Suchergebnisse

What's the difference between 'Karneval', 'Fasching' und 'Fastnacht'? And: do you call „Helau“ or rather “Alaaf”? How do you call the people celebrating it – are they “Narren” or “Jecken”? In Germany there are many words related to the festival, which is also called "the fifth season (of the year)". What is said where, and why is there a "fifth season"? Questions over questions! But here comes the answers. Are Karneval, Fasching and Fastnacht the same? The reason for the different names is mainly geographical. You celebrate Karneval: in the Rhineland and large parts of northern Germany Fasching: in parts of Bavaria, Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Austria Fastnacht (or Fasnet, Fassenacht, ...): mainly in the southwest - in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland, in parts of Upper Bavaria, western areas of Austria, South Tyrol, as well as for Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Narren and Jecken There are also different names for the people wo are celebrating. In the Rhineland, the "Jecken" roam the streets, in other regions it's the "Narren". "Narrenzeit" is said everywhere as a synonym for the carnival season. The most well-known calls of them include "Alaaf" and "Helau". Again, regional differences determine what is called. "Alaaf" is mainly heard in Cologne, the "capital of Karneval". There, the Jecken shout "Kölle Alaaf" during the parades, which means something like "Cologne about everything" or "All praise Cologne". But you can also hear 'Alaaf' in other regions of the Rhineland. In Dusseldorf, Koblenz or Mainz people call "Helau" Even if Cologne and Düsseldorf are close together, you shouldn't confuse Helau and Alaaf - that's where the fun ends even at this time! There are even more ‘ fools’ calls: "Narri-Narro" is heard during the Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht. In the Saarland they say “Alleh hopp. And in some regions there are even "Ahoi", "Alä", "Hex", "Meck", "Knolli", "Aloha" or "Wau-Wau" and other animal sounds. It's just a crazy time! Why do we celebrate Fasching, Karneval, und Fastnacht? In ancient Rome and Egypt, there were already masked processions and festivities in honour of the gods Saturn or Isis, which were similar to the carnivals of the Middle Ages. Large public feasts were probably always an important part. However, the carnival as we celebrate it today does not date from this time. In Germany, carnival is more of a Catholic tradition. Ironically, Carnival came about because of the exact opposite, which is Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. At that time, fish, meat, dairy products and alcohol were strictly forbidden in the Middle Ages. So it was important to use up these foods so they didn't go bad. And ... if you eat well, why not make a party out of it! You wanted to let off steam again before the big renunciation began. This is probably how the first carnival customs came about, which have been carried over to the present day. In southern Germany and Tyrol there is another origin. Here people wanted to drive away the evil winter spirits. Even today you can still find many carnival traditions here with spooky witch costumes, scary masks and lots of noise. From when till when is Karneval? Since the 19th century, the so-called carnival season has started in many regions, including the Rhineland, as early as November: on November 11th at 11.11. Clock. Punctually to the minute, the "fifth season" is officially announced in many places. The reason is: while today the Advent season is a celebration of cookies and people meet happily for "Christmas parties" with colleagues, Christianity used to have a forty-day fasting period before Christmas. Der Jeck, der Narr – both lit.: fool Die Narrenzeit: fool’s time Even before this time there was a kind of Karneval or Fasching - and now these two periods have been combined into one long one. However, the most important time in all regions is the Karneval, Fastnacht or Fasching week. This traditionally begins with the “Weiberfastnacht” (lit.: women's carnival) and ends on Ash Wednesday. The highlight is “Rosenmontag” (Shrove Monday). Die Termine von Karneval, Fasching oder Fastnacht 2022 im Überblick: • February 24th: Weiberfastnacht in some regions called Altweiber, Weiberfasching or Schmotziger Donnerstag • February 26th: Karnevalssamstag, also Schmalziger Samstag • February 27th: Karnevalssonntag, also Tulpensonntag, Fastnachtssonntag oder Faschingssonntag • February 28th: Rosenmontag • March 1st: Karnevalsdienstag, also: Faschings-, Fastnachts- oder Veilchendienstag • March 2nd: Aschermittwoch Future dates of Rosenmontag (Shrove Monday) In the years to come, Rosenmontag will take place on these days: February 20th 2023 February 12th 2024 March 3rd 2025 February 16th 2026 February 8th 2027 February 28th 2028 February 12th 2029 March 4th 2030 February 24th 2031 February 9th 2032 What is ‚Weiberfastnacht?‘ ‚Weib‘ is an old word for woman. Women's carnival used to be the only day of the year when women were in charge. It was a crazy idea back then. In many places, the women even stormed the town hall to symbolically take power. Even today there are regions where the women celebrate this day without the men. And in the office, it's better for men not to wear a tie on this day - it's traditional for them to be cut off! Rosenmontag: the day of the carnival parades Some cities are known for having particularly cheerful and intense celebrations. In the days before Covid, at the height of the week-long celebrations, millions of people were out and about in the carnival strongholds every day. There are up to a million visitors every year for the Cologne Rose Monday procession alone. In normal years, the other two German strongholds of Düsseldorf and Mainz are also bursting at the seams during Carnival and Fastnacht. Large parades with several thousand visitors per day are also held in Aachen (Karneval), Rottweil (Fasnet), Nürnberg (Fasching), Köthen (Karneval), Bremen (Karneval), München (Fasching) und Berlin (Fasching) These festival parades go back to the year 1397, when a Nuremberg carnival parade was first mentioned in writing. This makes Nuremberg the oldest carnival parade – and it still exists today! What is differnent this year? In many cities there are severe restrictions due to the covid pandemic. For example: Cologne: ++++ Latest News ++++ The parade has been cancelled because of the war in Ukraine. Instead, there will be a demonstration for peace in the Rheinenergie-stadium. Dusseldorf: the parade of Rosenmontag has been postponed to May. Mainz: on Rosenmontag there will be no parade. However, the ideas for the Mainz motif floats can still be admired by the public. The motifs are shown as a construction fence gallery in a special exhibition in the "Lulu". Now you know where in Germany you can celebrate Fasching, Karneval or Fastnacht - and which "carnival call" you should shout! In any case, you should check the city or municipality's website for the exact rules beforehand. I wish you a happy carnival season!

