur"? Are they interchangeable? For example, consider the following two sentences: Heute sehen wir uns nur noch selten. Heute sehen wir uns nur selten. To me, there is absolutely no…
echoone
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1 answer

Why does German often use "halb" in a hyperbolic expression like "eine halbe Ewigkeit"?

Ich habe eine halbe Ewigkeit damit zugebracht, (X) etwas zu tun. Wofür war denn das? Ich bin um die halbe Welt gereist, (X) um etwas zu tun. Wofür war denn das? In English, a similar idea is usually phrased as "It took me eons / ages / forever /…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
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9
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1 answer

Which word is more used: "vertrauen" or "trauen"?

Both mean "to trust". But which is more used in speaking?
Hussien Chahin
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8
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3 answers

What is the meaning and use of "zu sollen"?

Attempting to translate the following English into German: You had him placed there deliberately so that Gloria would find him. I said: Du hattest ihn vorsätzlich hier hinstellen lassen, um Gloria ihn finden zu sollen. But the German-speaking…
user44591
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7
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3 answers

What is the proper use of the word “bang”?

The original context is “Bang fleht ein liebkranker Mann.” (Viljaslied, Die lustige Witwe). I once wrote a poem beginning, Ich schaue dich so gerne an. Du ließt mich immer so bang. Bang is supposed to mean anxious, or afraid, or however a…
Tom Au
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7
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4 answers

In what context would German speakers use "wie angewurzelt"?

Looking back on a time when we ran into what briefly seemed like a bear in the woods, I said in conversation: Wir standen da wie angewurzelt. ...to express the idea of our finding ourselves fear-struck and helplessly "riveted to the spot", as you…
Con-gras-tue-les-chiens
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7
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4 answers

Does form of address change when other listeners or readers are present?

I was part of an email exchange that included a group of professionals—some of whom know each other quite well and use "Du" with one another, and some of whom do not. One of the respondents on the list used "Du," "Dir," and "Dich" in a reply that…
aeismail
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