inglese
italiano
francese
spagnoloYabla Tedesco
In a previous Yabla lesson, we discussed the differences between the verbs anheben and aufheben. These separable verbs also look very similar and have meanings related to the base verb heben, which is usually translated as "to lift," or "to raise," and is the Germanic root of the English verb "to heave."
The verb abheben is usually heard in the context of taking out money from a bank machine or bank account:
Dann erhält man so eine Geldkarte beziehungsweise eine Bankkarte.
Then you receive a debit card or respectively a bank card.
Mit dieser kann man Geld abheben.
With this, you can withdraw money.
Captions 25-26, Eva erklärt - Bankkonten
Play Caption
Na, wahrscheinlich haben Sie Ihren Kreditrahmen überzogen.
Well, you have probably exceeded your credit limit.
-Ja, zu viel abgehoben.
-Yes, withdrew too much.
Captions 32-33, Weihnachtsfilm - Ein Sack voll Geld
Play Caption
But abheben is also sometimes heard in the context of an airplane taking off or a rocket launching:
Und dann heben wir schon ab.
And then we take off already.
Caption 43, Ultraleicht-Flieger - Der Gyrocopter
Play Caption
Völlig abgehoben, keine Schwerkraft mehr
Completely lifted off, no more gravity
Caption 17, Helene Fischer - Achterbahn
Play Caption
On the other hand, hochheben is used in quite different contexts:
Wenn jeder den Deckel hochhebt, dann verdampft doch alles.
If every person lifts the lid, then everything will evaporate, after all.
Caption 33, Marga Engel schlägt zurück - Die neue Köchin
Play Caption
Die Frau hob das schwere Paket mit einer Hand hoch.
The woman lifted up the heavy package with one hand.
Friedrich hob die Arme hoch.
Friedrich raised up his arms.
Both meanings of abheben are very common, as abheben is both a transitive verb (etwas abheben, which requires an object, usually meaning "to withdraw money") and an intransitive verb ("to take off," which does not allow for an object). Then there is the transitive verb hochheben, which means "to lift or raise something up."
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and see the two verbs used in different contexts, and go to the Duden dictionary to read the full definitions of abheben and hochheben, noting the ways that the verbs can be conjugated.
Let's make sure we are all on the same page! If you are taking a German class in addition to your work on Yabla, these are some very important vocabulary words for referring to your textbook, or books and texts in general.
First of all, you need the German word for "the page":
Wir öffnen unser Buch, Seite vierzig.
We'll open our book, page forty.
Caption 1, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Verben der 2. Kategorie
Play Caption
You will often want to refer to a particular paragraph, which can also be done using ordinal numbers rather than cardinal numbers.
Gemäß Artikel dreiundsechzig Absatz zwei des Grundgesetzes für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
According to article sixty-three, paragraph two of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany,
habe ich heute Frau Abgeordnete Doktor Angela Merkel zur Bundeskanzlerin ernannt.
today I have named parliamentarian Dr. Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor.
Captions 6-7, Bundesregierung - Vereidigung der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel
Play Caption
The word der Satz in German is a little tricky because it can mean either "sentence" or "clause" depending on the context. Take a look:
„Scribe“ ist das schwierigste Spiel, denn du musst den ganzen Satz selbst schreiben.
"Scribe" is the most difficult game, because you have to write the whole sentence yourself.
Caption 41, German Intro - Cettina
Play Caption
Zweiter Satz: „Sie ist größer als Stefanie."
Second clause: "She is taller than Stefanie."
Caption 19, Deutschkurs in Blaubeuren - Der Relativsatz
Play Caption
The word for a letter of the alphabet is der Buchstabe, hence the verb buchstabieren ("to spell"). Ein Zeichen is a character, which could be a letter, number, or even a space (das Leerzeichen). You may recognize this word as it also means "a sign" or "a symbol."
Das scharfe S oder Eszett ist ein Buchstabe, der ausschließlich in der deutschen Sprache vorkommt.
The sharp S or eszett is a letter that occurs exclusively in the German language.
Caption 22, Deutsch mit Donna Blitz - Das Alphabet
Play Caption
Further Learning
Make sure you are also familiar with die Zeile ("the line"), das Kapitel ("the chapter"), der Band ("the volume"), die Strophe ("the stanza"), and der Abschnitt ("the section", "the paragraph").
Ordinal numbers ("first," "second," "third") differ from cardinal numbers ("one," "two," "three") in that they establish order or rank. Forming the ordinal numbers is luckily relatively easy in German. Generally, you will either add -te or -ste on the end, and make sure you have the correct declension.
For numbers below twenty, you simply add -te (zwei — zweite) with the exception of the following ordinal numbers: eins, drei, sieben, and acht.
Die erste Station seines Besuches im September ist Berlin.
