German speakers alcove!!!

[Zebra]

Can we Go on with this thread?

Können wir mit diesem Thread weitermachen?

 

[Zebra]

As members are noticing, I am fluent in German. During the last two weeks I have encountered many members who indeed speak or understand German and have written some wonderful comments to me in German. That is just totally cool.

At the Tavern -down in the Rubber Room- I threw out the idea to have a thread where German speaking members can hang out.

Here are the simple rules, so that we don't break USMB rules in any way:

Gespräche auf Deutsch, aber eine englische Übersetzung muss auch dabei sein.
Conversations in German, but an English translation must also accompany it.

Fachwörter, Fremdwörter und idiomatische Ausdrücke können hier erklärt werden.
Words related to specific trades, foreign words that have been adjusted to the German language and idomatic phrases can all be explained here.

Was die unterschiedlichste Deutschen Dialekte angeht, können wir sicherlich eine Unmenge Spaß haben.
Differences in German dialects and the fun we can have with them.

Anyone in USMB who has a question about a specific German word or phrase, possibly a double meaning or double entendre, can feel free to ask here. Either I or whomever is on at that moment can surely help. It is sometimes much better than just looking up a word online, for many words can only be really understood in context of their usage in normal High German. Plus, it's just fun!

NO FLAMING!!!

I think it would also be terrific if some native French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, etc. speakers would also start their own alcoves. I think this would really enrich USMB and let people have a lot of fun.

You would not believe how many members have PM'd me with things like (and I am paraphrasing, here), "I served in Germany and remember some of it", or "my Grandma was German and always swore in German when she was mad" or "my wife/husband/S.O. is German and is looking for someone to write in German to". The cool and postive resonance I have gotten from people from simply writing a couple of lines in German just for fun has been just amazing. So, why not capitalize on it?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One more thing, a very important thing:

This thead is in no way about the dark history of Germany from 1933-1945. You can enjoy a language without always having to connect it to a war. Yes, Germany started that evil, awful war, and they spoke German, but the German language is also the language of Goethe, Bach, Beethoven and Nietsche, just to name a few... enjoying a language is not the equivalent of endorsing a former ideology.


So, have fun. Mods: I hope this thread is in the right place. We need a language sub-forum in USMB!

I will throw out a mention list in the second posting.


-Stat

Good idea!