Did you ever wonder why you needed to pay more for a bottle of water than it says on the price tag? Welcome to the German Pfand-System! Pfand means deposit in German. The Pfand-System refers to a whole bottle and can recycling system. In this article you will learn what "Pfand" is about the different types of packaging that require Pfand and how to recognize them the new Pfand-rules of 2022: when and how much do you have to pay? how to return empty bottles Future changes in the Pfand-system Why is there a Pfand-system? The idea is simple: when you buy certain bottles or cans you will pay a deposit on top of the product price. Once you return the empty bottle, you are refunded the deposit and the bottle gets reused or recycled instead of just being thrown away. How do I know the amount of Pfand I have to pay? If you have close look at the price tag on the shelf or in a flyer, you will find the Pfand listed separately: UVP = Unverbindliche Preisempfehlung – retail price zzgl. = zuzüglich - plus But you can also tell the amount (or at least the approximate amount) from the type of packaging. The Pfand applies to 3 types of packaging: Einwegflaschen Single use plastic bottles you can recognize from the DPG-Logo: Mehrwegflaschen Reusable bottles, either made of glass or Pet Plastic., Jars of yogurt and milk bottles are treated the same way if they’re made of glass. Getränkedosen Beverage cans The new rules for Pfand (from January 1st, 2022) Einwegflaschen A deposit will be levied on all single-use plastic bottles with a capacity of up to three litres. This means that you don’t need to worry about most of the former exceptions (like for fruit juices) anymore … but it also means that you can’t “escape” the Pfand anymore by simply buying a slightly different drink. The deposit is always 25 Cent. But … of course there is no rule without exception after all: Drinks containing milk are still exempt from the regulation. Mehrwegflaschen This is a bit more complicated as there is no single regulation that applies to all of those bottles. Sometimes you'll find the amount of Pfand the bottle. The usual deposit is between 8 and 15 Cents. For example: • Water bottle (glass or PET): 15 Cent Pfand • Bottle for juice or softdrinks: (PET) 15 Cent Pfand • Beer bottle (glass): 8 Cent Pfand • Beer bottle with clip closure (glass) 15 Cent Pfand • Milk bottle (glass) 15 Cent Pfand • Yogurt jar (glass) 15 Cent Pfand Getränkedosen The deposit of 25 Cent also applies to beverage cans without exception. Bottles and cans that are already in circulation If you happen NOT to be charged any deposit for a bottle of juice or can with an Energy Drink before July 1, 2022, it’s not necessarily a mistake: for a transitional period there is no deposit on bottles and cans that were previously exempt of the Pfand-regulation and are already in circulation. More details on Pfand Germans love to buy their beer, water and softdrinks in a crate (die Kiste or der Kasten). The deposit depends on the size and is usually around 3 Euros. If you prefer drinking your beer from a barrel instead of a bottle, you might also have to pay a deposit: The 5 litre barrel does not cost a deposit. Up to 30 litres it is usually 25 Euros. From 30 litres there is a deposit of 30 Euros. How do I return empty bottles? Obviously, you will only get your deposit back if you’ve paid it in the first place. That means that e.g. you can’t return any bottles you’ve bought abroad. (They need to go into the yellow sack.) Therefore, you should take care that the label is still visible. These are the places you can go to: Supermarkets Most Supermarkets have bottle return machines (der Pfandautomat). You can find it either at the entrance, at the back of the store or in a separate area of the building. Most of these machines only accept single use bottles and Getränkedosen. The bottles or cans must not be crushed, otherwise the machines can’t handle them. You will receive a coupon with your deposit’s value which you can redeem at the cash register. The coupon is valid for three years – but the printing might fade over time or when it’s hot, so you’d better use it soon. If there is no machine in a supermarket you should be able to return the bottles at the cash register. Kiosks Shopping, sightseeing or chilling in a park can be thirsty work! If you buy a bottle at a kiosk, you can return it at any other kiosk selling the same drinks. Beverage stores (der Getränkemarkt) Of course, you can return all empty bottles at the beverage stores. Will there be more changes in the future? More future changes have already been decided on. From 2023 Restaurants, bistros and cafés that offer to-go drinks and take-away food will have to offer their products in reusable packaging. From 2024 Regardless of the content, a deposit of 25 cents must be paid on all non-returnable plastic beverage bottles and beverage cans. This means that the deposit will also apply to the packaging of dairy products. From 2025 PET non-returnable beverage bottles must contain at least 25 percent recycled plastic and the price of returnable bottles can generally be increased by a few cents. Hopefully understanding how the Pfand system in Germany works has become a lot easier for you now! You can definitely save a lot of money if you return your empty bottles. Final tip: If you drink water, you can easily save yourself from carrying the bottles back and forth: Tap water in Germany is of really great quality: It is actually the most strictly controlled food in Germany! There are significantly more regulations for tap water than for mineral water, such as limit values for pesticides and uranium. And of course it’s also much better for the environment. Do you want to instantly improve your German pronunciation? Follow these 10 easy tips - with audios for extra support!