The first stop of his visit in September is Berlin.
Caption 2, Der Papst - Hier wohnt der Papst
Play Caption
Die Nashville-LP „Could Have Been Mine“ [sic, „Could've Been Mine“] ist die dritte Platte der Band.
The Nashville LP "Could Have Been Mine" [sic, "Could've Been Mine"] is the band's third disc.
Caption 43, Ann Doka & Band - New Country aus dem Rhein-Main-Gebiet
Play Caption
Beim Bauern gibt es noch eine weitere Sonderregel,
With pawns there is yet another special rule,
und zwar: Wenn der Bauer von der siebten auf die achte Linie vorrückt.
and that is: if the pawn advances from the seventh to the eighth line.
Captions 56-57, Schach - mit Jenny - Part 1
Play Caption
In this last example, you can see the declension based on grammatical case (dative — note the "n"— and then accusative) at work. It follows the same patterns that adjectives do. Note that you may also see "seventh" translated as siebente (in this case it would be siebenten) rather than siebte.
Starting with the cardinal number zwanzig ("twenty"), -ste is added to create the ordinal number.
Man sagt zum Beispiel:
We say, for example:
„der erste Januar“ oder „der vierundzwanzigste Dezember“
"the first of January" or the "twenty-fourth of December"
oder „der dreißigste Februar“, den es nicht gibt.
or "the thirtieth of February," which doesn't exist.
Captions 12-15, Zahlen mit Diane - Ordinalzahlen, Vielfache und Bruchzahlen
Play Caption
Zu seinem einhundertfünfundneunzigsten Geburtstag
For his one hundred ninety-fifth birthday,
hat der Philosoph seine Geburtsstadt Trier erobert.
the philosopher has conquered his birth city of Trier.
Captions 3-4, „Mini-Marxe“ - In Trier
Play Caption
It is important to note that, just as "first," "thirteenth," and "twenty-third" would often be abbreviated as "1st," "13th," and "23rd" in English, a period may be used in German to denote ordinal numbers, particularly with dates. The example above would read:
Man sagt zum Beispiel: „der 1. Januar“ oder „der 24. Dezember“ oder „der 30. Februar“, den es nicht gibt.
Further Learning
Take a look at this chart and watch Diane's video in its entirety to get a great overview of this topic. For more on adjective declension, refer to this page.
In the English language, many people confuse the words "jealous" and "envious." This occurs in German as well, which can make it even harder to distinguish between the words eifersüchtig and neidisch and know when to use which one.
"Jealousy" occurs when the underlying emotion is a fear that someone will take away something that you have. This means that die Eifersucht often occurs in situations involving three people, like in the sentence below:
Was? Nee, nee, das war nur mein Kollege.
What? No, no, that was just my colleaugue.
Nein, das ist kein Grund, eifersüchtig zu sein.
No, it's no reason to be jealous.
Captions 49-50, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
Play Caption
Zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben verspürte sie Stiche von Wut und Eifersucht.
For the first time in her life, she felt stings of anger and jealousy.
Caption 61, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Büchse der Pandora
Play Caption
"Envious" is simply wanting what someone else has or gets to do. In German, there is the noun der Neid, the adjective neidisch, and also the verb jemanden beneiden.
Wütend und neidisch zugleich
Angry and envious at the same time,
stampfte er auf dem Berg der Götter umher.
he stomped around on the Mountain of the Gods.
Caption 14, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Die Büchse der Pandora
Play Caption
Reinhold Leinberger, den ich heiß darum beneide,
Reinhold Leinberger, whom I envy very much because of it,
der durfte nämlich mit Ihnen fliegen.
was actually permitted to fly with you.
Caption 20, Ultraleicht-Flieger - Der Gyrocopter
Play Caption
Further Learning
Can you find a video on Yabla German in which eifersüchtig is used, but the speaker actually means neidisch?
The separable verbs anheben and aufheben look very similar and have meanings related to the base verb heben, which is usually translated as "to lift," or "to raise," and is the Germanic root of the English verb "to heave."
Let's first take a look at anheben:
Heb einfach den Riegel an und komm herein!
Simply lift the latch and come inside!Caption 48, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Rotkäppchen und der Wolf
Play Caption
Die Hüfte hebt der Springer an,
The jumper lifts his hips
indem er die Hacken Richtung eigenes Kreuz drückt.
by pressing his heels toward his own lower back.
Captions 29-30, Olympische Spiele - Hochsprung
Play Caption
Dazu hebst du ein Ski-Ende an und versetzt es auf die Seite.
For this, you'll lift the back of the ski and shift it to the side.Caption 14, Skifahren lernen - Erste Vorübungen im flachen Gelände
Play Caption
Dieses Bein anheben. Ah, ja, genau.
