Questions tagged [meaning]

Bedeutung - Questions on definitions and nuances of words, phrases or sentences.

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Very basic grammar

When translating "Didn't you hear me?" as in "Hast du mich nicht gehört?" Can "mich" and "mir" be used interchangeably? I initially typed the sentence in my ...
Dan's user avatar
  • 31
0 votes
1 answer
26 views

'für den Preis von ...' vs 'zum Preis von ...'

I came across these two sentences on different websites: ein Dreierset Hemden für den Preis von einem. Drei Päckchen Kaffee zum Preis von zwei. Are the expressions 'für den Preis' and 'zum Preis' ...
Dennis's user avatar
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-4 votes
0 answers
42 views

Was bedeutet der Satz ich könnte gen Mekka beten und mir in die hose…

Das Buch Tschick von Wolfgang Herrndorf Seite 10 „Ich könnte noch gen Mekka beten und mir in die Hose kacken sonst sind nicht viele Optionen offen."(Z.21-23).Macht sich das Buch hier über den ...
user59452's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
130 views

What would be the best term to describe laboratory equipment?

How can I say "lab equipment" in German? By that I mean items like centrifuges, blotting and chromatography devices, autoclaves. Not furniture and not clothes. I am picking between ...
Sycamore's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
75 views

Which on-line resources to use for an Austrian definition of a term?

Looking for an Austrian definition of the term "Multikulturalismus." Or do Austrians simply use a German dictionary such as "Duden"?
John Lamb's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
126 views

Wird hier "veranlasst" im Sinne von "angewandt" benutzt?

Der Arztbrief gibt einen zusammenfassenden Überblick über den Status des Patienten bei der Entlassung, einen Rückblick über den Krankheitsverlauf, die veranlasste Therapie, eine Interpretation des ...
Anna's user avatar
  • 435
0 votes
1 answer
154 views

How should this sentence with the seemingly critical words "willst" and "doch" be interpreted?

I came across the following sentence, which according to the written source is formulated as such: Willst du mehr – ganz unersättlich – doch der Kosmos ist zerbrechlich. I suppose that "...
Jarl's user avatar
  • 11
5 votes
5 answers
4k views

German word for 'feeling no particular way' without negative connotation?

I'm trying to hunt down a word I can't seem to find anywhere. In English the feeling would be put 'feeling no particular way,' or simply existing with emphasis. Emptiness isn't the right meaning, as ...
sdfghj's user avatar
  • 53
3 votes
3 answers
145 views

"durch [etwas] unverdorben"

Im folgenden Satz: X ist durch Y unverdorben. Ist Y der Grund, dass X unverdorben ist? Oder wurde X davor bewahrt, von Y verdorben zu werden? Beispiel Barbara ist durch ihre Mutter unverdorben. ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
126 views

What does "Leidzeit" mean?

I translated "Leidzeit" into English, but I feel somehow it's just a literal translation for this word. I want to know the most usage of this word and how can I use it? Thanks in advance, my ...
Moha's user avatar
  • 13
0 votes
3 answers
181 views

This seems like a strange use of the verb stellen [duplicate]

This sentence appears in Anthony Doerr's Alles Licht, das wir nicht sehen, Aus dem Englischen von Werner Löcher-Lawrence: Die Amerikaner haben die Deutschen vorm Meer gestellt. DeepL translates this ...
user44591's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
101 views

Why „guter“ in „zu guter Letzt“?

Two questions regarding “zu guter Letzt”? (1) The comparative sequence of „gut“ is „gut/besser/am besten“ and a common beginner‘s mistake would be, „Mein Computer ist guter als deiner“ rather than „ ...
Mark Featherstone's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
182 views

Ursprung und Bedeutung von „Auge, @<username>“ in Social-Media-Postings

In Social-Media-Postings findet man gelegentlich die Formulierung Auge, @<username>. Ich vermute, sie wird gebraucht, um jemand auf etwas hinzuweisen, im Sinne von: Das betrifft dich, @<...
MartinW's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
3 answers
81 views

immer vs immer mehr - progressive changes

I have heard the following sentence in a Russian-Ukraine war report in the DW channel: Junge Leute werden immer unzufrieden. I initially translated this to "Young people always become ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
2k views

Using "sich überlegen" to express "decide to do sth"

My question concerns the number of ways one may express "to decide to do sth" in German. One can use "sich entschließen" or "sich entscheiden" followed by a zu-infinitive ...
Dr.Doom's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
91 views

erst mal vs vorerst vs fürs Erste

I have the following sentence heard in the Kitz TV series: Danke, erst mal. Context: A police investigator thanks a girl after asking her some questions about the death of a young rich friend of ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Concerning the word, "schwarzbraun;" Does this term, when applied to a person, literally mean "blackbrown", or connote "brunette"?

