73
votes
How come that “stimmt so” means “keep the change”?
The verb "stimmen" means "to be correct". "Stimmt so" is short for "es stimmt so" or "der Betrag stimmt so", which means "it's correct like that" or "the amount is correct like that", or more ...
- 10.4k
42
votes
What is the most appropriate word in German to describe "to deploy"?
The two currently available answers have both suggested deployen; other sugestions so far are ausbringen, bereitstellen and freigeben.
However, there is another alternative that has not been suggested ...
- 2,572
40
votes
Accepted
How to express "fizzle out" in German
German has a similar “going flat” metaphor, only instead of soda or a chemical reaction, we refer to deflating balloons:
... die Luft raus...
It probably works better in your second example:
...
- 24k
38
votes
Can anyone translate the writing on the back of this postcard from 1936?
This is a German Kurrent handwriting. When transcribing all letters to a Kurrent font we read:
which says:
die besten Grüße vom Reichsparteitag 1936 sendet Franz.
best regards from the ...
- 70.2k
36
votes
Accepted
"Es gefällt ihm." How to identify similar exceptions?
It is not an exception or irregularity at all! Different grammar (from English or any other language) doesn’t constitute an irregularity. If you were an Italian or Russian then English “I like it” ...
- 4,638
35
votes
"Mach das so." what does mean? How can I understand it?
It simply means, "do it like this", as proposed, as we talked about, in this manner, ...
- 18.3k
30
votes
Accepted
How does "zuerst glühen wir vor" translate to "first, we'll have predrinks"?
"Vorglühen" literally means "pre-glow" or "pre-ignite". The term describes the pre-heating phase when cold-starting old diesel engines.
In your context it's a slang term ...
- 1,021
28
votes
When we will use "Halli-Hallo" Word?
Halli Hallo is a joyful informal expression to greet someone. The Halli does not have any special meaning. I think it's very rarely used, especially among adults. Children might use it more often.
If ...
- 18.3k
27
votes
Accepted
Need help to read Fraktur from a 18th century book
The sentence is:
Diese beyden letzten Dinge wollen wir indeß bey Seite setzen, um den Fall nicht zu sehr zu verwickeln. Aendert...
Some of the words had a different spelling in that time.
What you ...
- 7,241
25
votes
Is "befriedet" correctly translated to "pacified" here?
„Befriedetes Besitztum“ has an additional special meaning in legalese. It is "a property or building that is secured against unauthorized entry in a recognizable manner by contiguous protective ...
- 25.7k
24
votes
24
votes
Accepted
What is the most appropriate word in German to describe "to deploy"?
The specific meaning of to deploy
Before giving the appropriate translation into German, and because there is a lot of misleading discussion in the comments, let's first clarify the meaning of to ...
- 16.2k
23
votes
Accepted
Can "Kristall" mean "broken glass"?
The Kristallnacht/Crystal night is called in German Novemberpogrome 1938, (Reichs-)Kristallnacht or Reichspogromnacht. In school, I learned that we should avoid Reichskristallnacht and better use ...
- 8,527
23
votes
Accepted
"Verwesern" title, what does it mean?
A Verweser is a substitute, someone who either
temporarily fills in until a permanent person for a position is found or
regularly takes over a monarch’s duty during his or her absence.
The latter is ...
- 24k
23
votes
What is the difference between "antreten" and "konkurrieren"?
"Antreten" doesn't mean "to compete" directly. The meaning in this context is more like "to enter (a competition)", "to show up (for a match)", "to step up ...
- 18.3k
22
votes
Accepted
How to correctly translate ‘einfallen’?
Einfallen in this context is closely related to erinnern. While sich an etwas erinnern is a conscious process where the subject is the person remembering and thus the verb is best translated by to ...
- 38.6k
22
votes
Accepted
"Du hast es gut", small talk meaning?
I can not tell you anything else than you friend. "Du hast es gut" really just means that. It's going really well for you or you are lucky. Depending on context, it can refer to your life, your job, ...
- 18.3k
22
votes
Accepted
Correct meaning of noch nie
There's noch nicht and noch nie. In general, you could translate noch as still (yet can also translate to its counterpart schon 'already' in some sentences).
Noch nicht literally means still not (...
- 7,722
22
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "mehr" in this context?
I think the provided translation is leaving it untranslated for no or little good reason. In this context it translates as 'anymore', which changes the meaning slightly:
She cannot get down on her ...
- 9,908
21
votes
"Auskopplungen" in musical context
Auskopplung is actually a German musical technical term for pieces that originally were released on albums and later re-released as singles. I don't think a similar term exists in English, so you ...
- 62.8k
21
votes
Accepted
Why do translations of German books read so differently from other books?
The answer to your question is actually simple:
The books you are currently reading are books from late 19th (or early 20th) century; moreover they seem to tend to be written by statesmen (politicians ...
- 31.1k
21
votes
Accepted
Räte-Ideen: looking for a translation
Gegen Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs wurde in der sogenannten Novemberrevolution von 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II. gestürzt. Deutschland war jetzt keine Monarchie mehr - aber was stattdessen? In dieser Zeit gab ...
- 18.3k
20
votes
What is the meaning of "heutig" in this sentence?
It refers to the territory of today's Germany. As one united state in more or less modern form, Germany didn't exist until late 19th century (1871). Hence we must resort to using this word when ...
- 2,685
20
votes
What does the verb 'wegpurzeln' mean? [context inside]
wegpurzeln is composed of weg (away) and purzeln
Combined with übereinander this translates to something alike
until they tumbled over each other in such a way that they landed apart from each other
...
- 18.3k
19
votes
Help with making out handwriting-like engraving on a silver cigarette case
It is German and the second line is written in Kurrent.
The first line is written in "normal" script, which implies a name, personal or local.
The first line reads
Pfann Hptm
[Pfann Cptn.]
...
19
votes
Accepted
Meaning of "wünsch dir was"
Is it something like I wish you something?
No, it means that one should wish something for oneself.
I think the translation make a wish is a pretty good fit.
Why is dir there?
Wünschen is in ...
- 1,308
19
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "heutig" in this sentence?
This is a bit wonky, admittedly.
It means to say "in the area that makes up today's Germany" - There was no "Germany" in the middle ages - The area consisted of numerous kingdoms and empires.
The ...
- 62.8k
19
votes
Accepted
Does "Natel" mean the same thing as "Handy" (cell phone) in German?
Yes, it is used that way in Switzerland. Note that you will most likely not be understood if you use the word outside of Switzerland. It is a Swiss Standard German word (cf. Duden | Natel).
The origin ...
- 25.7k
18
votes
Can anyone translate the writing on the back of this postcard from 1936?
And additional to Takkat's answer the postal address reads:
Frau Karl M [...] rmann
in Kalkar Kr. Kleve
Niederrhein
"Kr." is the abbreviation for "Kreis" which is the administrative ...
- 11.5k
18
votes
Accepted
Cultural context for "Abendland" and "Rettung" in this song lyric
While I agree on the core of Philipp's answer, I'd like to elaborate about the song context a little bit more:
First about the context:
As the page says, it is about Alice (Weidel) and Sarah (Bossard)...
- 3,879
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