Questions tagged [german-to-english]
Übersetzung Deutsch nach Englisch - Questions on translations of a single word or phrase from German to English.
486
questions
7
votes
2answers
131 views
“Lackierte” und “Anstreicher”
In amazon review of a psychology thriller film it reads
Auch deshalb: Spott über das La-La-La Land ist völlig verfehlt. In einem anderen Land rannten 80 Millionen Lackierte dem weltgrößten ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
What does the verb 'wegpurzeln' mean? [context inside]
I am translating a Till Eulenspiegel story from German to English, and I came across the following sentence (source link):
"Im nächsten Augenblick lagen beide am Boden und rangen und schlugen ...
1
vote
3answers
118 views
Translate “Wenn der Teufel dieser Stadt etwas Böses antun will, lässt er noch einmal so etwas wie die Schlange bauen.”
I want to understand the semantic nuances behind the phrase:
"Wenn der Teufel dieser Stadt etwas Böses antun will, lässt er noch einmal so etwas wie die Schlange bauen."
I'm only at the mid ...
2
votes
0answers
63 views
What is the distinction between the two translations of “Feind”? [closed]
This perhaps is more appropriate for the English language stackexchange, but it's a question about a particular translation. Pardon my ignorance of the language.
In a translation of a "The ...
4
votes
1answer
90 views
In der Nähe vom
Die Wohnung liegt relativ zentral in der Nähe vom Stadtpark.
I understand the sentence as "the apartment lies in central, near the city park"
What is the use of vom (von) here? Do we need ...
11
votes
4answers
2k views
Does the phrase “hast du nicht gesehen” have any idiomatic meaning? [context inside]
I am translating a story about Till Eulenspiegel from German to English. The entire text can be found here, but I am interested in the following paragraph (from the first story about how he was ...
1
vote
3answers
166 views
Expressing “keep/bring in line” in German"
I am having troubles expressing "bringing/keeping someone in line" in German. This is synonymous with, "to keep somebody in control", or in German, closely related to "...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Understanding of “erlangt durch”
I am reading "Die Geheimnisse der oberen und der unteren Welt" and encountered following usage of erlangt durch which I am not sure how to construe.
It would be highly appreciated if someone ...
6
votes
2answers
115 views
Correct usage of the words “selbstständig” and “eigenständig”
I was wondering if somebody could help me understand the difference and correct usage of the words "selbstständig" and "eigenständig". Looking in the dictionary, it seems they ...
5
votes
1answer
661 views
I'm translating a play and in the midst of it there is a German sentence I cannot understand
I don't know German and here is the sentence.
"Wunderbar! Peter look! Wie die geht! Wie die aussieht, die ist genau meine Kragenweite!" (Arnold Wesker, Kitchen)
I used google translate but ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Correct meaning of noch nie
The website dict.cc translates noch nie as "never before". But, noch means "yet", thus, noch nie should mean "not yet". Which one is the correct meaning of noch nie?
1
vote
3answers
129 views
What's the meaning of the title of Manstein's book, 'Verlorene Siege' - missed victories or victories won in vain?
I recently shot through Manstein's Verlorene Siege in its English translation and am curious as to what is the precise or intended meaning of its title. With my rather limited knowledge of German, I ...
5
votes
1answer
622 views
In “Han i glei net allweil bei dir sein”, what is the word “han”?
In the song 'Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus', there is a statement
Han i glei net allweil bei dir sein
What's the original word han here? Can't guess what it is in the dictionary.
10
votes
2answers
185 views
What does “Spuren der kurzen Nacht” mean?
What does "Spuren der kurzen Nacht" mean?
Found here:
Rund um den Deutschen Steuerberatertag bringen wir Sie und Ihr Team
aber nicht nur fachlich und organisatorisch in Bestform – auch
...
5
votes
1answer
366 views
Why do translations of German books read so differently from other books?
I'm unsure whether my question is on-topic here, but it's about the German language, so I've decided to try.
I am an undergraduate student from Japan who learns foreign languages and loves reading ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the meaning of this song title: “Die Schlampen sind müde” von Rosenstolz?
