Do you know when you have really mastered a language? When you are able to define simply things in the language you are learning.

You do not have to provide a super smart definition a la Wikipedia or any other dictionary. If you are able to express yourself in a very simple way that is already a big accomplishment. Why? Because by trying to talk about the vocabulary word you are trying to recall you are actually searching and trying to get to information stored in your brain. Searching for the right word through language will help you to use words and phrases in a more flexible way as opposed to memorizing phrases from your books.

Let’s try a few simple definitions: You will find the answers at the end, if you can’t guess the answer.

1. Was ist eine Schule? (What is a Schule?) Eine Schule ist ein Gebäude mit Klassenzimmern und Schülern? (A Schule is a building with classrooms and students).
2. Was ist eine Autobahn? (What is a Autobahn?) Eine Autobahn ist eine Autostraße zum schnell fahren. (A Autobahn is a road for fast driving.)
3. Was bedeutet der Beruf?(What’s the meaning of der Beruf?) Der Beruf ist deine Position in der Arbeit,z.B. mein Beruf ist Lehrerin.
4. Was ist ein Löwe? (What is a Löwe?) Ein Löwe ist ein Tier. Er ist eine große Katze. (A Löwe is an animal. He is a big cat.)
5. Was ist Liebe? (What is Liebe?) Liebe ist, wenn du Schmetterling im Bauch hast. (Liebe is when you have butterflies in your stomach.)

I must admit the last one might sound like a philosophical questions. The idea is to keep each definition very simple.

Here are the answers, if you would like to compare them with to yours:

1. School, 2. Highway, 3.the profession, 4. a lion, 5. Love

The difference between Wissen (to know) and Kennen (to know) is one chapter in German grammar where a lot of students have a hard time grasping the use.

Both of the verbs mean “to know” but when do you use “wissen” and when do use “kennen”?

1) Kennen should be used when we want to express that we are familiar with a person or a place.

A good hint is:

The answer should be either a noun or a pronoun:

Here are some examples:

Kennst du den neuen Nachbarn? (Do you know the new neighbor?)

-> Ja, ich kenne ihn. (Yes, I know him)

Ich kenne meinen Nachbar nicht. (I do not know the neighbor.)

Kennt er die Stadt Remscheid? (Does he know the city Remscheid?

-> Ja, er kennt ihn. (Yes, he knows it)

2) Wissen should be used when we want to express a fact, something that we have knowledge about.

A good guideline: The answer would requiere a phrase as opposed to a noun or pronoun and most of the time you would have a subordinate clause which starts with ” dass, wie, wann, wo, wer, warum …”.

1. Weisst du, wie alt er ist? (Do you know how old he is?)
2. Ich weiss, dass er 12 Jahre alt ist. (I know that he is 12 years old)
3. Weisst du, wann die Veranstaltung beginnt? (Do you know when the event begins)
4. Ich weiss nicht, wann sie beginnt? ( I do not know when the event begins.)
5. Weiss er die Telefonummer? (Does he know her number. In English it would probably be “Does he have the number”)
6. Er weiss, ihre Telefonnummer nicht. (He does not know her phone number.)

I know that for a lot of English speakers, it does not make sense to have two verbs for a simple verb that we all use a lot in every language and in our every day life.

What I don’t understand is, since knowledge can be classified in so many different categories (such as factional knowledge, assumptions, anticipation etc), how would you only have one verb for to know?

Although Father’s Day is this weekend in the U.S., it falls on a different day in different regions of the world. Father’s day in Germany is always on “Christi Himmelfahrt” (Acension Day) which is always 40 days after Easter. This year it was on May 28.

Father’s day is also called Männertag or Herrentag (Day of Men) where in the old days men would gather together to drink a beer on their Vaterschaft (Fatherhood). Nowadays is more like a family day which might include a small weekend vacation. Just like on Mother’s Da,y it’s about showing your gratitude toward your parents. Your appreciation could be as little as a self-made drawing that you make in kindergarten (pre-school) or a tie that you purchase in a big kaufhaus (department store).

