Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday XIII: Was heißt...?

Was heißt...?: "What is called...?"; How do you say... (in German/English/whatever-other-language)?

The above translation is what I would consider the "traditional" translation. This is, however, another way to use this phrase, and it's something I seem to continue to think/say to myself all the time. It can be used in a sort of rhetorical manner to express that an adjective is a little excessive or not quite the right word. Let me explain.

Let's say you're talking to a friend about someone eating your lunch from the employee refrigerator at work (that's a very specific example, I know...). That conversation might go a little something like this:

Friend: Waaas? Wie dreist! Du warst bestimmt mega angepisst!
You: Naja, was heißt angepisst? Ich war einfach ein bisschen genervt, weil ich dann mir etwas von der Kantine holen musste. Und das Essen dort schmeckt einfach nicht so gut...

Friend: Whaaat? How rude! I bet you were pissed off!
You: Well, I wouldn't say 'pissed off'. I was just a little annoyed, because then I had to buy something from the cafeteria, and the food there just doesn't taste as good...

I hope that made sense!
Bis bald!

Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday XII: Sonst

sonst: "else", "otherwise", "or else"

Here is another super versatile word. Like na, it can be paired with a variety of other words to change its meaning.

Und sonst so? - How's it going otherwise? (Good to use after a friend tells you about a bad experience they had recently - you should, of course, console them first.)
umsonst - free of charge, in vain (I got these cookies umsonst for volunteering at the blood drive! I drove all the way back home umsonst because my phone ended up being in my car the whole time!)
sonst wo - elsewhere
Sonst noch etwas? - Anything else? (Usually a question posed by wait staff.)
Was sonst noch? - What next? (Here, it takes a kind of exasperated tone.)
Wer denn sonst? - Who else? (Typically rhetorical: I mean, she gave birth to me! Are you talking about your mom? Wer denn sonst?)

I hope this helps you know how to use this highly recurring word!

Bis bald!

Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday XI: Bleigießen

das Bleigießen

Since this term has no real translation, I'll just explain it to you. Bleigießen is a German New Year's Eve tradition (it may be done in other countries, but not to my knowledge). A candle or tea light is lit, and a piece of lead or tin is placed on a spoon and melted over the flame. Once the metal is fully liquefied, it is quickly poured into a bowl of cool water. Then, the cooled metal is removed, and the participants try to identify some sort of shape. The shape tells the person's fortune for the coming year.

Bleigießen kits can be inexpensively purchased, complete with spoon, tin pieces and a list of possible shapes and their meanings. Typically, the tin pieces come in the form of some good luck symbol (a pig, a bag of money, a mushroom, etc.).

Toward the end of my latest year in Germany, I purchased one such kit to share with my family back in the States. Since we knew we wouldn't all be together on New Year's Eve, we decided to it on Christmas day (close enough, right?). This is what my mushroom turned into:




I kind of think it looks like a jellyfish. Or maybe a squirrel?








 


Frohes Neues und einen guten Rutsch wünsch ich euch!
Bis bald!

12 Days of Christmas Day 12: Presents

Now, we all know that getting (and giving!!) presents is great, and a huge part of the season, but I'm not here to talk about the gifts themselves. I'd like to talk about when the gift-giving actually happens.

In a previous post, I talked about how Santa comes the night of December 24th in both countries. That wasn't entirely accurate.

In Germany, das Christkind comes in the evening on Christmas Eve, usually around dinnertime. The living room is usually closed off while dinner is being eaten. Depending on the family, the tree might or might not be already set up and decorated. At any rate, after dinner, the family moves over to the living room to see what goodies das Christkind brought for them.

In the US, we have to wait longer. While Santa does come on Christmas Eve, he won't come until all the children are asleep in bed. However, the wait is made up for by the magic of coming downstairs early in the morning to see the tree all lit up and the presents underneath. It's always been one of my favorite memories of Christmas growing up. Even if I then had to wait a few hours for my parents to wake up...

However you do it, the first reveal of the presents under the tree is definitely one of the most magical aspects of Christmas. Then, seeing everyone's delighted faces when they unwrap just the thing they were hoping for just puts the icing on the cake (or Christmas cookie, if you will).



I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten!

12 Days of Christmas Day 11: Cookies

Baking cookies is like the painting eggs of Christmas. It's tradition! In my family, we bake sugar cookies and decorate them with a homemade frosting and sprinkles. During my exchange year, I made cookies and iced them with a powdered sugar and lemon juice icing.  The sprinkles were large sugar crystals. Cookies come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Whatever the kind, they seem to be an important part of the Christmas season.

Here in the US, we take that importance a little further. Before the children go to bed on December 24th, they leave out a platter of cookies and a glass of milk as a thank-you to Santa Claus (for a few years, my family even spread oatmeal out on the lawn for the reindeer). Santa doesn't always eat all the cookies - I mean, who could eat so many in one night?! - but he usually writes a little thank-you for the thought.


Bis morgen!

Witzige/Wichtige Worte on Wednesday X: Na?

na: "well"

This is another word that is very versatile in the Germany language and can change meaning based on the context and inflection. It can be used as a greeting. You can use it to express surprise or agreement. It can even be used to express reluctant resignation. Let me give you some examples.

Na (du)? - Hey! (An appropriate response to this would be another na.)
Na ja... - Well... (This is a way to respond to a question you're reluctant to answer, like if you got your homework done or if you told your in-laws they can't spend the holidays at your house.)
Na und? - So? So what? Who cares?
Na ja! - Oh, well! (Missed the bus? Na ja! Burned your bread in the toaster? Na ja! Didn't study for the test tomorrow? Na ja!)
Na gut! - Fine! Very well! Fair enough! (Usually used to give in, but still make it clear you're not happy about it.)
Na klar! - Of course! (Can you help me wash my car? Na klar! Do you want to go shopping tomorrow? Na klar! Do you want to eat pizza for dinner tonight? Na klar!)

These are by no means all the ways you can use na, but they are some of the more common ones.

Happy German-ing!

12 Days of Christmas Day 10: Santa

So, I totally intended to talk about Santa Claus and how he and der Weihnachtsmann compare and contrast. However, upon further research into the topic, I became confused. I guess that's what happens when your native traditions and customs are a hodge podge of those of other cultures. Let me try to explain.

In some parts of Germany, Sankt Nikolaus comes the night of December 5th to fill the shoes of children with small treats and gifts (as I mentioned in a previous post). In some traditions, the children can also leave a list for Sankt Nikolaus to pass on to the Weihnachtsmann, who delivers presents on the night of December 24th.

In the US, we mix those two traditions together. Santa Claus comes the night of December 24th to deliver presents, as well as fill shoes/stockings. Only some areas/families observe the St. Nick tradition.

Santa only comes to those who believe! So, don't stop believin'

!

For a more detailed and informative explanation, check out this site.

In either case, the gift-bringer who come on the 24th is a jolly old man with a long white beard and a red get-up. One rides a horse, while the other flies around in a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer. And both are certainly integral to modern celebrations of Christmas (at least as I know it).








Bis morgen!