Most Popular
1500 questions
12
votes
2 answers
When can the second verb be omitted when there is a modal verb?
It came to my attention in this question that I had an incorrect notion that the second verb could always be omitted when the sentence had a modal verb. For example:
Ich will nach Hause.
Ich muss dringend zum Arzt.
Ich mag nicht in die Schule.
…
user19407
- 968
- 7
- 18
12
votes
2 answers
What is the difference in the usage between "reservieren" and "buchen"?
What is the difference between reservieren and buchen? Don't they both mean to book?
Ich reserviere eine Reise.
Ich buche eine Reise.
N88
- 381
- 5
- 12
12
votes
2 answers
"Don't show a half-built house to a fool." - German proverb?
George Polya claims in his book Mathematical Discovery on Understanding, Learning and Teaching Problem Solving [1]:
There is a German proverb: "Don't show a half-built house to a fool." (p. xii)
It might roughly translate to
Zeige einem Idioten…
Isa
- 253
- 1
- 7
12
votes
2 answers
When to use the word "mal"? How does it change the meaning?
When do we use the word mal after a verb? Does it change the meaning?
For example: what is the difference between the following sentences.
Guck mal. Frag mal.
Guck. Frag.
Sameer Damir
- 221
- 1
- 4
12
votes
7 answers
Books like "English Grammar in use" for the German language
"English Grammar in Use" - Cambridge University Press
is amazing. Is there any similar books for the German language?
[Update]:
"English Grammar in Use" is amazing because each unit spans one page, one page for the grammar and the other is…
Chiron
- 261
- 1
- 2
- 7
12
votes
4 answers
Únterlegen vs. unterlégen
I have a question about these two verbs with different stress and meaning. I thought, that stress determines, wether the prefix is separable or inseparable.
But in the Duden, both verbs are conjugated as if they have inseparable…
Anton
- 221
- 1
- 7
12
votes
7 answers
How can I tell if "Finger" is singular or plural in this example
Finger weg von meinem Essen
Is Finger plural or singular and how can I tell? I'm assuming it's plural because keep your finger away from my food doesn't make any sense. But other than not making sense, how can I tell the difference?
user1898829
- 255
- 1
- 6
12
votes
5 answers
How to correctly translate ‘einfallen’?
I’ve almost never encountered the word einfallen before, so it’s no wonder I don’t understand its meaning in the sentence:
Mir fällt die Telefonnummer einfach nicht ein.
Dictionaries do everything they can to make the meaning of the sentence yet…
Gofun Dake
- 471
- 1
- 5
- 12
12
votes
4 answers
What are "Marmelade", "Konfitüre", or "Fruchtaufstrich"?
Living in Germany I almost exclusively hear "Marmelade" for any spread made of fruits including "Erdbeermarmelade", "Himbeermarmelade", "Aprikosenmarmelade" and so on. Only rarely I also hear "Konfitüre" or, living in Swabia of course "Gsälz".…
Takkat
- 70,407
- 29
- 165
- 411
12
votes
2 answers
What is the stylistic device in “Pistolenstich und Messerschuss”
The song Karate by the German rap group K.I.Z. contains the line:
Pistolenstich und Messerschuss
In this line the second parts of the words are exchanged, since it usually would be “Pistolenschuss und Messerstich”. How is this stylistic device…
domisum
- 225
- 1
- 7
12
votes
1 answer
“Gehen” with genitive?
I saw this in Der treffende Ausdruck:
Die Nachbarin grüßte ihn kurz und ging ihres Weges, aber der Kollege unterhielt sich mit ihm, während sie auf den Bus warteten.
I’ve never seen a gehen plus genitive construction before. From the context I…
Jesse Pollack
- 567
- 3
- 10
12
votes
1 answer
Was könnte »Oumadoumouwoudou« auf Standarddeutsch sein?
In der Süddeutschen Zeitung vom 7. Mai berichtet Sebastian Beck in der Kolumne Unter Bayern, betitelt Neues aus der Wirtshausforschung über Stammtischbesuche von Journalisten. Er erzählt vom Besuch eines Stammtischs in der nördlichen Oberpfalz nahe…
Jan
- 38,628
- 7
- 78
- 164
12
votes
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
- 223
- 1
- 2
- 6
12
votes
3 answers
What’s the difference between ‘melden’ and ‘anmelden’ in the sense of ‘register’?
I read from Langenscheidt Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache the following entries for melden and anmelden:
melden: sagen oder auf andere Weise mitteilen, dass jemand an etwas teilnehmen will; z.B. einen Sportler für einem Wettkampf…
Eunice
- 2,226
- 12
- 23
12
votes
1 answer
“Platz” vs “Ort” when used in the sense of “place”?
What’s the difference between Platz and Ort when they are used in the sense of place?
I know each can have different meanings on their own (e.g. Platz can mean city square and Ort can mean village), but what when you’re talking about a place in a…
AnnawanDev
- 223
- 2
- 6