Did you ever hear someone moan about the necessity to clean the teeth every day? Well, kids will do so for sure. But for adults like us it has become second nature: a habit that we don’t even think about. On the other hand, taking out the garbage can seems annoying, even if it only takes half of the time. It’s not something we do automatically and therefore seems like a burden– unless we got into the habit of taking it out every day at a certain time. This is why it’s such a great idea to turn your language learning into a daily habit, too. And this is exactly what successful language learners do. In this blogpost I’m going to share with you the 5 daily habits of successful language learners that will boost your German, too. Get the free Habit Tracker that will help you to see your progress >>> 1. Speak German every day Why not start by talking to your neighbours or someone in the gym. You will find that lots of Germans are very happy to have some small talk! Just smile and ask a question like: “Und, wie geht’s?” - and if they have time and feel like it, they will take it as an invitation to talk about the weather, their upcoming weekend, how they feel at this moment … whatever. The sales assistant in a shop might also be happy to have a little conversation. This might be while they are scanning the things you bought in a supermarket or in a shoe shop, while your kid is trying on new shoes. Simply start by talking about the weather “Es ist wirklich heiß/kalt/schön/ungemütlich/ … heute“ (It's really hot/cold/beautiful/unpleasant/ ... today) and you might have a really nice conversation. I’ve got the impression that since Covid people are more keen on talking than ever before, so you will even do something good for them as well! And of course, it will also help you to feel more connected and less lonely. You can easily practice speaking German, even if you don’t have any German person or anyone else learning German around you. It might sound weird, but simply speaking to yourself can be really helpful as you still need to form the sentence you want to express. Try not to tell yourself only simple things like “the table is brown” but rather go through a process or task you need to fulfil. What your plans are for the day About how the day was so far. About a book you’ve just read. Maybe you can even find a tandem-partner, i.e. someone who wants to learn your language. You can agree to talk some time in your language and some time in German. Only by forcing yourself to do this on a daily basis you will get comfortable with it and really start improving your German. 2. Listen to German every day If you have spoken to someone (habit 1), then you will (hopefully) have listened to him or her as well. If there isn’t anyone, find other ways like listening to a German audio book a podcast in German a song or a Youtube video or watch a German movie. If you are doing a German course, it will be really useful to listen to the audios of your course book over and over again to automize new phrases and structures. 3. Read something German every day Finding something to read should be really easy. If you are doing a language course, you can go through the texts in you book. But you can also read an article in a German newspaper or an online news channel like www.heute.de or www.tagesschau.de. Obviously there are also books for every level of language, even for beginners. Another thing that you could read is a German Blog for language learners. In my weekly blogposts on www.charlingua.de you will find topics about life in Germany and about language learning. Usually it comes both in English and in German (with all the vocabulary you might need), so you could even read it in English first and then, knowing the content, try it in German. Or you could set a goal: only go to the English version if you feel stuck. 4. Write something in German every day Maybe you’ve got a friend who is also learning German. Then it is a great idea to write a WhatsApp or an Email to each other every day. You could also start writing a diary that might also become a great memory for the future! If you’re new in Germany, there will be a lot of things that you find weird at the beginning but that will become so familiar that you won’t notice them anymore after a while. Wouldn’t it be nice to be reminded of them in the future? Or you could write down what you’ve told yourself in German before. Of course: if you are doing a course you can simply do your homework. And what if you’re on a holiday? That shouldn’t stop you at all: Anyone loves receiving postcards – so why not writing one to a German or a German-learning friend? 5. The final habit is consolidation Throughout the day you may come across new words. If don’t understand them, you can ask: Entschuldigung, was bedeutet das? (Excuse me, what does that mean?) Entschuldigung, kannst Du / können Sie das bitte wiederholen (Excuse me, could you (informal/formal) please repeat that?) If you want to remember this word or phrase, just put it on a list on your phone. Go back to this list in the evening and revise them. You might also have a list of vocabulary that you want to learn. 5-10 new words in total per day is a good number. You should revise them at least three times during the following days. Now you know the 5 daily habits that will help you improve your German. If you manage to keep up doing these five habits intentionally, language learning will become so much easier and you will see a huge progress very soon! If you want to take up the challenge and give your language learning a boost, download the free habit tracker, especially designed to keep you motivated: Yes, I want the free PDF >>>

Extreme winds and heavy rain have left a trail of destruction across Germany, this week, with toppled trees causing major travel disruption and power cuts. What is autumn like in Germany? Autumn in Germany is famous for it’s golden, mild and sunny days. For many people, it’s even the best time of the year: temperatures are mild and nature is spectacular with leaves changing their colours – similar to the famous Indian Summer in North America. It it’s also an ideal time for travelling: If you’ve got the time, your destination won’t be as crowded as during summertime, and you can often find great deals on hotel rates. And of course, there are lots of festivals to go to: the Oktoberfest in Munich, local Wine festivals, the Pumpkin festival in Ludwigsburg are just some of them! However, weather can change quickly. Storms in autumn and winter are – unfortunately – rather common in Germany and the surrounding countries of Central Europe. Why are there autumn storms in Germany? The great number of storms is caused by the great differences between temperatures in the north and south of Europe. Of course, these temperatures are also different during the summer. But in autumn, the sun is very low, particularly in the North of Europe: While there may still be 20°C and higher in the South, the temperatures in the North may already below 0°C. This strong contrast in temperature leads to storms forming around the front, circulating and mixing air along the temperature gradient as it is trying to find an equilibrium of warm and cold air. It is a bit like adding cold water to a hot bath: the cold water entering from the tap forms a “front” with the hot water. If you want to have an equilibrium, they need to be mixed. How severe are storms in autumn? Autumn storms can be very severe. The storm we had this October, the first autumn storm in 2021, caused damage and chaos in traffic in large parts of Germany: Strong winds and gale-force gusts caused numerous trees to fall over. They toppled on rails and roads and even on a moving car on a country road. At least one man was killed, and several people were injured. Roofs were uncovered Police and fire brigades moved out on hundreds of missions. “Deutsche Bahn” (German Railway) temporarily had to suspended long-distance traffic in some regions. There were also delays and impairments in regional traffic due to branches or other objects on the tracks and in the overhead lines. In the Harz region, wind speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour were measured on the Brocken, the highest mountain of Northern Germany – but as the measuring device failed for a few hours, the wind is likely to have been even stronger. Telephone and power lines were damaged, and the power went out in several regions of Germany. Therefore, if there is a storm warning, it should be taken seriously. Useful links: Weather warnings You will find weather warnings of the Deutsche Wetterdienst here: https://www.dwd.de/DE/wetter/warnungen/warnWetter_node.html Nina-App There ist also an App to install on your mobile phone by the Federal Government that will warn you of catastrophes or severe weather conditons: https://www.bbk.bund.de/DE/Warnung-Vorsorge/Warn-App-NINA/warn-app-nina_node.html Travelling by train Is your train delayed or even cancelled? You can check the latest news here: https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/aktuell Here you will also find links about other public transport that might be affected (busses, S-Bahn, …) Checklist: What to do when a storm is coming up If there is a storm raging, it’s safest to stay indoors. If you do need to go outside Avoid Parks, forests and streets with lots of trees! Entering the forest during and a few days after a storm can be life-threatening. Try to get to a safe place as quickly as possible. Make sure to wear appropriate clothes. An umbrella might be destroyed by the strong winds. Secure your house Did you close all windows, gates and doors? External blinds need to stay open Make sure that parasols are closed. Take bikes, garden furniture and toys inside. Fix everything that you can’t take inside on your balcony, in your garden and around the house: trampolines may easily be blown away. In the car Drive slowly and carefully. Be aware that other vehicles, particularly busses and lorries may be pushed aside by strong winds. Try to park your car at a place where it can’t be damaged by falling trees, branches or roof tiles. Take down roof boxes ecc. of your car. Make sure your car has got winter tires. And don’t forget: Be patient with everyone around you. Some people get a severe headache when a storm comes up – and most of us react by being sad, grumpy, annoyed or even aggressive. So, if other people get on your nerves, it might just be the combination of them being unfriendly and yourself being more sensitive.