[1] Concerning the word, "schwarzbraun;" Does this term, when applied to a person, literally mean "black brown", or connote "brunette"? [2] Does schwarzbraun suggest a ...
CHARLES SHARP's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
225 views

Can the word “Schlange” refer to a “dragon”?

In my German/English dictionary, the primary translation for “Schlange” is: snake, serpent In English, the word “serpent” usually refers to a “snake”, but it can also refer to a “dragon” (or another ...
Elements In Space's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
170 views

Mohnhaft 1928 meaning

I have been sent a document from Lübeck dated 1928 where the word "mohnhaft" in reference to a record made about my grandmother. Can you help? I'll gladly send a copy of the document.
Lillian Signe Fritsch's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
443 views

How should I understand when a word is not in DWDS, but in the literature?

While reading a modern novel in German, Alles Licht, das wir nicht sehen, I came across the word, "Verrieseln": Kalte Winde blasen vom Atlantik heran, und Etienne verbarrikadiert sich im ...
user44591's user avatar
  • 4,480
1 vote
1 answer
184 views

Origin and Meaning of Prefix "ver-"

What is etymology of the prefix "ver" and what does it do to a word? For example, "lassen" means "let" but "verlassen" means "leave"
user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
104 views

Is "Verbockt" pejorative?

I came across word "verbockt". As far as I know, it translates to "messed up" or so. My question is, whether it's pejorative or not - so, if I can safely use it in normal ...
Mewix's user avatar
  • 97
0 votes
2 answers
99 views

"Explizites Einverständnis" gegenüber "implizites Einverständnis"

In einem elektronischen Formular beschreibe ich, wie die Daten verarbeitet werden. Am Schluss steht dann: "Durch das Absenden ... erklären Sie sich explizit mit der beschriebenen Verarbeitung ...
phunsoft's user avatar
  • 105
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can "Zusammenstellung" mean "summary"?

As far as I understand, "Zusammenstellung" means a compilation, a grouping of something. That is what I gather from Duden, Wictionary, etc. But in Linguee, it is also sometimes translated by ...
Sylvain Gadenne's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
130 views

"annehmen" means both "assume" and "presume"

Consider these two English words: assume presume Similar they may be, there is still a subtle difference between the two, namely the action of "presuming" involving more certainty. Now, ...
Dr.Doom's user avatar
  • 1,047
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Unknown word "Beuelch" on title page of 16th century German hymnal

The Christmas hymn "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen", which is of unknown origin, first appeared in print in a hymnal for the diocese of Speyer that was printed in Cologne in 1599, the so called ...
njuffa's user avatar
  • 243
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

In this sentence "Kann man hier gut essen gehen?", why do we use gehen? What does it mean here?

In this sentence: Kann man hier gut essen gehen? Why do we use "gehen"? What does it mean here? The exercise is asking us to fill in the correct modal verb, which I have done, but I don't ...
Kamran's user avatar
  • 87
7 votes
1 answer
741 views

What's the feel of the last line in this poem?

The below poem was written as a dedication in a book. It was written by someone who was known as being very funny, but did not like it if anyone else was able to get laughs - and did not get on with ...
ajor's user avatar
  • 622
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

What are the jokes in these quotations attributed to Paul Meyerheim?

Here are a couple of "witty" expressions attributed to Paul Meyerheim. I'm struggling to understand the humour in these - anyone able to help? Als Isadora Duncan in Berlin in Mode kam und ...
ajor's user avatar
  • 622
1 vote
1 answer
130 views

difference between dies vs das

I have a bit of confusion between the proper use of dies and das. Both can be used as demonstrative determiner. For example, if you are pointing out to group of people in front of you and want to show ...
yucelm's user avatar
  • 151
1 vote
2 answers
101 views

Why is "keiner" masculine in this sentence? "Keiner sagt dir, was du tun sollst"

Why is "keiner" masculine in this sentence? "Keiner sagt dir, was du tun sollst" Is "keiner" used instead of a specific name?
aysana.s. heydari's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
112 views

What does "eben" mean in "ich arbeite immer noch für die Agentur aber eben freiberuflich"?

In this sentence, does eben mean "als" or "as" in english? Because I have never seen these meanings for "eben"
aysana.s. heydari's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
24 views

Erlernen and Lernen [duplicate]

What is the difference between the nouns Lernen and Erlernen?
Steve's user avatar
  • 1,426
7 votes
2 answers
152 views

Wie habe ich das nur gemacht?