This song was performed by Rosenstolz in Berlin in 2004 and was well received. However, the word "Schlampen" seems like an insult to women. What is the popular meaning of the title of this ...
8
votes
2answers
326 views
What is the default meaning of a German Präsens tense setence in the absence of time indicators
Background
German language textbooks teach that the German language does not have a tense with a progressive or continuous aspect which would indicate that an action is happening right now and will ...
-1
votes
1answer
68 views
How do you translate the “n-deklination” in tn English? [closed]
I just got familiar with n-deklination.
However, I do not understand how do you translate the "n-deklination" when you are translating a sentence from German to English?
For example, how do ...
4
votes
1answer
149 views
To “give something a boost” in German
I was wondering if you could help me properly express "to give something a boost" in German, where this generally means to "improve" or "re-energize". I was always under ...
4
votes
1answer
127 views
2
votes
4answers
102 views
To play with resilience/persistence
I was wondering if somebody could help me out here. I've done numerous google searches, but can't seem to find anything concrete. In English, we would say, "A team played with resilience" or ...
12
votes
5answers
1k views
Structure of weird sentence
Wofür so ein Sturm nicht alles gut ist!
It's about a story in which a storm happened and it wrecked the balcony of the neighbors who didn't know each other before. Because of the chaos created by the ...
-1
votes
1answer
115 views
Why EN and Not S? [closed]
I'm really confused. I cannot understand when I should use the (S) and the (EN). Here is an example :
Nasenloch
Arbeitslos
Hoffnungslos
Why in the first word We Use EN (Nachenloch) and not S (...
9
votes
5answers
449 views
Why “eine Kind” and not “ein Kind”?
Jede Familie hat dieses eine Kind
Why in this sentence, we use eine and not ein, despite the fact that Kind is neutral (das Kind)?
3
votes
2answers
206 views
What is “Grassicher”? or what could it have been a muddling of?
In William Tarrant's 1862 Ningpo to Shanghai, he displays a highly Victorian aversion to calling rape (the plant) by its actual name. Instead of just using Latin, though, he opts for the bizarre ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Why Viel and Not Vieles
Why it's
ich habe viel Geld
and not
ich habe vieles Geld
Knowing that : Das Geld ( Neutral )
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Aus dem Kirschfestlied, “ein Lehrer (…) verful auf die Kinder” — verful wohl ein Scherz für verfiel, aber was heißt “verfallen auf die Kinder”?
Aus dem Kirschfestlied (Seyferth, 1823):
"und ein Lehrer von der Schul´ sann auf Rettung und verful endlich auf die Kinder"
Das Wort verful ist scheinbar ein Scherz und der Autor meint verfiel, ...
1
vote
2answers
126 views
“wenn ich ihn mitnähme” translation
"wenn ich deinen Namen mitnähme, er würde fortsein wie zuvor"
Context is the following : 'ich' will die before 'du', 'ich' know 'du''s name, and nobody else does. When 'ich' will die the ...
1
vote
3answers
114 views
Translation of “unerreichbar entfernt”
I want to translate the following phrase from German to English/ French:
aber unerreichbar entfernt durch eine zehn Fuß starke Mauer
(Günther Anders: Die molussische Katakombe, p. 17)
I infer ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
Translating “jmd. anführen”
Er aber fuhr mich an, auch er und alle dächten an uns.
I see two possibilities:
But he raised, that also him and all were thinking about us
But he tried to fool me saying that also him and all were ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
The meaning of “Konsequenz aus etwas ziehen”
The academic book I`m using has translated this part of a sentence
Konsequenz aus etwas ziehen
as
draw the consequences from something
and I can't really relate what does it mean ?
I have ...
-1
votes
2answers
113 views
How would you translate “übersichtlich”? [closed]
I often get that word when people describe layouts of digital programs being "übersichtlicher" than others. How would you translate it?
clear
lucid
manageable
These don't really sound right to me.
1
vote
2answers
93 views
What is the reason for the dative pronoun in this sentence? [duplicate]
What is the reason for the dative pronoun mir in this sentence?