This question may particularly come up for Expats who will only live in Germany for a limited period of time - particularly if their children attend an International School. The answer it "yes!" if you want the ability to communicate in your everyday life: with neighbours, local friends, your hair-dresser, shop assistants, government officials and others around you - no matter whether you live in a city or in the countryside. Learning the language will make all the difference Learning the language will make the difference between just residing in your new community and truly living in it. It will help you to understand the new culture and integrate into it. And, most important of all, it will make your life so much easier. Language is the way to the people’s heart! Using the local language will send a message of respect. Making friends with locals will also be easier when you can take part in their conversations and understand their jokes! And even in the areas where most people speak English well: if you want take part in social life, you will need to learn the local language. Common misconceptions about learning the local language What holds people back can also be a wrong idea about learning the local language when you are living in the country. While some people underestimate the learning process, others may be intimidated: is it still possible to learn a new language at my age? Living in a new country and being surrounded by the language does not mean, that you will simply acquire it the way your child might do in the nursery. But on the other hand, it is definitely possible for adults, to learn a new language and to even reach a very good level in a reasonable amount of time – even if it happens to be their first new language. Of course, you will need a method that is designed for adults and that uses real communication to really practice what you have learned. This is very difficult to do without some sort of a classroom context or a native speaker. You cannot learn how to speak in new language from apps and books alone: you need to communicate with another speaker. Without that bit of practice, the transition to the native speaking environment will remain very difficult – just like having a driving licence won’t make you a good driver if you never practice driving yourself. Language Course or individual classes An approach used frequently by newcomers to Germany is enrolling in a group course or individual classes offered by a local language school or tutors. It is also important to choose a course that really fits your needs. There is a huge variety in the possible content. After all, university students who are used to studying, will have a different vocabulary and a different pace than business-people who need to fit the course into a busy schedule or sleep-deprived mums with toddlers. Not only the content, but also the intensity varies between intense full time courses and weekly lessons. At CharLingua, it is my goal to provide tailormade courses that will fit your personal circumstances or needs – and that can be adapted easily if those circumstances should be changing. Language is an important part of the culture – and you won’t be able to get or understand one without the other! Why you should not wait to start learning German If your are an Expat who will only live in Germany for a limited period of time, it is really important to make good use of your limited time abroad: Without speaking the language the first few months can become very lonely!

It’s not only humans who need appropriate clothes for winter – cars need to have winter tires, too. Would you rather read this in German? Just got to the German version - with a list of all the vocabulary that might be new for you. “O to O”-rule : When is the right time for winter tires? The O bis O – Rule is a rule of thumb meaning: Von Oktober bis Ostern (from October to Easter): Winter tires Von Ostern bis Oktober (From Easter to October) Summer tires (= regular tires) Between October and Easter there is a likeliness of sudden snowfall or icy conditions. Summer tires are not made for those conditions. Exception of the rule: In some years, Easter is very early within the year. Then it’s better to keep the winter tires for another few weeks - you can take time to change your tires. And: There are also all-season tires or all-weather tires. You don't have to change them. But they have disadvantages compared to the special tires: they are not so well suited to extreme winter weather the braking distance is longer in summer. How do I recognize a winter tire? German law does not refer to winter tires, but to “tires with winter properties”. On older tires you will find “M+S” meaning Matsch (mud) + Schnee (snow). These tires may still be used until 30 September 2024 . As of 2018, there is a new symbol: the Alpine symbol indicating that these tires meet certain new standards of quality and efficiency. Is there a legal requirement for winter tires in Germany? It is mandatory to have tires that are appropriate for the weather conditions. Under icy conditions you must not drive without winter tires on your vehicle. Winter conditions are defined as: ice, slippery conditions in snow, slush and slippery conditions caused by ice or frost However, there is no obligation to have winter tires for a fixed period of time. How much is the fine for driving with summer tires in icy conditions? If your tires do not meet the requirements during a control, you’ll get a point against you in Flensburg AND pay a fine: 60 € just for driving 80 € if you are inconveniencing other road users 100 € if you put someone into danger 120 € if you are involved in an accident. Is my car-insurance going to pay if I cause an accident and don’t have winter tires? KFZ- Versicherung In any case, the motor vehicle liability insurance pays for the damage of the accident victim after an accident - even if the driver who caused the accident was on the road with summer tires in snow or slippery conditions. The insurance cover remains in place in this case, so that the victim is protected. But the driver usually has to repay some of the money (up to € 5,000) to the insurance company. Voll- und Teilkaskoversicherung (The fully and partially comprehensive insurance) Was it clear to the driver that the summer tires were not suitable in this situation? AND did it cause an accident? Then it may be that the insurance company does not pay for everything - or that it does not pay anything at all. If you car hasn’t got any winter tires and there might be snow or ice on the road, you’d better not drive. As long as your car doesn’t take part in the traffic, you are not obliged to have winter tires. Do I need snow chains? In alpine regions, (like in southern Germany’s mountainous regions), it is also wise to have snow chains (Schneeketten) and a snow shovel in your vehicle during the cold season especially if you are going on a winter sports holiday. Do not forget: Also, make sure to fill up the windscreen water. You will also need antifreeze in winter. And finally: Do the windscreen wipers work? I wish you a good drive through the winter! Would you rather read this in German? Just got to the German version - with a list of all the vocabulary that might be new for you.