So the question is in the title. Because my German is still very basic, and I only know that "nur" means "only", I was wondering if in this phrasing it acts something like a modal ...
Djanoko's user avatar
  • 83
2 votes
1 answer
246 views

Clarification of a piece of German text

I have come across the following sentence: der Geldautomat: Eine Maschine, die einem Geld von seinem Konto auszahlt. I could not derive the meaning of this sentence. Shouldn't it have been written as ...
Saffet Gokcen Sen's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
191 views

Bedeutung „es liegt mir nicht fern“

Was bedeutet dieser Ausdruck: es liegt mir nicht fern, es zu tun Bedeutet er, dass jemand die Absicht hat, etwas zu tun?
Hazem .m's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
79 views

If there is more than one subject separated by “and” in a German sentence is the verb plural or singular? [closed]

In an English sentence like “Tom and Jerry like chasing each other”, the verb is plural. But in an answer on Duolingo German a singular verb was used in a subordinate clause. Google translate used a ...
Confused's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
1k views

Possible meanings of "zwingen"

What is the best interpretation of the verb zwingen in this line of verse? Den frohen Künstler kann die Welt nicht zwingen,Er aber zwingt mit seiner Kunst die Welt. I'm broadly familiar with the ...
ajor's user avatar
  • 622
10 votes
1 answer
250 views

Was ist ein Kurzsack?

Bei der Bearbeitung einer Frage auf einer anderen Stackexchange-Seite traf ich auf folgendes Wort: Wenn ein Mädchen den Burschen gefallen und beim Tanze das erste sein will, da muss es an einem ...
ccprog's user avatar
  • 1,171
4 votes
2 answers
169 views

"bis" to translate "by the time …"

I see in various places online "bis" used to translate "by the time", as in these examples: And by the time we do, my wife will be dead. Und bis wir das schaffen, wird meine Frau ...
ben w's user avatar
  • 141
2 votes
4 answers
211 views

Bedeutung von "sich überrascht zeigen"

Die Bundesregierung nach dieser Schlagzeile "zeigt sich überrascht" von Erdoğans jüngsten Tiraden. Ich habe die Bedeutung von "sich etw. zeigen" recherchiert und konnte keine klare ...
cruthers's user avatar
  • 1,073
1 vote
3 answers
154 views

What does "dies" do in this sentence? [duplicate]

I am learning German reading Karl Marx' Das Kapital, mostly to make it fun. But in the second paragraph, I could not understand the following sentence: Es geschah dies nicht nur des Zusammenhangs und ...
Schilive's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
1 answer
169 views

A site where I can find antonyms of german words?

I want a site where I can find opposite of an adjective in German. For example, gross should be klein, hell should be dunkel and so on. I am, however, unable to find such a site. Can someone advice?
tryst with freedom's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
107 views

Bedeutung "auf niedriger Ebene"

Folgende Formulierung in einem Nachrichtentext über die Verhältnisse zwischen Ägypten und Israel verstehe ich nicht, und kann sie mir nicht mit Google Suchen und Übersetzungen helfen zu verstehen: ...
Yalla T.'s user avatar
  • 336
1 vote
2 answers
183 views

How to understand "Der Angst den Schrecken nehmen"?

The structure "etwas (dativ) den Schrecken nehmen" means "make something less terrifying", but I fail to understand why there are two dativ objects: etwas, den Schrecken, and ...
JoyfulPanda's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
206 views

What number is Einsfünfundvierzig?

Two characters in a book were talking about the price of a commodity and the price was Einsfünfundvierzig. I am not sure if it is 45 or 145. Tanks
moviso's user avatar
  • 71
11 votes
4 answers
3k views

Meaning of "schon einmal"

What does "schon einmal" mean in this sentence? In ihren Artikeln, die eine ganz eigene, persönliche Note tragen, spricht sie auch schon einmal aus, wenn ihr etwas in der Blogger-Szene ...
Vivian's user avatar
  • 121
2 votes
3 answers
243 views

Does "irgendweshalb" exist?

There are 2 used expressions to express "for some unknown reason" I know of: Wieso/weshalb/warum auch immer, aus irgendeinem Grund And several slight variations of those. However, there ...
EagleFliesBanana's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
89 views

Ruppig oder Hofton?

This is an extract from "... Als die Noten laufen lernten..." by Karin Ploog. Paul Lindau war in der großen Welt des Theaters zu Hause. Ihm sagte Heinrich Grünfeld eine unglaubliche ...
ajor's user avatar
  • 622
4 votes
1 answer
978 views

"bieten" with the meaning of "to ensure"

In a newspaper article, I tumbled on the following sentence: "Die Krankenkasse fordert politische Massnahmen, um dem Anstieg der [Krankenversicherungs]Prämien Einhalt zu bieten". In this ...
Sylvain Gadenne's user avatar

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