Lift that leg. Oh, yes, exactly.Caption 17, TEDx - Lebenslange Fitness
Play Caption
Anheben is used when you want something to be lifted just a little or for a short amount of time, such as asking somebody to lift up the sofa so you can vacuum under it.
Let's contrast that now with aufheben:
Oma, kann ich die Münze aufheben?
Grandma, can I pick up the coin?Caption 4, Ivana erzählt Witze - Fritzle und die Oma
Play Caption
Fritzle, heb mich auf.
Little Fritz, pick me up.Caption 14, Ivana erzählt Witze - Fritzle und die Oma
Play Caption
Aufheben is usually translated as "to pick up" but can also mean "to save" in the sense of aufbewahren. It is also used in an idiomatic expression that can be useful:
Ich hebe es mir für einen anderen Tag auf.
I'll save it for another day.Caption 12, Hausputz - mit Eva
Play Caption
Further Learning
In a forthcoming lesson we'll explore the differences between abheben and hochheben, yet more variations of the root verb heben. Das hebe ich mir aber für einen späteren Newsletter auf!
This week, let's look at ways that disbelief and frustration are expressed in German. Some of the expressions below are similar to English expressions, while others have a much harsher meaning than their literal translations. Take a look!
Das kann nicht sein (literally "that cannot be") can be used to express disbelief. More accurate translations in this case would be "No way!" or "That's not possible."
Aber das kann nicht sein. Wo ist Yara?
But that's not possible. Where is Yara?
Caption 14, Nicos Weg - Folge 44: Vorm Fahrradladen
Play Caption
In English, we also express disbelief with "You can't be serious." This has a few different translations in German that we have covered in a previous newsletter.
Das meinst du nicht im Ernst.
You can't be serious.
Caption 17, Mama arbeitet wieder - Kapitel 2: Kompromisse zu finden ist nicht einfach
Play Caption
The phrase Das gibt's doch gar nicht may literally translate as "that doesn't exist," but it has a similar meaning to Das kann nicht sein. Germans may use this and the expressions above when something both surprises and upsets them.
Was ist das denn? Das gibt's doch gar nicht.
What is that then? That just can't be.
Caption 27, Fußball - Prominente beim Benefizspiel
Play Caption
The phrase Was soll das? is an expression that has a meaning similar to "What's the meaning of this?"
Was soll das? Du störst uns, Pettersson.
What's the meaning of this? You are bothering us, Pettersson.
Caption 15, Pettersson und Findus - Eine Geburtstagstorte für die Katze - Part 1
Play Caption
Now on to expressions of annoyance. Jemanden ärgern can be translated as "to annoy someone," as can jemanden nerven. In the sentence below with the adjectives ärgerlich and bescheuert, the words ja and doch are used for emphasis.
Allerdings nervt es mich auch, dass ich die Einzige bin, die für das Essen bezahlt.
However, it also annoys me that I'm the only one who pays for the food.
Caption 34, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Probleme
Play Caption
Das ist ja wirklich ärgerlich!
This is really aggravating!
Caption 6, Pettersson und Findus - Eine Geburtstagstorte für die Katze - Part 3
Play Caption
Ach, ist doch bescheuert.
Oh, that's stupid.
Caption 63, Die Pfefferkörner - Eigentor
Play Caption
Further Learning
Search for more examples of these phrases on Yabla German so that you can hear the right intonation.
This past week, temperatures in Germany rose to 102° F / 39° C, even in Berlin and the northern Bundesländer. For a place where air conditioning is the exception rather than the norm, this is extreme!
In German, the noun for "heat" or "hot temperatures" is die Hitze.
Ich mag zwar Wärme, aber keine Hitze.
I like the warmth indeed, but not the heat.
Caption 38, Jenny - Reiseziele
Play Caption
Die Hitze war so groß,
The heat was so great
dass schon bald die Farben seiner Soldatenuniform verblassten.
that the colors of his soldier's uniform soon faded.
Captions 79-80, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der standhafte Zinnsoldat
Play Caption
Die Mischung aus Staub und Sonnenstrahlen
The mixture of dust and sunbeams
ließ das gleißende Licht entstehen,
gave rise to the glistening light,
das die tödliche Hitze im Film so glaubhaft macht.
that makes the deadly heat in the film so believable.
Captions 28-30, Hell - Science-Fiction-Kinotipp
Play Caption
Just as we say "heat wave" in English, Germany combines die Hitze and die Welle into a compound noun:
Eine Hitzewelle rollt an.
A heatwave is coming through.
Caption 6, Unterwegs mit Cettina - Sommer am Baggersee
Play Caption
Sometimes when a heat wave is too intense and no air conditioning is available (which is the case in many offices and classrooms), cancellations may even occur. There is a special phrase in German for getting the day off due to a heat wave: hitzefrei haben.