Do you want to thank all those people who are making your everyday life so much easier? Are you unsure about what an appropriate little gift for Christmas might look like in Germany? In this blogpost you’ll discover the best tips on how to give thanks to whom! Christmas is the time of giving – but also for saying “thank you” to all the people who have made our life better or easier during the year, like: the mail carrier, the teacher or the garbage collector. Wanting to show that appreciation with a gift is wonderful. However, giving too much can get the recipient into trouble: anyone who disregards the respective requirement must expect legal consequences. There is a threat of a warning or even termination. So don't be offended if the recipient doesn't want to accept a generous tip. No strings attached It should go without saying that a gift needs to be unconditional. If you seem to expect a favour as compensation it might be misunderstood as bribery. THE RULES What certain types of professionals in Germany are – or aren’t - allowed to accept: Unfortunately, there is nothing like a fixed set of regulations. Rules vary, even within one branch! But the following paragraphs can serve as a guideline. Öffentlicher Dienst – Public service It can be quite tricky to make a present to employees of the public service, like teachers or postal carriers. They are generally prohibited from accepting gifts from students or customers valued more than 10 €. For teachers, those gifts have to be given by the entire class, not from single students or his parents. There was a case in Berlin that went through the German newspapers in 2011: A group of parents wanted to express their gratitude to a very popular teacher by giving her a sculpture (worth: 198 €) together with a bouquet of flowers (worth: 20 €). A father, who had not been part of that group, told the teacher that accepting the gift was illegal, and so she handed it over to the school. But that father had also reported the incident to the police. In the end, the teacher had to pay 4000 €! So, please consider that instead of making someone happy, you might put them in a very awkward position! Perhaps the best gift for anyone working in public service is simply a heartfelt "thank you." – either with a card or even better in person. Parcel carriers DHL states: For many years it has been a tradition for delivery drivers to receive a small tip from their satisfied customers during Christmas traffic. In general, civil servants and employees are generally not permitted to receive rewards or gifts. Exceptions, however, are low-value gifts in kind up to a value of 25 euros. The tips at Christmas are regularly well below this amount. Dieter Nawrath, Deutsche Post DHL Group The carriers of Hermes are allowed to accept cash or little gifts like chocolates: We cannot and do not want to forbid our colleagues from receiving tips. On the contrary, our messengers are generally very happy to receive such appreciation - by the way, even outside of the Christmas period Marei Martens, Hermes Germany GmbH Newspaper deliverers If you happen to receive a newspaper on a daily or weekly base, you might want to show your appreciation for the delivery service within the early morning hours, whatever the weather may be. The best gift would be a tip of 10 – 20€ - other wise the poor man might end up with tons of chocolates, liquor or vases, that he doesn’t even like! Our newspaper deliverer will always come around on an afternoon before Christmas to wish every household a Merry Christmas. So be prepared to have something ready! Garbage men For garbage men rules can be different in every city, town or community. For example: As with DHL, employees of the Abfallwirtschaftsbetriebs München (Munich waste management company) can also accept vouchers and gifts in kind up to a maximum value of 25 €. And all of this only once a year and per household. However, like for all other employees of the state capital of Munich, cash is taboo. So, a voucher for an online shop, hardware store or bakery that is on the way might be a better idea. The Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb Augsburg (Augsburg waste management company) also differentiates between gifts in kind and gifts of money. The limit for gifts in kind is 20 € per year. In cash, employees may not accept more than 10 € per donor. Even if it used to be a tradition, in Nuremberg city officials are in principle prohibited from accepting gifts. However, low-value courtesies (promotional items and local tips) are acceptable in the usual scope. Würzburg has got the strictest regulation: Here the city cleaners have to refuse both money and gifts completely. If you want to know the exact rules and do not want to embarrass the employee, I recommend contacting the appropriate waste management office and asking what gifts in kind or money can be given to the individual garbage collector. Cleaner If you belong to the lucky few who managed to have a good cleaner, you should definitely try to keep him or her happy! After all, a clean and tidy household is a great contribution to domestic happiness and takes a whole (unpleasant) workload off your shoulders. A little gift like a nice hand cream or a beautiful candle plus some cash money are a good idea.

It's that time of year again! It's cold, there is snow in the mountains and the passionate skiers have a tingling in their legs: they really want to hit the slopes! Maybe you also love skiing – or would you like to learn it together with the whole family? If you live as an expat in Munich or anywhere else near the Alps, you are in great luck! Here skiing is extremely popular. If you look at the whole of Germany, 18% of the population goes skiing at least occasionally. But near the Alps, this number is likely to be closer to the ones in Austria (34%) and Switzerland (35%). One of the reasons is surely, that many children are already on skis from kindergarten age. There is also a wide range of ski schools that offer ski lessons. When it comes to ski lessons for children, parents have many questions – especially if you don't ski yourself! That's why I'm trying to give a few answers to these questions here. Where can my child learn how ski? If you live near a ski resort, there are several options: You drive yourself with your child to the ski resort You take your child to the ski course and come back when it finishes. The ski school picks up the child During the holidays or on weekends, many ski schools offer a service to pick up children: The skiing instructors will do a tour with a coach through several communities to pick up school children e.g. at the train station bring them back in the afternoon. If the children are still in kindergarten, you can register as a group – then the coach comes to the kindergarten and picks them all up together and brings them back there in the afternoon. All of these options have their advantages If you take the children to the ski resort, you can also spend the day there. So you can do a course yourself or just go skiing. And of course, this way you can decide whether you prefer to book individual or group lessons. However, especially for small children, group courses are often the better option, because the motivation is higher. Not only do the children from the ski instructor but also from other children If the children are picked up by coach, parents have the day off or can work just as usual. The children will quickly make new friends through the shared experience – and without parents, it may not be so bad if the weather is grey or if they fall down. From what age can children ski? It is said that the earlier the children start, the better. Many children are already on skis for the first time at the age of three or four. Motorically and physically, this is no problem. – and it is fascinating to see how quickly they get used to the skis. Of course, they should also feel like it – if a child doesn't like snow and cold, skiing isn’t likely to become favourite either. What does the ski course for children of kindergarten-age look like? Almost every ski school also offers courses for small children. They are also affectionately called "Zwergerlkurse", which literally means: courses for dwarves The first ski lessons usually take place near the ski school on their own, protected area. There, many ski schools start with a magic carpet. This is a conveyor belt that the children stand on with their skis on and while they are taken upwards. This way they will train the balance on skis. It is now important that they get to know the feeling for the skis and the gliding in the plain. Later, it goes on slightly sloping terrain, where the children feel the skis glide downhill. If that works, they practice driving and braking the first corners. They also learn to ride the platter lift or the t-bar lift. The most important new words for the children are now pizza and Pommes (=fries) – not because they are available for eating, but: Pizza is the "snow plough" – that's how beginners slow down. You move the tips of the skis towards each other and make a V – that looks almost like a slice of pizza. Pommes means that the skis are parallel – like two fries on the plate. How do I know my child's level? In the courses, the children are divided according to their ability – this is very uncomplicated and usually the children can also change if the level does not fit. What does a child need for skiing? Clothing Ski suit Neck warmer Ski socks Ski gloves or mittens (and a spare pair) long underwear Also important: Sunscreen with high sun protection factor for the face. Equipment Ski Ski boots Ski helmet Ski goggles Ski poles Back protector Tip: you can also rent the equipment from the ski rental. Some sports retailers offer to exchange the equipment for a larger one in the following year if it has become too small. The equipment is not necessarily new, but you can save a lot of money. Food and drink Something to eat and drink during the ride on the coach (e.g. bread or pretzel) Some bus drivers sell something warm during breaks, e.g. sausages. In other courses, the children can order something to eat in a ski hut. You should know this in advance so that you can give the children enough money or enough to eat. Very popular: small snacks such as chocolate bars to get some energy during the day, kept in the pockets. Others The children will also need to have enough money for a lift ticket. Important words: Parallelschwung - mit parallelen Ski Kurven fahren – parallel swing Schuss fahren – you go to your knees and drive straight ahead, e.g. to the finish line In Kurven / Schwüngen fahren = skiing in curves The colours of the Ski slopes The ski slopes are divided into colours in German-speaking countries down to Italy. There are no exact rules, but this standard has become established: BLUE SLOPES Here you can expect a gradient of up to 25 percent. These routes are particularly suitable for beginners, children and families and are ideal for practicing the various techniques. The descent is rather comfortable and the risk of injury is not so high. Attention: In the US this is different: a blue square means steeper ski slopes with a gradient of up to 40 percent! RED SLOPES Red means a medium level of difficulty. In the Alps, you have to expect a gradient of up to 40 percent. These slopes are not suitable for beginners. Only when you have driven a blue track safely several times, you can try a red slope. BLACK SLOPES Black slopes are the most difficult descent and the biggest challenge The gradient of these prepared runs starts from 40 percent. So you have to ski very well to get down these slopes safely. Black is also considered particularly difficult in the US. Two black diamonds even indicate extreme conditions. SKI ROUTES Ski routes are marked as yellow or orange as dashed lines in the trail map. A ski route is marked and secured, but it is not groomed by snow groomers. For such a thing you need a lot of experience, as it can sometimes get hunchbacked or you suddenly find yourself in the deep snow The colour-coded slopes (blue, red and black) are regularly checked, groomed and protected against avalanches. Here there is also a control in the evening, so that no one remains injured on the slopes. On the ski routes, these checks are not very regular. Since I didn't grow up in Bavaria myself, I found it very strange: you get used to the children in kindergarten only slowly being acclimatized so that they get to know the educators ... and then you will easily put them on a ski bus with ski instructors you don't know personally. For my husband, who comes from this area, on the other hand, this was completely normal. And it actually works great! By now, my two older kids race down the black slopes together with my husband while the two younger ones are looking forward to their ski lessons on the weekend.