Bevor ich schlafen gehe, stelle ich mir meine Schuhe und meine Hose so vor das Bett, wie es richtige Feuerwehrleute tun.
From ...
2
votes
5answers
286 views
What does “sich machen” mean?
Thus far I have seen the following translations of this phrase:
to do with yourself
Chrome translations of this phrase as found somewhat intermittently in various German newspapers
(reflexive) to ...
0
votes
2answers
129 views
Possessive pronoun: Why “mein Auto”, not “meinen Auto”? [closed]
Ich wasche mein Auto
Ich sehe meine Kinder
I get that meine is used for plural accusative form
But why is mein correct for first sentence? Shouldn't it be meinen instead?
I am learning using table ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
Was ist das englische Äquivalent zu “lebensphasenorientierter Personalpolitik”? [closed]
Ich möchte einen Fragebogen bezüglich lebensphasenorientierter Personalpolitik erstellen, sowohl auf englisch als auch auf deutsch. Meine Frage ist nun, ob es im englischen einen Fachbegriff dafür ...
5
votes
3answers
434 views
compound nouns, meaning
I am trying to figure out the meaning of the compound nouns in the German language. I don't know what is expressed by combining words that way. I don't understand it. Here are few examples and ...
0
votes
1answer
82 views
0
votes
2answers
82 views
2
votes
1answer
113 views
Expressing “an accusation hangs over somebody” vs. “an accusation sticks to somebody” in German
I am trying to figure out how to express the small difference between something (crime/accusation) "hanging over somebody", and "sticking to somebody", in German. By "hanging over", I mean, the person ...
2
votes
2answers
167 views
Unterschied zwischen Acht und Achtung?
Gibt es vielleicht einen feinen Unterschied zwischen diesen Sätzen:
Bei der medizinischen Versorgung wird kaum (Acht/Achtung) auf die Verschiedenheit zwischen Männer und Frauen gegeben.
6
votes
1answer
179 views
Not-Aus versus Not-Halt
Whenever we deliver machinery to Germany, most emergency buttons (and especially Schlagtaste/Schlagschalter) are labelled 'NOT-AUS'. However, every once in a while I encounter items (like this one) ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
Clarification about “Gebietsstatus” on tax form
I want to open a bank account and there is a form about my tax status. Please take a look at the following picture.
I want to fill in this form but I don't know which option is for me. I am from Iran ...
1
vote
1answer
88 views
I'm looking for the translation of the expression “freies Sprechen” in English [closed]
I'm posting this here because I already tried many other platforms and found no good translation. Speaking freely means "offen Sprechen" and not exactly the meaning I'm looking for. I will also be ok ...
20
votes
3answers
5k views
How come that “stimmt so” means “keep the change”?
I would like to know how do those 2 words, stimmt and so, when used together, mean keep the change?
2
votes
2answers
479 views
What does lieber/liebe mean when used in a greeting?
Guten Morgen liebe Marie.
Is it affectionate, flirtatious, or just a greeting you would send to any friend? The example is coming from a guy.
11
votes
1answer
2k views
Need help to read Fraktur from a 18th century book
I am reading Euler's German translation of his work on differential calculus entitled Vollständige Anleitung zur Differentialrechnung (Complete instruction on Differential Calculus). I am struggling ...
0
votes
1answer
104 views
Meanings of Reichaft?
I was reviewing a photo taken sometime around the late 1800's, trying to figure out where it may have been taken. It's of a copper / ironware / tinware store. There's some German on the sign, saying ...
1
vote
2answers
68 views
How to properly express “to dwell on something” in German
Quick question: What is the best way to express, "to dwell on something" in German, in the sense of, to worry/think too much about something. Let's consider the following sentences:
You should not ...
1
vote
3answers
117 views
Übersetzung von „unmöglich am Ziel angekommen sein können“
Neulich habe ich einen Artikel über die Geschichte des Fortschritts in einem Buch gelesen. In diesem Artikel gibt es eine Aussage, die ich nicht komplett verstehen kann, oder nicht korrekt ins ...