Die Müllmänner ham [haben] hitzefrei
The garbage men have time off due to the heat
Caption 4, Culcha Candela - Sommer im Kiez
Play Caption
Further Learning
Search for more examples of the word die Hitze on Yabla German and see our past newsletter on summer living. You can also read a short text in German about the Berlin government's stance on school cancellations here.
The German verbs zwingen and erzwingen look very similar (especially in the past tense as gezwungen and erzwungen) and have similar meanings, but there are some fine points in distinguishing their proper usage. Let's take a look first at some examples of zwingen:
Na ja, es wird sicher kein Problem sein,
Well, it will certainly not be a problem
den Internetbetreiber zu zwingen, den Film zu löschen.
to compel the internet provider to delete the movie.
Captions 6-7, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche
Play Caption
Und wir waren gezwungen, einige Kürzungen vorzunehmen.
And we were forced to make some cuts.
Caption 14, Berufsleben - Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
Play Caption
Es ist aber auch keine Mutter jemals gezwungen worden
There, indeed, has never been a mother [who was] forced
im Fortuna-Kreißsaal zu entbinden.
to deliver in the Fortuna delivery room.
Captions 34-35, Fortuna Düsseldorf - Kreißsaal für Fußballfans
Play Caption
Thus, the verb zwingen refers to the person or company etc. that is being forced or compelled to do something.
The verb erzwingen is also usually translated as "to force" or "to compel," as well as "to enforce," but with erzwingen it is not about who is being forced, but what is actually being enforced, be it a situation, arrangement, or law etc.
Er hat die Entscheidung erzwungen.
He forced the decision.
Sie erzwingt ein Versprechen.
She is forcing a promise to be made.
An easy way to remember the difference between the two verbs is that zwingen is always about who is being forced or compelled to do something, and erzwingen is always about what is being forced, compelled, or enforced upon somebody:
Die Regierung wurde gezwungen, die neuen Gesetze zu erzwingen.
The government was compelled to enforce the new laws.
Further Learning
Search for more examples of zwingen in its various conjugations on Yabla German and try writing some sentences on your own using both verbs.
Have you ever noticed that the adverb persönlich in German has three possible translations in English? Let's take a look.
As you would expect, it can mean "personally":
Mir ist es persönlich 'ne Herzensangelegenheit.
For me personally, it's a matter that's near and dear to my heart.
Caption 12, Berlin - Hotel Adlon feiert 15 Jahre Neueröffnung
Play Caption
Sometimes it has more or less this meaning, but is better translated as "he himself" or "she herself":
Nein, er hat tatsächlich auf meinem, äh, Telefonapparat angerufen. -Persönlich?
No, he actually called me on my, uh, telephone. -Himself?
Caption 6, 3nach9 - Ehrlich Brothers - Show-Magier - Part 1
Play Caption
Reisen, vielleicht sogar mit Niki Lauda persönlich als Piloten [sic, Pilot]
Traveling, perhaps even with Niki Lauda himself as pilot
– ab Frankfurt ist das möglich, dreimal täglich, morgens, mittags und abends.
— it's possible from Frankfurt three times a day, in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
Captions 58-59, Fluglinien - Niki Air
Play Caption
You may also sometimes see the word höchstpersönlich, which can be used to emphasize that a task or appearance won't be delegated to another person.
However, persönlich can also mean "in person":
War ja... Wir haben... wir haben ihn zum ersten Mal auch persönlich kennenlernen dürfen.
It was indeed... We were... we were also allowed to meet him in person for the first time.
Caption 32, 3nach9 - Ehrlich Brothers - Show-Magier - Part 2
Play Caption
Das kann man entweder persönlich tun in einer Filiale oder online.
You can do that either in person at a branch or online.
Caption 14, Eva erklärt - Bankkonten
Play Caption
One thing to remember: persönlich does not mean "personable"! This would be sympathisch or freundlich.
Further Learning
Search for more examples on Yabla German and try out a few sentences of your own in which you use persönlich to talk about your personal experiences, preferences, and opinions, or to talk about something you will do yourself or in person.
There are a couple of different verbs that translate as "to open" in German, in particular the two above, which can cause some confusion. When do we use eröffnen and when do we use öffnen?
Consider this: The verb eröffnen can be translated not only as "to open," but also as "to institute,” "to establish," “to inaugurate,” or even "to commence" or "to disclose." You will see eröffnen used in connection with non-physical entities, or anything that could also be described using these other translations, such as a museum or a shop. The reading of a person's will in German is die Testamentseröffnung, and as you see in the third sentence below, the verb eröffnen is even used to describe congressional proceedings.
Zweitausendsechs hat das Museum eröffnet,
The museum opened in two thousand six,
inzwischen stehen hier mehr als hundertfünfzig Flipper.
meanwhile there are more than one hundred fifty pinball machines here.
