Questions tagged [german-to-english]
Übersetzung Deutsch nach Englisch - Questions on translations of a single word or phrase from German to English.
556
questions
3
votes
1answer
194 views
German idioms like "Draining the swamp"
Are there any (incriminating) idioms in German similar to "Draining the swamp", which is American for "weed out all the bad guys"?
Besides similar phrases, is this idiom itself ...
2
votes
4answers
119 views
Riesendurchfall - idiomatic meaning?
I've come across the word Riesendurchfall in a text I am translating, but can't find any suggestion for a translation other than the literal (which I can't see working in English). Is there a more ...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
"Kein lieber Gott" - Westernhagen lyric ("Ganz und gar", 1987)
I'm listening to Westernhagen's self-titled album, and there's a line in Ganz und gar that I'm having trouble with, because my intuitions about kein as an article and der as a pronoun are pretty fuzzy....
0
votes
1answer
140 views
Is there a way to pick up on the philosophical differences between German and English?
Once one understands word order and actual meanings of words in German, a difficulty which still keeps them from being able to use their knowledge to full potential is the different philosophical ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Cultural context for "Abendland" and "Rettung" in this song lyric
What does "das Abendland und seine Rettung" really mean in this context?
I'm listening to "Alice and Sarah" by The Broilers (fuill songtext on Genius). It is largely a song telling ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
"Sittlichkeit" in contradistinction to "Moralität" and "Ethik" [closed]
Would "Sittlichkeit der Sitte" be aptly and correctly translated as "Morality of Mores", despite it not having the use of "Moralität"?
0
votes
1answer
99 views
Du wirst eliminiert > You will eliminate? Is this a mistake? [closed]
As far as I know, subject + werden + participle is the template for passive voice.
So, I put "Du wirst eliminiert" in Google Translate and it suggests "You will eliminate".
If I ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
Meaning of personal pronoun right after subject in german questions
Q: Warum konntest du dich nicht hinlegen?
Translation: Why can't you lay down?
My question is what is the purpose of 'dich' in this sentence? I tried to translate the sentence without dich into ...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
What's the meaning of "Man weiß halt gefühlt nichts"?
I came across this sentence on twitter:
Man weiß halt gefühlt nichts.
I can't quite work out the meaning implied here, is it: One feels like he knows nothing, or One knows he feels nothing??
And I ...
0
votes
2answers
87 views
How to know which conjugation wird, when used for different examples that coincide with ist?
I am combining my previous posts to this question. My comments were not notified with right tags to the people who answered my questions, so I deleted comments and I am creating new question here.
...
0
votes
2answers
90 views
"aufschinden" – in context
I have a problem with interpreting "aufschinden" in the below context:
Ich habe mich mit mehreren Benennungen herum versucht und mich nur im letzten Augenblick – und dann vielleicht gar für ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
What's the best way to translate "ausfeilen" in English?
I came across the term "ausfeilen" in a book I'm reading, in the context of an "ausgefeilte Rede", and the most online dictionaries translate this as "to polish" as in ...
1
vote
3answers
220 views
Meaning of "in Wahrheit"
I am currently browsing some German subreddits on Reddit, and I came across this meme on r/ich_iel. I unfortunately don't know enough German to fully understand it, so I got a bit of help from Google ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
The meaning of this sentence, especially, dafür [duplicate]
The sentence:
Es waren kaum Leute auf der Straße, dafür rasten die Autos ganz nah an uns vorbei.
DeepL translates it as:
There were hardly any people on the street, but the cars sped past us very ...
0
votes
5answers
154 views
»machen« or »gehen«?
Morgen beginne ich, lange Spaziergänge zu gehen.
Or
Morgen beginne ich, lange Spaziergänge zu machen.
Which verb is right in this situation? Both makes sense to me.
2
votes
1answer
131 views
Is there an ambiguity in translation of Frege's "Bestande des Gedankens"?
The phrase "Bestande des Gedankens" is differently translated as (A) "the make-up of a thought" or (B) "the being of a thought" in the context of the following passage:
...