Reading in a new language can be very difficult and frustrating - even for book lovers who are avid readers in their own language. After all, you know: reading in a new language would really help you to make good progress and improve your language learning easily. You expand your vocabulary. You pick up the spelling as well as the structure of sentences. You would even get a feeling what the grammar should be like when you are writing or speaking yourself. If language learners do get stuck, it might be, that the difficulty of the text doesn’t match their level of German. For example, in case you've just started learning German, you will have difficulties with a scientific essay. If the text is not that difficult, you might want to try these easy strategies for reading. You will be surprised how much quicker you will get through new texts and understand even more – with less effort! In this article you will find out what reading strategies are and how you can apply them when studying German. Reading Strategies The good news: you probably know AND already use all of these strategies – in your own language. If you are still struggling to read German texts, all you might need is to become aware of them and consciously apply them to German texts. 1. You don’t need to understand every word. Just imagine being in a noisy bar or in a busy street and talking to some friends. You won’t understand every single word - but just enough to get the meaning and make sense of what the other person is saying. You will only ask your friends to repeat or rephrase the sentence when you don’t understand the meaning at all and get confused. This is a strategy that you can also apply to reading texts in a foreign language. You assume the meaning of unfamiliar words because you understand the overall meaning. Only if that is unclear, you should look them up. 2. First impressions do count! Before we even start reading a text in our own language, we will have a very clear impression about it. Is it in a newspaper? A gardening magazine? A leaflet? A novel? Whatever it is, we expect a certain style of language: Formal, informal, technical, … . We are also ready for the type of content and certain words that might get used. If we open a gardening magazine, the word “Daisy” will have a totally different meaning than in a Comic. If you look into your German course book however, a lot of those clues are missing. Even if the headline says that ‘this is a blogpost’ or an ‘article from a magazine’, it doesn’t ‘feel’ like it. Therefore, we must make ourselves aware of that background and try to think what it means for the style of the text. That way we will also activate our previous knowledge. 3. “Fly over the text” – global reading If we open a newspaper or start a search on google, we quickly glance over the page. In German we call it ‘einen Text überfliegen’ (lit.: to fly over a text) – your eyes quickly travel over the text. This will only give us an idea about the topic or the most important information of the text. We will not yet be looking for any details. So: ask yourself. What is the general idea? Again, this will activate the previous knowledge – this time on the subject and content. 4. Cherry-picking -selective reading Let’s pretend we want to go to a museum this weekend. Only … will it be opened? When you pick up the beautiful leaflet about the museum, you will not look for the history or the exhibition at this moment: you will go directly to the opening hours. This is called selective reading: You only try to understand what’s important for you at this very moment and ignore the rest. You will also need this strategy if you want to take a German exam: you need to show that you are able to extract the important information. If the question is: 'Can you go and see the museum this Saturday at 11.00 am?' then it is not necessary to understand every single word about it’s history. 5. Get it all – detailed reading Of course: sometimes we want to know exactly what is written in a text. Every single word might be important. Then we will fight our way through all of the words and sentences and try to understand every detail – this is why this is called detailed reading. There are five more tips that might help you here: (1) Looking at the context and/or the word itself Are there any words that you don’t know? Look at the context: are there any clues? Or: Do you know similar words in your own language? For example: English and German share 60% of their vocabulary, which means that at least the pronunciation will sound familiar. (2) Try to find the keywords: You will find keywords in every text. If you know these, you will already get a rough idea about the content. (3) Don’t overlook the subheadings. They are supposed to give you an overview of the content of the following paragraph. If there aren’t any headings or if you don’t find them useful: create your own subheadings. (4) Try to filter out and underline what really matters Always ask yourself: Which is the most important information? (5) Look at the structure. If you want to understand a sentence: Don’t forget to look out for separable prefixes or verbs in the infinitive at the end of each phrase! 6. The right “why” Ideally, you are not just reading to prepare for an exam but for fun or because the subject is important for you. Your previous knowledge and international words will be really helpful for you to understand the texts! When I was doing an Erasmus-Semester in Spain, I found it much easier to read texts for university than the local newspaper – it was simply the style of writing I knew in German and I was always able to assume what it was about before I even started reading. If you want to start reading novels or crime fiction, you could start choosing something that you know in your own language. There are also lots of books that come with vocabulary, matching every level of German. Or … why not simply reading this blog every week? You will learn something about Germany or how to learn German every week and it comes with useful vocabulary. If you do get stuck after all, you can always read the English version … and maybe try to understand the German one afterwards. If you don’t want to miss out on another blogpost anymore, just sign up for my free newsletter It will provide you with additional information and from time to time more free content. For example, I currently have 10 tips for German pronunciation for you – just enter your name and email address in the form, then you will receive it immediately in addition to the newsletter. Do you have special topics that you would like to read more about? I’d love to hear about it - just send me an email! These 6 strategies (plus 5 tips!) will help you to read more successfully … and hopefully to become an avid reader of German literature! P.S.: Why don't you give it a try and read this blogpost in German straight away!!! >>>>