Captions 6-7, Flipperautomaten - Kunstwerke für flinke Kugeln
Play Caption
Hallo, ja, guten Tag. Ich möchte gern ein Bankkonto eröffnen.
Hello, yes, good day. I would like to open a bank account.
Caption 12, Eva erklärt - Bankkonten
Play Caption
Sobald Sie Platz genommen haben, würde ich gerne die unterbrochene Sitzung wieder eröffnen.
As soon as you've taken your seats, I would like to re-open the suspended session.
Captions 1-2, Bundesregierung - Vereidigung der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel
Play Caption
The verb öffnen, on the other hand, is used with objects, such as a door, a letter, a bottle, or an umbrella. In everyday spoken German, öffnen is often replaced with aufmachen.
Wann wurde die Mauer in Berlin für alle geöffnet?
When was the wall in Berlin opened for all?
Caption 36, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest
Play Caption
Die Polizei sagt, er solle seinen Kofferraum aufmachen.
The police [officer] says he should open his trunk.
Caption 4, Sabine erzählt Witze - Die Pinguine
Play Caption
Further Learning
Browse through the many instances of eröffnen, öffnen, and aufmachen that can be found on Yabla German to get more clarity on which verb is used when. You can search not only for the infinitive, but also the conjugated verbs and the participles eröffnet, geöffnet, and aufgemacht.
The verb schätzen has two different meanings, and the only way to know which you are looking at is to examine the context.
In the lyrics of the first example below, the verb schätzen means "to value," or "to treasure." As you can see, in some cases the translation "to appreciate" is more appropriate. The noun der Schatz refers to a treasured object, and it can also be used as a term of endearment, similar to "dear," "darling," or "treasure" in English.
Ich schätze Wegbegleiter, auch wenn alles seine Zeit hat.
I treasure companions, even if everything happens in its own time.
Caption 22, Mark Forster - Sowieso
Play Caption
Das wird vor allem von den jüngeren Gästen geschätzt.
This is especially appreciated by the younger guests.
Caption 41, Reiseland Deutschland - Vielfalt im Herzen Europas
Play Caption
Als es Frühling wurde, erklärte der Bär, er müsse jetzt gehen, um seine Schätze zu hüten.
When it was spring, the Bear explained that he had to go now to tend to his treasures.
Caption 29, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot
Play Caption
Nacht, Papa. -Nacht, mein Schatz.
Night, Papa. -Night, my treasure.
Caption 43, Die Pfefferkörner - Gerüchteküche
Play Caption
However, the other meaning of schätzen, which is equally common, is "to guess" or "to estimate."
Ich schätze mal, dass wir dann nächstes Jahr irgendwann ernsthaft anfangen.
I estimate then that we'll seriously start sometime next year.
Caption 67, Madsen - auf dem Hessentag
Play Caption
Was schätzt du denn? -Ich schätze neununddreißig.
What do you guess then? -I guess thirty-nine.
Captions 10-11, rheinmain Szene - Unheilig - „Der Graf“
Play Caption
Man schätzt, dass Schlittschuhe schon seit dreitausend Jahren verwendet werden.
It is estimated that ice skates have been used for over three thousand years.
Caption 15, Unterwegs mit Cettina - Schlittschuhlaufen
Play Caption
Further Learning
There are many examples of this verb used in both contexts on Yabla German. See if you can use it one way or another (or both!) in the next conversation you have in German, or at your next German class.
The way to say "apart from" something, an expression that is helpful when you want to make a specific point about a topic in a conversation, is the phrase abgesehen von (etwas).
The problem for English speakers with learning this is that the phrase is based upon a verb, absehen, which is confusing when used in the "apart from" context, since it is usually translated as "to foresee" or sometimes as "to predict":
Ja, man konnte es absehen.
Yes, you could foresee it.
Caption 57, Rhein-Main-TV - Interview mit Edmund Stössel
Play Caption
Even the adverbial form, absehbar, is usually translated as "foreseeable" or sometimes "predictable":
...dass es sich in absehbarer Zeit ins Gegenteil verkehrt.
...that in the foreseeable future, it will move in the opposite direction.
Caption 26, Olympiade in Deutschland - Nicht um jeden Preis
Play Caption
Deswegen war absehbar: Das wird nicht auf ewig so sein, diese Doppelbelastung.
Therefore, it was foreseeable that it wouldn't last forever, this double load.
Caption 54, Rhein-Main-TV - Interview mit Edmund Stössel
Play Caption
The phrase abgesehen von (etwas), however, does not mean that something can be foreseen, but rather:
Abgesehen von neugierigen Bootstouristen sind sie dort relativ ungestört.
Apart from the curious tourists on boats, they are relatively undisturbed there.