3
votes
3answers
226 views
Altes Haus and alte Schachtel
I was curious. I'm familiar with altes Haus, however my German cousin always calls me alte Schachtel (carton/box as opposed to House), because she thinks it's funny. Do they both mean the same thing, ...
0
votes
1answer
85 views
English for "Wer austeilt muss auch einstecken können." [closed]
Is there an English equivalent to the German idiom in the title? It is used to remind someone not mincing their words to be sporting when someone else responds in kind.
0
votes
1answer
74 views
"low vibration disturbance" in tech text
Could you help me with a translation of low vibration disturbance in German?
low vibration disturbance, because of small, light, and lower power consumption equipment
Could I translate it as ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
2
votes
2answers
154 views
What does "die Kosten sind auf Ihrer Rechnung abzuziehen" mean?
Newly I was reading an insurance policy and I have read this sentence:
Die Kosten sind auf Ihrer Rechnung abzuziehen.
I know that the verb abziehen can come with von, not with auf, like
"die ...
2
votes
1answer
101 views
Es gehört dazu allerdings
I have two problems that I need help with these sentences:
Es gehört dazu allerdings, dass man sich nicht durch übertriebenes Nationalgefühl blenden lässt, wie es bei einem großen Teil der Franzosen ...
2
votes
1answer
115 views
Why is "ruhen" in lower case in "Nach getaner Arbeit ist gut ruhen"?
In the following sentence:
Nach getaner Arbeit ist gut ruhen.
Should "ruhen" be in lower case (verb) or upper case (noun)?
And what is the exact translation of the sentence? Is it ...
1
vote
1answer
153 views
What does "Richten Sie ihr bitte" mean?
In the context of a phone call, one side said:
Der Termin dauert bis ca. 14h, möchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
And the other said:
Richten Sie ihr bitte, das ich ihr eine E-mail geschickt ...
1
vote
3answers
106 views
Translation: "Vorzügliches" in English
I would like to translate the following sentence into English, taken from a handwritten document produced in 1804 in Prague:
"Welche Beweise sind für den Satz über das Gleichgewicht am Hebel ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
Unterschied zwischen Haus & Heim
was ist der Unterschied zwischen Haus & Heim? z.b. es ist ebenso wie House & Home am Englisch?
Im translate schreibt es:
ENG zu DEU:
I'am at home --> Ich bin zu Hause
Aber Sie kennen, ...
3
votes
4answers
199 views
Lyrics translation: "Ausländer" by Rammstein
In Rammstein's "Ausländer", there's this verse:
So hab ich mich schon früh gezwungen
Dem Missverständnis zum Verdruss
Dass man Sprachen lernen muss
Dem Missverständnis zum Verdruss - ...
2
votes
1answer
161 views
Difference between "Niemand kann" and "Es kann niemand"
Perhaps someone can explain the difference between the following two sentences:
1 - Es kann uns niemand den geringsten Vorwurf machen.
2 - Niemand kann uns den geringsten Vorwurf machen.
The first was ...
0
votes
2answers
304 views
Why tausend (not dausend)?
Why are
three drei
thou du
thorn Dorn
thin dünn
then dann
but
thousand tausend?
0
votes
2answers
110 views
Verbtabellen in deutsch und englisch
ich suche Verbtabellen in deutsch mit englischer Übersetzung.
Alle Verbformen in aktiv und passiv, mit und ohne Modalverb.
(Ich lerne deutsch und englisch).
Ich kann sie leider nirgendwo finden.
Bitte ...
7
votes
4answers
3k views
Is "befriedet" correctly translated to "pacified" here?
This is prompted by a question over at LawSE. In my attempt to answer, I've had to use Google Translate for this piece of legislation:
(1) Wer in die Wohnung, in die Geschäftsräume oder in das ...
1
vote
1answer
249 views
1
vote
3answers
229 views
Das, äh, sieht sehr übersichtlich aus
Can anyone give the feeling behind "Das, äh, sieht sehr übersichtlich aus"?
It's from the movie Ödipussi with Loriot.
