Posted by Yohann
I’ve always been fascinated by German vornamen, or first names. Today we’ll look at some of the meanings and origins of German first names. If you don’t have a German name, hopefully this will inspire you to choose a German name that best represents yourself.
Anna/Anne : is a populär girl’s name. It means “grace”.
Arnold : is an altmodisch name for boys. It means “he who rules like an eagle”.
Conrad/Konrad : boy’s name meaning “bold advisor”.
Friedrich (can be shortened to Fritz) : “ruling in peace”
Heinrich : strong ruler
Ada : “nobility”
Lena : “sophisticated”
Karin : “pure”
Johannes/Yohan : “god is merciful”
Julia : has Latin origins meaning “youthful”
Maximilian : from Latin meaning “greatest”
Marie/Maria : “beloved”
Felix : “happy”, “lucky”
Charlotte : “little”, “womanly”
Some of these German names have been adopted from other cultures while others are traditionell German names.
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Posted by Yohann
1) This is the catch phrase of this German company: Vorsprung durch Technik (Audi)
2) The initials are used to refer to this company: Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW)
3) This company’s name literally means ‘German Bank’ (Deutsche Bank)
4) She is a famous Modedesignerin that has a business containing her name. Her initials are: JS (Jill Sander)
5) An airline that contains the German word for air (Lufthansa)
6) Is a famous Pharmazeutikum and Chemikalie company. The company begins with an M. (Merck)
7) Makes Sportschuhe. This company has a fast running animal as its logo. (Puma)
This company’s logo is based upon the Volksstaat Württemberg coat of arms. (Porsche)
9) Is a famous Bleistift company with it’s origins in Germany. (Eberhard Faber)
10) The founder of this piano company had the name Steinweg before it was anglicized. (Steinway & Sons)
11) This company’s name means ‘People’s Car” in German (Volkswagen)
12) This shoe company’s logo is three parallel bars. (Adidas)
13) This company is known for its aspirin and begins with a B. (Bayer)
14) This company makes clogs and Sandale. (Birkenstock)
How many of you were surprised that these companies had German origins?
Posted by Yohann
I have a beginner’s level reading passage in German. It’s a reading passage, but it’s not your average reading passage. I have left certain letters out and you have to fill in the letters in the comment section of this post. I’ve done this so that you will pay attention to the spelling of simple German words.
Guten Ta_! (Hello!) Ich hei_e Yohann. (I am called Yohann.) Ich komm_ aus Deut_chland aber ich _ohne nicht in Deut_chland (I come from Germany but I don’t live in Germany.) Ich _ohne in Ameri_a. (I live in America.) Brooklyn is eine sch_ne sta_t (Brooklyn is a beautiful city.) Ken_en _ie d__ _estaurant in _tudienplatz? (Do you know the restaurant in University Plaza?) D__ Es_en ist dort seh_ gut. (The food is very good there.) Ich arb__te als lehrer, und ich stud__re noch. (I work as a teacher and I am still at university [literally I still study].) Ich stud__re Deut_ch und Holl_ndisch. (I study Dutch and German.) Waren _ie schon einmal in Deut_chland? (Have you ever been in Germany before?)
I gave a little intro about myself. If you feel up to it, you can also give a little intro about yourself in German in the comment section. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. Just remember to include the English translation so that others can understand as well.
Bis dann! (So long!)
Posted by Yohann
Time for the German Rs!
Post vocalic r : does not sound like an English r. The syllable with the post vocalic r is pronounced slightly longer than the syllable without the r. To make this sound, spread your lips slightly apart. Words that contain this r : (der Herr) Mr., (hier) here
Pre vocalic r : is created by making a sound at the back of the mouth and the back of the tongue. It’s a sound that’s different from the post vocalic r. Words that contain this r : (die Frau) Mrs., (der Trost) consolation
Pre vocalic r in clusters : it’s easier to make these sounds by inserting an “a” in front of the r. For example, the word drei (three) can be pronounced as darei. Bringen (to bring) can be pronounced as baringen. Words that contain this sound : (braun) brown, (bedrohen) to threaten
Enough with the Rs. Next up are the dipthongs, diphthongs are two vowels pronounced together as if to pronounce a single vowel.
ai/ei - pronounced as eye. Examples : (der Mai) May, (bei) at, near
eu/äu - pronounced as oy. Examples : (die Häuser) houses, (neu) new
au - pronounced as ow. Examples : (auch) also
ie - pronounced as eeh. Examples : (Sie) you