Caption 12, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
Schlüters Entscheidungsunfähigkeit passt perfekt zur Merkel,
Schlüter's inability to make decisions fits perfectly with Merkel,
von kleineren Problemen abgesehen.
apart from a few small problems.
Captions 14-15, Der Merkelpilot - der kleine Mann, der es macht
Play Caption
Aber abgesehen von kleinen Anlaufschwierigkeiten schienen die Tiere schon sehr zufrieden.
But apart from minor initial difficulties, the animals seemed to be quite content.
Caption 16, Für Tierfreunde - Przewalski-Wildpferde
Play Caption
If the subject of your point has already been mentioned, you can also say abgesehen davon:
Abgesehen davon ist Vielfalt bei der Ernährung immer eine gute Sache.
Apart from this, variety in [one's] diet is always a good thing.
Caption 46, Kochhaus Berlin - Kochen mit Kindern
Play Caption
Mal ganz abgesehen davon, dass wir natürlich kleine Schülerzahlen haben.
Quite apart from that, the fact that we have, of course, a small number of students.
Caption 65, Strothoff International School - Interview mit dem Rektor
Play Caption
Mal abgesehen davon, dass wir dann gar nicht da wären,
Apart from that, we then wouldn't be here at all
wäre es dunkel auf der Erde... dunkel und kalt.
if it were dark on Earth... dark and cold.
Captions 2-3, Unser Universum - Die Sonne
Play Caption
Further Learning
Apart from abgesehen von, can you think of any other ways to express "besides" or "other than?" Hint: search on Yabla German for similar expressions that use the prepositions außer, sonst, neben, außerdem, and the expression darüber hinaus.
There are many videos on Yabla German that end with the following sentence:
Ich verabschiede mich bis zum nächsten Mal. Tschüs!
I'll say goodbye until next time. Bye!Caption 36, Jenny erklärt - Zeitintervalle
Play Caption
Indeed, the preposition bis is most often translated as "until" when used in sentences about time. You have also likely seen von and bis zu (or ab and bis zu) used together to denote a timespan. Note the use of the dative.
Das zwölfte internationale Trickfilm-Festival in Wiesbaden
The Twelfth International Animation Festival in Wiesbaden
vom vierzehnten bis zum siebzehnten Oktober im Biebricher Schloss.
from the fourteenth until the seventeenth of October at the Biebrich Palace.
Captions 18-19, Internationales Trickfilmwochenende - im Biebricher Schloss
Play Caption
In Deutschland haben Kinder ab dem Alter von drei Jahren bis zur Einschulung einen Anspruch auf...
Starting at the age of three until enrollment in school, children in Germany are entitled to...
Caption 20, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest
Play Caption
When we speak about deadlines in English, we use the preposition "by." As it turns out, this is one of many instances in which "by" is not equivalent to bei. Indeed, bis and bis zum/zur are used to express this as well.
und die Sturmschäden werden bis zum Ende des Jahrhunderts um gut fünfzig Prozent zunehmen.
and the storm damages will increase by a good fifty percent by the end of the century.
Caption 20, Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft - Naturgefahrenreport
Play Caption
Ob wir das schaffen bis zum Trainingslager, ist fraglich.
If we manage that in time for the training camp is questionable.
Caption 38, Fußball - Saisonpremiere
Play Caption
Further Learning
Any time you speak about a deadline in your German class or in a real-life situation, note the use of bis or use it yourself! Examples could include... Bis wann muss die Hausarbeit abgegeben werden? (in class), Bis wann müssen wir das Zimmer geräumt haben? (at a hotel), or Bis wann muss der Bericht fertig sein? (in a meeting).
In English, one way of saying that an event is finished or done with is to say that it's "over." In German, the word über, though usually meaning "about," is sometimes translated as "over" when it is referring to the physical placement of something:
Ganz zum Schluss verteile ich meinen Zuckerguss über den Kuchen.
Right at the end, I spread my sugar frosting over the cake.
Caption 36, Apfelkuchen - mit Eva
Play Caption
But in German, if you want to say that an event is over, the word über turns out to be a kind of false friend: the correct term here is vorbei:
Doch diese Zeiten sind vorbei
But those times are over
Caption 12, Christina Stürmer - Wir leben den Moment
Play Caption
Meine Stunden bei der Gepäckverladung der Bodenverkehrsdienste sind vorbei.
My hours at the baggage loading area of the ground traffic services are over.
Caption 45, Selbst versucht - Gepäckabfertigung bei Fraport
Play Caption
Es ist jetzt vorbei, ich starte neu
It's over now, I'm starting anew
Caption 7, Beatrice Egli - Irgendwann
Play Caption
Depending upon the context, vorbei can also be translated as "passed," or "gone," or "past," to name a few possibilities:
Vier Jahre sind vorbei und unser Team ist mit dabei
Four years have passed and our team is in
Caption 9, Die gestiefelten Zwerge - Am Kap der Hoffnung steht der Cup
Play Caption
... denn dann ist der Zauber vorbei.