My source:
Die Szene ist auf jeden Fall von Loriot. Wie das Stück ...
asked Jun 29 '21 at 7:07
Mawg says reinstate Monica
1,1751 gold badge10 silver badges18 bronze badges
5
votes
3answers
301 views
Meaning of "Standort Vermittlung"
I have found a WWII photo of a palace in central Poland, in a city occupied by Nazis. There is a board on the wall with the following text:
STANDORT
VERMITTLUNG
<CITY NAME>
Here's the photo:
...
2
votes
3answers
172 views
How can I translate the phrase "ob nicht doch" to English? [closed]
I am trying to translate a text from German to English. In the original text, there is this sentence:
Er hat leichte Zweifel, ob das Projekt nicht doch zu einem schlechten Ausgang führen würde.
How ...
4
votes
2answers
331 views
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen saugen und lutschen?
From: Daumenlutschen - Wikipedia
Daumenlutschen ist eine Angewohnheit von Menschen und anderen Primaten, den Daumen in den Mund zu stecken und daran zu saugen oder zu lutschen.
What is the difference ...
1
vote
1answer
113 views
Das Wesen vs. die Wesenheit [closed]
Ich habe eine Frage über dem Unterschied zwischen dem Begriff des Wesens und der Wesenheit. Ich würde mich freuen, wenn ein Muttersprachler mit den Beispielen oder einer Beschreibung des Wortgefühls ...
1
vote
3answers
124 views
What is the meaning of Pfadarbeit, as a way of spiritual development?
I am translating text from English to Bulgarian, but some of its original form had been written in German. Therefore, there are specific English words that do not translate properly. One such a word ...
1
vote
2answers
136 views
How does »zuerst einmal« mean »first of all«?
German as a Germanic language is less influenced by Latin than English so new words are just two words combined and the meaning can be easily inferred. Except sometimes.
Immer wieder is always again, ...
3
votes
1answer
117 views
"sich nicht ausschließen lassen"
Naively, I have regarded the expression sich nicht ausschließen lassen as something that one would typically apply to one hypothesis out of several (especially if this hypothesis looks particularly ...
4
votes
1answer
160 views
What does *her* add to the meaning of this sentence?
(NB: If this question starts out looking very familiar to you, this is because it is in fact my second question about the same snippet of text. The first one is this one: "andern" vs "...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
How does "zuerst glühen wir vor" translate to "first, we'll have predrinks"?
I found the sentence
Zuerst glühen wir bei mir vor.
in Memrise. According to them, it translates to
First, we'll have predrinks at my place.
and the literal translation
First, glow we by me ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the difference between "antreten" and "konkurrieren"?
I am having difficulties figuring out the difference between "antreten" and "konkurrieren" in terms of the translation "to compete". In fact, both seem to be translated ...
-1
votes
1answer
165 views
What are "Lamellenspiesse"? [closed]
This meat product on a stick is called "Lamellspiess". What type of meat is it, and what is the English translation?
1
vote
3answers
112 views
Expressing "to do somebody a disservice" in German
I have been struggling with the correct way to express "to do somebody a disservice" in German. In English, this phrase is often used when your intentions are to do something good for ...
0
votes
2answers
82 views
Is there a term called component while using connectors in GermanGrammar? [closed]
The simply connector "dass" sends the verb at the end of the sentence.
I have always learned it in this way but, one trainer says this is not true.
Here is the sentence:
Michael says, that ...
1
vote
1answer
119 views
How to correctly express "get wise to"
I am having some difficulties translating the phrase: "to get wise to something" in German, where "to get wise to something" == "slowly figure out/not be fooled by somebody&...
0
votes
2answers
165 views
"bekommen" = "to give"?
I have read the following Q&A:
Warum sind Kinder heute so respektlos?
Wir haben die Freude der Kinder zerstört, indem sie alles bekommen haben, was sie wollten.
My first translation was "We ...
2
votes
1answer
445 views
Can "immer besser" mean "even better"?
In the sentence
Sie gefallen mir immer besser
the phrase immer besser obviously means better and better (i.e. increasingly better), but can it also mean even better (now) (i.e. better than before)?
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Split a sentence into elements
I try to decompose this sentence in elements and I am not sure how to do it:
Was ist denn das für eine Geschichte?
This may translate as "What kind of story is this?" (not sure).
Could you ...