Idiomatic expressions (Redewendungen) can be quite confusing, especially if you’re just learning a new language. For example, if you are thinking about buying a car … and your German friend tells you not to buy a  cat in a bag,  didn’t he listen at all? To avoid any future confusion, I’ve listed 12 idiomatic expressions with animals that are commonly used. 1. Die Katze im Sack kaufen Literally: to buy the cat in a bag Would you ever buy a used car without really knowing any details about it – just because the seller seems so nice? Hopefully not, because then you would “ die Katze im Sack kaufen ”! 2. Schmetterlinge im Bauch haben Literally: to have butterflies in your belly (not: stomach!). This is definitely the most romantic of all these sayings! Do you know this excited, happy, tingling feeling when you’re in love? Then you have Schmetterlinge im Bauch ! 3. Wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen Like an elephant in a china shop Imagine someone going to a job interview … and then making jokes about the ugly furniture towards the boss: He’s behaving wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen ! Some people are just the opposite of what we’d call diplomatic. Without meaning to, they hurt other people's feelings, complicate a situation through tactlessness, or even destroy something they or others have built. 4. Einen Vogel haben Literally: To have a bird “You want to do WHAT? You must be crazy … or– du hast wohl einen Vogel !” If you tap against your forehead, you are “showing the bird” to the other person (den Vogel zeigen). But be careful: this can be reported as a criminal offense (Beleidigung/ insult)! 5. Kleinvieh macht auch Mist Literally: Small livestock creates manure, to o If everyone donates just a little amount of money to a charity, it will add up to a considerable amount. After all: even little things count or “ Kleinvieh macht auch Mist !” 6. Hunde die bellen, beißen nicht Literally: Dogs that bark do not bite In every neighborhood, there seems to be some grumpy old man. Children might even be scared of him! But if help is needed, he’ll always be there. Someone else might always threaten everyone around that he’ll call the authorities … and never do it after all. After a while you know that it’s just empty words – he’s just barking but not biting. You can say: “Keine Sorge (don’t worry) – Hunde die bellen, beißen nicht !” 7. Jemanden zur Schnecke machen Literally: to turn someone into a snail The boss was so angry that she yelled at her assistant. He was totally intimidated and would have probably been glad to withdraw into a shell just like a snail: Sie hat ihn zur Schnecke gemacht ! 8. Sie ist bekannt wie ein bunter Hund Literally: She is as well known as a brightly-colored dog. If there was a colored dog in the neighborhood, then everyone would recognize it. The same is true for some people: “Do you know Sarah?” – “Of course I do … everyone knows her: she’s at every party – sie ist bekannt wie ein bunter Hund !” This phrase doesn’t refer to celebrities but to people who everyone seems to know in your community, neighborhood, or company. 9. Da steppt der Bär Literally: There taps (dances) the bear Let’s go to the new club tonight. They have the best music and it's great for dancing! We’ll have so much fun – da steppt der Bär ! 10. Jemandem ist eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen Literally: A louse has run across someone’s liver. Y our friend is in a really bad mood today and you wonder why? You can ask: " Was ist dir denn für eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen ???" 11. Katzenwäsche machen Literally: to do a cat wash No time to take a shower or wash properly? Then you might just run a washcloth across your face … similar to a cat licking over her paws. While this is perfectly fine for a cat, a Katzenwäsche is not really considered enough for us humans – unless you’re on a camping trip or seriously ill. 12. Fleißig wie eine Biene Literally: as hard-working as a bee Did you ever watch the bumble bees flying from flower to flower? They are diligently hard-working without complaining – they are fleißig! And if you study all these idiomatic expressions and memorize the new vocabulary, you are ' fleißig wie eine Biene ', too! Hopefully, you are now prepared if someone asks you, whether you have a bird or is impressed because you are hard-working as a bee. If you want to read this article in German (with lots of helpful vocabulary, go to: https://www.charlingua.de/post/12-redewendungen-mit-tieren Do you know any other idiomatic expressions related to animals? Write them in the comments below so that other readers will enjoy them, too!

One might think that telling the time ought to be quite obvious in any language. After all, we all use the same kind of watch and have the same 24 hours. Why should there be any possibility to get mixed up? Well, different cultures have different ideas sometimes … Formal and informal ways of telling the time In German, there are two ways of telling the time. If we want to be precise, for example when talking about a schedule or a business meeting, we use the formal or exact time. Otherwise we can also use the informal time. The formal / exact time The formal or exact time is the 24-hour clock. It starts out the same as in English: 3 am = three o'clock in the morning = 3 Uhr 12 am = 12 Uhr But instead of using p.m., the counting continues: 1 pm = one o’clock in the afternoon = 13 Uhr 8 pm = eight o’clock in the evening = 20 Uhr … Which means you simply add 12 to the p.m. time. To tell the exact time you say the hour and then the minutes. Make sure to put the word UHR between the hour and the minutes when you say it: 03:16 = It’s three sixteen = Es ist drei Uhr sechzehn. The informal way of telling the time What time is it? = Wie spät ist es? It's ... = Es ist … 13:00 = one o’clock = ein Uhr / eins. 15:45 = a quarter to four = Viertel vor vier. 16:15 = a quarter past four = Viertel nach vier. Again: it starts just like in English. But then it's getting tricky: 15:30 (= English half three) = halb vier”. The Germans look ahead to to the following hour! The word “Uhr” can only be added for the full hours: Es ist drei Uhr or Es ist drei. Aber: Es ist Viertel nach drei. Let's take a closer look at the minutes: 5 nach (past hour) 10 nach (past hour) Viertel nach (past hour) 20 nach (past hour) OR 10 vor halb (following hour) 5 vor halb (following hour) halb (following hour) = half 5 nach halb (following hour) 10 nach halb (following hour) OR 20 vor (following hour) Viertel vor (following hour) 10 vor (following hour) 5 vor (following hour) The fact that e.g. 'half four' is actually 'halb fünf' is one of the most common misunderstanding between Germans and English-speakers. To make sure you’re talking about the same time, you can ask, using the formal time: “Also, vier Uhr dreißig?” Approximate ways of telling the time: Es ist kurz vor 4. / Es ist gleich 4. (It’s just before 4) Es ist kurz nach 10 (I’s a few minutes after 10) Talking about time If you want to know the time, you can ask: “Wie spät ist es (jetzt)?” Literally that means “how late is it (now)?”. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that anyone might be late – it’s really just the same as “What time is it” (Which, literally translated might provide you with an answer like “summer time”.) “Wie viel Uhr ist es?