... because then the magic is gone.
Caption 57, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Aschenputtel
Play Caption
Der Winter ist vorbei.
The winter is past.
Caption 2, Jahreszeiten - Der Frühling
Play Caption
Another possibility for expressing that something is over or has passed by is the adverb vorüber:
So, jetzt ist der Haxen fertig, die drei Stunden sind vorüber.
So now the knuckle is finished, the three hours have passed by.
Caption 45, Kochen mit Cettina - Schweinshaxe
Play Caption
Ein Jahr weht vorüber...
A year flies past...
Caption 24, rheinmain Szene - Selig
Play Caption
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and see the many other examples of vorbei and vorüber in a real world context. See too if you can correctly translate the title of this week's lesson: Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei. Hint: the direct translation "fat years" isn't quite right!
The above is a common German phrase that appears a bit odd in English, in that it seems to have the prepositions "on" and "to" in it, but that's not the case. On its own, the verb zukommen means "to belong to" or "to be assigned to," but when you add the preposition auf, together with a direct object such as einen, mich, dich, sie, ihn, uns, etc., its meaning changes:
Ich weiß ja noch nicht, was auf mich zukommen würde.
I don't know yet what would lie ahead of me.
Caption 83, 18 Miss-Kandidatinnen - beim Friseur
Play Caption
Wir wussten, was auf uns zukommt.
We knew what to expect.
Caption 55, Fußball - U21-Nationalmannschaft
Play Caption
...weil wir eben zu viele Einflüsse haben, die auf uns zukommen.
...because we just have too many influences that are reaching us.
Caption 29, Gamification - Wie Spielen den Alltag interessanter macht
Play Caption
Wie wenn Störtebeker eine Hanse-Kogge auf sich zukommen sah.
Like when Störtebeker saw a Hanseatic ship approaching him.
Caption 89, Großstadtrevier - St. Pauli rettet HSV
Play Caption
Die Koggen, die du heute Abend auf dich zukommen siehst...
The ships that you'll see coming toward you tonight...
Caption 92, Großstadtrevier - St. Pauli rettet HSV
Play Caption
Damit war eigentlich nur gemeint, ob euch klar war, wie viel da auf euch zukommt.
I actually just meant whether it was clear in your mind how much there is in store for you.
Caption 20, Luxuslärm - Interview
Play Caption
As you see above, depending upon the context, auf [einen] zukommen is variously translated as "to be expecting someone or something," "to be reaching someone or something," "to be approaching someone or something," "to be coming toward someone or something," and "to be in store for someone or something."
Further Learning
Look at the examples above on Yabla German to get a better grasp of the contexts in which auf einen zukommen is used so that you can better understand its meaning and learn how to integrate the phrase into your own vocabulary.
In English, we would say "the more you practice, the better you will speak German." In German, these types of parallel comparatives are called Proportionalsätze, and are constructed as follows:
Je + comparative adjective (phrase), desto or umso + comparative adjective (phrase).
Take a look at the examples below, paying special attention to the positions of the adjectives (or the words mehr or weniger) and the verbs in both clauses.
Und je positiver das ausfällt, desto motivierender.
And the more positive that is, the more motivational.
Caption 65, Gamification - Wie Spielen den Alltag interessanter macht
Play Caption
Je niedriger die Regionalklasse, desto günstiger wirkt sich das auf den Versicherungsbeitrag aus.
The lower the regional classification, the cheaper it makes the insurance payment.
Captions 10-11, Kfz-Versicherung - Was ist die Regionalklasse?
Play Caption
Denn je kälter es wird, desto weniger Zeit dürfen sie draußen sein.
Because the colder it gets, the less time they're allowed to be outside.
Caption 4, Im Zoo - Tiere im Winter
Play Caption
Je mehr Energie ich spare, desto weniger muss ich auch jagen. So einfach ist das.
The more energy I save, the less I have to hunt. It's that simple.
Caption 17, Für Tierfreunde - Geparden
Play Caption
Ja, und je braver wir zum Hund sind, desto mehr macht er, was er will.
Yes, and the nicer we are to the dog, the more he does just what he wants.
Caption 25, Haustiere als Geschenk? - Vier Pfoten unterm Weihnachtsbaum
Play Caption
Often, you will see the word umso rather than desto.
Aber je mehr uns davon gelingt, umso besser.
But the more it succeeds for us, the better.
Caption 31, Angela Merkel - beim Nachhaltigkeitsrat
Play Caption
Je eleganter man wirkt, umso mehr wird man auch anerkannt... gesellschaftlich, beruflich...