And of course, you’ll want to include some nice peoms either on a greeting card or on a nice letter.

Here are some great poems for kids and adults:

Mein Papa ist ein Supermann
der einfach alles richten kann.
Er weiß ganz viel – ist echt gescheit,
zum Spielen mit mir gern bereit.
Ist groß und stark, fast wie ein Bär,

trägt auf der Schulter mich umher.

Er wirft mich hoch und fängt mich auf.
Und ich verlasse mich darauf,
weil Papa eben alles kann,
denn schließlich ist er Supermann.
(Anita Menger)

Translates to:

My dad is a super man
who can straighten out everything.
He knows a lot - he is really clever,
he is ready to play with me whenever.
He is big and strong, almost like a bear,
on his shoulders he carries me here and there.
He throws me up and catches me.
I rely on him that, because he can do anything
Simply because he is Superman.

Mein Held
Du warst mein Held in Kindertagen,
gabst Antwort mir auf alle Fragen.
Ich hab’ Dir voll und ganz vertraut
mit Dir im Sand die Burg gebaut.
Und heute, nach so vielen Jahren
sollst Du es noch einmal erfahren
Ich sage Dir in Dankbarkeit
Du bleibst mein Held – in Ewigkeit.
(Klaus Enser-Schlag)

Translates to:

My hero
You were my hero in my childhood,
you gave me answers to al my questions.
I trusted you fully and built sand castles with you.
And now, after so many years,
you shall hear it again
I’m telling in gratitude
you are my hero — in eternity.

Ever feel awkward in elevators? Do you feel pressured to say something, anything? You’re not alone.

Especially at the office, people feel compelled to speak in elevators for fear of coming off as rude. You also don’t want to walk in too close because you want to invade their personal space. It feels particularly worse when it’s just you and one other person.

So, what do people talk about when they know they have only 30 seconds on the elevator? The 30 seconds could feel like a life time if you are silent, but it is actually too short for a real conversation. I’m amazed how good American people are with small talk. This is something that you would typically hear in an elevator:

Na, wie war dein Wochenede?( And how was your weekend?)
Wart ihr dieses Wochende beim Spiel? (Did you go to the games this weekend?)
Ja, das Spiel war sehr spannend. Bis zum ende wussten wir nicht, ob sie es schaffen. Doch am ende war wieder alles gut. (Yes, the game was pretty exciting. We didn’t know until the end, if they were going to make it or not. But in the end, my team won!)
Das ist prima-ok hab noch einen schönen Tag. (That is awesome-alright, have a good day)

The biggest difference between Americans and Germans when it comes to elevator chatter is that in Germany, you would not hold a mini conversation. You would talk about things briefly in the here and now and it’s not expected that you pursue a whole dialogue. It’s more like a Q & A, whereas Americans try to entertain by continuing their monologue about their weekend or the project they are working on.

Small talk in Germany includes a question or statement and an affirmation or confirmation from the other person.

Here is some useful vocabulary for when you ride the elevator in Germany;

• Danke fürs Warten (Thanks for holding). Gerngeschehen (You are welcome)
  
• Wissen Sie auf welchem Stockwerk der Zahnarzt ist? (Do you know on which floor the dentist is). (Ja, auf dem dritten Stockwerk.) (Yes, on the third floor)
• Wissen Sie auf welchem Stockwerk die Toiletten sind? ( Do you know on which floor the restroom is? ( Die Toiletten sind im Erdgeschoss) The restroom is on the first floor.
• Macht der Fahrstuhl komische Geräusche? (Is the elevator making some weird noise?). Ja, hoffen wir mal das alles ok ist (Yeah, let’s hope that everything is ok.)

Well, should you ever be stuck in an elevator, the conversation would be totally different of course, but let’s keep that event for another blog topic.