Questions tagged [german-to-english]
Übersetzung Deutsch nach Englisch - Questions on translations of a single word or phrase from German to English.
500
questions
-3
votes
0answers
48 views
Kann jemand meinen kurzen Text prüfen? [closed]
Meine Erfahrung:
Mit 10 Jahren habe ich begonnen, Taschengeld zu bekommen. Normalerweise habe ich nur eins oder zwei Levs pro Tag erhalten. Aber das war genug, weil ich selten die Notwendigkeit etwas ...
0
votes
1answer
127 views
What does this mean? It's a quote by Nietzsche [closed]
What does this mean: "haben und mehrwollhaben" ? I could not find it anywhere, dictionary nor google.
Can someone help me, please?
2
votes
2answers
101 views
Berührung ist *nicht gleich* Berührung
To improve my German, I have been reading Deutschewelle articles. In this article, which explains the importance of physical contact between human beings, there is this excerpt:
Dabei ist Berührung ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Räte-Ideen: looking for a translation
Wie würden Sie "Räte-Ideen" verstehen/übersetzen?
das konnte nur in den Räte-Ideen erscheinen
I understand, something such as, "it could only appear in simplistic classwork essays&...
2
votes
1answer
445 views
Looking for German A1/A2 vocabulary PDF with articles
I have looked at some vocabularies on the internet. Most of them are without articles (der, die, das) which is so important. I have found one paper with articles but it is in alphabetic order, I need ...
4
votes
2answers
107 views
What's the difference between “Richtungssinn” and “Richtung”?
I was studying Physics(Statik) and I saw the word Richtungssinn. It translates as "sense of direction". And I know Richtung is "direction". But what does sense of direction even ...
0
votes
3answers
159 views
Meaning of eben auch
I hear "eben auch" a lot on Deutschlandfunk. What is the most approximate translation to English?
Is it something like:
as well
or
but also
I am struggling to understand whether it ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Different meanings of “zu”
I have seen sentences in which zu was used for "closed" and others in which geschlossen was used.
examples:
geschlossen:
die Tür ist geschlossen
zu:
die Tür ist zu or ihre Augen waren zu
...
1
vote
2answers
163 views
What does the word “gemein” translate to
I have looked at a lot of translation websites and lost of them have said that "gemein" means common but it also says that it means cruel.
Which one is it?
1
vote
2answers
86 views
Mendel's paper: Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden (1865) - word for “factor”?
Please forgive me writing in English, but my pidgeon German isn't up to a complex question! I hope this is OK?
In Mendel's (absolutely brilliant) paper "Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden (1865)&...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What does “meint” mean here
It looks like in the sentence:
"Meine Schwester meint, diese Show wird sich nicht lange halten".
The right English translation for meint is "say":
a) Is that correct?
b) If so ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
What does the phrase “[jemanden] auf den baum bringen” mean and where does it come from?
I am translating a Till Eulenspiegel story from German to English, and I encountered the following sentence (source, see section 22]:
Eulenspiegels Frechheit brachte den braven Mann vollends auf den ...
3
votes
2answers
130 views
What exactly would a distance labeled Bahnhöhe mean in the context of a satellite's orbit around the Earth? [closed]
This answer refers to information in this German Wikipedia page Technology Experiment Satellite
The page contains the following information:
I recognize apogee and perigee, inclination and period.
I ...
8
votes
2answers
239 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 ...
9
votes
3answers
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
130 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
68 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
95 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
170 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
124 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
667 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
143 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
626 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
200 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
...
6
votes
1answer
451 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
328 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
77 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
156 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
130 views
2
votes
4answers
107 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
117 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
470 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
209 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
152 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
129 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 ...
2
votes
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
91 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
53 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.
2
votes
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 ...
3
votes
4answers
458 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
145 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
100 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
437 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 ...