The more elegant one appears, the more one is also accepted... socially, professionally...
Caption 42, Auf dem Laufsteg - Modelcollege in Wiesbaden
Play Caption
Further Learning
Based on the structures you see above, make up your own sentences with je and desto / umso. If you need some comparative adjectives to get you started, you can find a few helpful tables on this page. You can also visit Yabla German and look for further examples.
Sometimes it's good to just set the record straight, and with that intention, let's take a look at zählen and zahlen. Short and sweet: zählen is "to count," and zahlen is "to pay."
Sie zählen die Stimmen nach dem Ende der Wahl.
They count the votes after the end of the election.
Caption 4, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest - Part 6
Play Caption
Das macht zusammen vierzig Euro fünfzig. Zahlen Sie bar oder mit Karte?
All together that is forty euros and fifty cents. Will you be paying in cash or with a card?
Caption 7, Nicos Weg - Folge 16: Zahlen, bitte!
Play Caption
Although you might be able to come up with a mnemonic device that you find helpful, simply remembering that Ich möchte zahlen means "I would like to pay" may be enough to help you sort it out. At the same time, you might still find that you get flustered mid-sentence trying to remember which verb is correct. It doesn't help that the noun die Zahlen means the "the numbers." It is the plural version of the noun die Zahl:
Der Adventskalender hat vierundzwanzig Türen, und auf jeder steht eine Zahl.
The Advent calendar has twenty-four doors, and each one has a number on it.
Caption 11, Eva erklärt - den Adventskalender
Play Caption
In English, "to count" can also mean "to matter." Zählen is also used to mean "to count," "to count as" or "to number among." Take a look at these examples:
Beim Blocken zählt jede Sekunde.
When blocking, every second counts.
Caption 37, Olympische Spiele - Beachvolleyball
Play Caption
Sie zählt mit zu Deutschlands erfolgreichsten Sängerinnen.
She is counted among Germany's most successful singers.
Caption 2, Cassandra Steen - Geheimnis für positive Energie
Play Caption
And one final note: you probably have wondered what the difference is between zahlen and bezahlen. The truth is that they are often interchangeable, but there are some instances where zahlen is wrong. For example, when you speak about paying a person for a service, you would generally use bezahlen and not zahlen.
Further Learning
Look up the meanings of the related verbs anzahlen, zurückzahlen, and auszahlen, and search Yabla German to find them used in a real-world context. Some words related to zählen are die Volkszählung ("census") and der Stromzähler ("the electricity meter").
If you examine the root word and prefix of the separable verb ausschließen and the adjective ausgeschlossen, you find the verb schließen ("to shut") and the prefix aus ("out"). These words may, in some contexts, be translated respectively as "to shut out" to "shut out," but they are more commonly used in a figurative sense.
Dafür kommen die Zoobesucher aber ganz schön nah an die Geparden ran, direkter Blickkontakt nicht ausgeschlossen.
In return, the zoo visitors come pretty close to the cheetahs, direct eye contact not being ruled out.
Captions 37-38, Für Tierfreunde - Geparden
Play Caption
BHF ist angezählt, ein Verkauf nicht ausgeschlossen.
BHF is down for the count, a sale has not been ruled out.
Caption 49, Journal Wirtschaft - Business News
Play Caption
Väter sind nicht grundsätzlich vom Training ausgeschlossen.
Fathers aren't necessarily excluded from the training [sessions].
Caption 39, Neuer Fitness-Trend - Kinderwagen-Workout
Play Caption
Weitere Windparks in der Ostsee sind nicht ausgeschlossen.
Additional wind parks in the Baltic Sea haven't been ruled out.
Caption 18, Windenergie - Ostsee-Windpark Baltic 2 speist Strom ins Netz
Play Caption
Thus, the adjective ausgeschlossen is generally translated, depending on the context, as "excluded" or "ruled out." As a simple interjection, however, an exclamatory Ausgeschlossen! means "impossible."
The verb ausschließen has a similar meaning:
Wir schließen aber nicht aus, dass wir irgendwann mal wieder eine Show machen.
But we won't rule out that we'll do a show again some day.
Caption 28, rheinmain Szene - Michael "Bully" Herbig
Play Caption
Some other possible translations of ausschließen, depending on the context, can be "to exclude," "to preclude," "to expel," "to eliminate," and "to disqualify."
Note that the verb ausschließen always has the last syllable written with an ß rather than ss. Just to make it slightly complicated, however, the simple past tense (Indikativ) and subjective mood (Konjunktiv II) of ausschließen are written with ss instead of ß: ich schloss aus ("I ruled out") and ich schlösse aus ("Were I to rule out"). You can easily remember this in that long vowel sounds like ie always take the ß afterwards, and short vowels like o the letters ss.
English
Español
Français
Italiano 
Português
Deutsch