“ is another way of asking for the time. A very colloquial way might also be “Was sagt die Uhr"? (What does the clock say?) Answer/ Antwort: Es ist … Uhr / Es ist kurz vor 10 / … Ist es schon (already) zehn? Answer/ Antwort: Ja, es ist schon … /Nein, es ist erst (only) … Wann treffen wir uns? = „When shall we meet?“ Answer/ Antwort: Formal / exact time: Um 13 Uhr Um 13 Uhr 15 Informal time Um ein Uhr / Um eins. Um Viertel nach eins. Words you need to know die Uhr - watch, clock der Zeiger - the hand (of a clock) die Stunde - hour die Minute - minute die Sekunde - second halb - half das Viertel - quarter Word order in the phrase German word order changes if you use a time phrase at the start of the sentence. The verb has to be the second idea, so make sure you swap the verb and the subject round. Ich gehe um sieben Uhr dreißig ins Büro - I go to the office at 07:30. Um sieben Uhr dreißig gehe ich ins Büro- At 07:30 I go tot he office. Summary: For 'half past,' you say 'halb' and the following hour: Halb drei = 2:30 (= half way to three). For precise times, you put 'Uhr' between the hour and the minutes: 'fünf Uhr zehn' = 05:10. For many common situations (timetables, meetings), Germans use 24-hour time. Add 12 to a pm time to get the 24-hour form: 2 pm + 12 = 14.00 (vierzehn Uhr). 24-hour time is precise: 'zwanzig Uhr neun' = 20:09. Watch out for eins: with time it's 'ein Uhr' (1:00). You might also want to know: What is Daylight Saving Time? Daylight Saving Time (DST) also called „Sommerzeit“ in Germany (summer time) is a seasonal time change so that evening daylight lasts longer. The clocks are set forward one hour in the spring and backward one hour in the autumn. Learn more about the changing of the clocks in Germany >>>

In English you twist your tongue, - in German you might even break it: Die Zunge = tongue brechen – to break der Zungenbrecher – tonguebreaker That sounds dangerous! Nevertheless, tongue twisters are popular at any age and make us laugh. It is a challenge to pronounce them correctly, even for native speakers. And: they are ideal for practicing pronunciation. Here are 10 funny tongue twisters that are ideal for German learners! But first of all: What is a tongue twister? Tongue twisters are sentences that are difficult to pronounce – they are even especially made in such a way that the pronunciation becomes difficult. They don't have to make sense. But quite often they are funny when you understand them: either because they are so nonsensical, or because they are playing with the meaning of the words. Many of those the sentences consist of similar words that differ only in certain syllables. Or all words start with the same letter – this is called 'alliteration'. Or else there are several words that are (almost) the same – then you really have to concentrate to understand the meaning. Are tongue twisters only for kids? All children love tongue twisters. They love experimenting with words and sentences and are happy when it sounds funny or when it is even a challenge to pronounce something correctly. But tongue twisters are also a popular articulation exercise for professional speakers such as: actors, politicians, television and radio presenters ... Many of them do voice training right before their performance to warm up the voice. They also practice with tongue twisters. And they are also a great help for language learners if you want to speak more fluently. How do tongue twisters help with German pronunciation? With tongue twisters you can train your oral motor skills and articulation. Often all words begin with the same sound. Then you pronounce it repeatedly and thereby practice it. Or the words contain a similar sound combination: now you have to pay attention to the subtle differences and speak very precisely. In each language, the sounds are formed a little differently. For example, when speaking in some languages, the tongue is located further forward in the mouth and in others further back. The lips are also used differently: For the German "Ü", some learners almost need muscle training! Give it a try: Fühlen wir kühlen Wind an vielen trüben Küstendünen? (Do we feel cool wind on many murky coastal dunes?) And in fact, it's like muscle training in sports: the more you practice, the better the result will be. With tongue twisters, you can specifically practice the sounds that are difficult – for example, because they do not exist in your own language. This improves the pronunciation and sounds more fluid. Why are tongue twisters so efficient? Tongue twisters are short and funny – exactly what our brain likes. You can remember them well and practice them at any time: for example, in the car or while walking. It's a good idea to practice together with the whole family: who can recite the tongue twister the fastest without errors? This is a guarantee for a cheerful atmosphere! The 10 most popular tongue twisters of my German learners I asked my German learners – and these are their favorites! Attention: Don't break your tongue! 😉 Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische. Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. (Fisher‘s Fritz fishes fresh fish. Fresh fish fishes Fishers‘ Fritz). Zehn zahme Ziegen ziehen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo. (Ten tame goats pull ten centner of sugar to the zoo.) Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen saßen zwei zwitschernde Schwalben. (Between two plum branches sat two chirping swallows.) Sieben Schneeschipper schippen sieben Schippen Schnee. (Seven snow-shovelers shovel seven shovels of snow) Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. (Blue cabbage remains blue cabbage and wedding dress remains wedding dress.) Der Arzt spritzt mit spitzer Spritze. Mit spitzer Spritze spritzt der Arzt.) (The doctor injects with a pointed syringe. With a pointed syringe, the doctor injects Esel essen Nesseln nicht. Nesseln essen Esel nicht. (Donkeys do not eat nettles. Nettles do not eat donkeys) Früh fressen freche Frösche Früchte. Freche Frösche fressen früh Früchte (Early on, cheeky frogs eat fruit. Cheeky frogs eat fruit early) Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. (If flies fly behind flies, flies fly behind flies.) Hans hört hinterm Holzhaus Hubert Hansen heiser husten (Hans hears Hubert Hanser coughing hoarsely behind the wooden house) With these tongue twisters you practice, for example, the [ts] sound (Z is spoken [ts]!), the SCH sound, different sound combinations ... and most importantly, it's a lot of fun! How do I practice tongue twisters? Read the tongue twister quietly and slowly. Listen to the audio recording from the tongue twister several times. Then speak it quietly and slowly. Speak the tongue twister loudly and slowly. Now speak the tongue twister several times loudly and quickly. Tongue twisters are a great exercise to improve pronunciation and speak more fluently. They can help you improve your accent. Do you want to practice your German? Go to the German version of this blogpost. https://www.derdiedaf.com/_files_media/daf/aufgaben/2020_04_06_aufg_Ue_und_Oe.pdf