You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Showing posts with label Quora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quora. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2025

What languages are spoken in surprising places?

 

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There are German speaking Mennonites in Paraguay’s Chaco (“Green Hell”) region. Their main city is Filadelfia.

There are still Basque speakers in parts of Nevada. They were adept at the lonely profession of sheepherding, so many settled here and some other parts of the west. We had a nearby Basque restaurant in my area of California’s Central Valley when I first moved here.

Main area of Basque communities in the United States.

The dominant language of South Tyrol is a German dialect.

Honorable mention: While the attempt to set up a society to preserve Welsh language in Patagonia failed, there are still distinctive Welsh place names as remnants.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

14 UNSPOKEN RULES

 

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1. Don't ask someone their salary, age, or weight.

2. Let people exit before you

3. Return what you borrow in enter. the same condition.

4. Don't interrupt when someone is speaking.

5. Don't use speakerphone in public.

6. Respect personal space-physical and emotional.

7. If someone is wearing headphones, they don't want to talk.

8. Don't show up empty-handed to someone's home.

9. Don't ask couples when they're having kids.

10. Say "thank you" even for small gestures.

11. Keep your phone away during meals.

12. Don't make fun of someone's appearance.

13. Don't stare-it's rude.

14. Respect the "Do Not Disturb" sign-literally and figuratively.

Thanks for Reading and Following

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Is Low Saxon considered a dialect of High German?

 

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No, Low Saxon isn't a dialect of High German. It's a separate thing in its own right.

To explain things further, dialects spoken in Germany can be classified into two main languages: Low Saxon (aka Low German), and High German.

This distinction exists because Low German comes from the medieval Old Saxon language while High German comes from Old High German. Their different origins make them pretty unique from each other.

An interesting fun fact is that Low German actually has a more recent ancestor with English than it does High German. Low and High German being lumped together as part of a unified “German” has more to do with history and politics.

EDIT: Gunārs Miezis pointed out that the map above doesn’t show all of the Low German dialects for some reason, so here’s a more accurate one for that:

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Why is the German language so complex?

 

Profile photo for Robert Todd
Robert Todd
Earnestly seeking the letters beyond Z ...
2,076 followers
192 following


If the German gang here doesn’t know the funny essay by Mark Twain “The Awful German Language,” allow me to introduce you: The Awful German Language

Here are a couple of excerpts. You’ll get the gist.

Every noun has a gender, and there is no sense or system in the distribution; so the gender of each must be learned separately and by heart. There is no other way. To do this one has to have a memory like a memorandum-book. In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what overwrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the girl. See how it looks in print -- I translate this from a conversation in one of the best of the German Sunday-school books:

"Gretchen.

Wilhelm, where is the turnip?

Wilhelm.

She has gone to the kitchen.

Gretchen.

Where is the accomplished and beautiful English maiden?

Wilhelm.

It has gone to the opera."

A portion of Twain’s translation of “Tale of the Fishwife and Its Sad Fate:”

It is a bleak Day. Hear the Rain, how he pours, and the Hail, how he rattles; and see the Snow, how he drifts along, and of the Mud, how deep he is! Ah the poor Fishwife, it is stuck fast in the Mire; it has dropped its Basket of Fishes; and its Hands have been cut by the Scales as it seized some of the falling Creatures; and one Scale has even got into its Eye, and it cannot get her out. It opens its Mouth to cry for Help; but if any Sound comes out of him, alas he is drowned by the raging of the Storm. And now a Tomcat has got one of the Fishes and she will surely escape with him. No, she bites off a Fin, she holds her in her Mouth -- will she swallow her?

We’ll leave the cat, the fish and the rest, but you get the idea.

Obviously, this is tongue-very-much-in-cheek. But it expresses a common concern for English speakers, the apparently less than logical use of grammatical gender. Of course, there’s more. Frequently, the sheer length of words (“Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen” and the like tasked with being “alphabetical processions”) and comparatively rigid German syntax may induce fits.

But these are the complaints, joking or not, of someone who wants German to be … English. It’s not, and there is no reason it should be.

From the German perspective, I imagine English words must seem like logographs, with each carrying a rather arbitrary pronunciation that must be learned one at a time. And while English speakers tease that German verbs pop up at the end of sentences like actors making a stage call, Germans must certainly feel there is something odd about the willy-nilly placement of past participles and verbs in dependent clauses. I mean, are there no rules! Chaos, man, chaos!

All of this to say - German is its own creature. Yes, the grammar rules will likely seem complex and difficult to monoglot English speakers. And perhaps to others. But it has its own sonorities and lovely features, and those in abundance. Need a compound noun? Try, oh, Abendsonnenschein. There’s a reason philosophers and poets dip into German rather liberally.

And one gentle, practical hint. If the gender of nouns is troubling you, while you are learning, turn them into plurals when possible. I once forgot if Bier was a “das” or not, so I simply ordered more. Plurals make for a nice “die.”

Update: A treat for those who have enjoyed and commented upon this response.

Christian Otto Josef Wolfgang Morgenstern (6 May 1871 – 31 March 1914) provided a memorable send-up of German grammar in his poem Der Werwolf. A native German response, in some ways, to the original question. Tongue firmly in cheek. Rather like Twain and Ambrose Bierce in the U.S., nothing was safe from his pen. This piece made me laugh out loud; who said Germans have no sense of humor!

Der Werwolf

Ein Werwolf eines Nachts entwich
von Weib und Kind und sich begab
an eines Dorfschullehrers Grab
und bat ihn: »Bitte, beuge mich!«

Der Dorfschulmeister stieg hinauf
auf seines Blechschilds Messingknauf
und sprach zum Wolf, der seine Pfoten
geduldig kreuzte vor dem Toten:

»Der Werwolf«, sprach der gute Mann,
»des Weswolfs, Genitiv sodann,
dem Wemwolf, Dativ, wie mans nennt,
den Wenwolf, — damit hats ein End.«

Dem Werwolf schmeichelten die Fälle,
er rollte seine Augenbälle.
»Indessen«, bat er, »füge doch
zur Einzahl auch die Mehrzahl noch!«

Der Dorfschulmeister aber mußte
gestehn, dass er von ihr nichts wußte.
Zwar Wölfe gäbs in grosser Schar,
doch »Wer« gäbs nur im Singular.

Der Wolf erhob sich tränenblind–
er hatte ja doch Weib und Kind!
Doch da er kein Gelehrter eben,
so schied er dankend und ergeben.

For the learners in the crowd, like me:

Usually considered untranslatable, Alexander Gross at least made an amusing effort:

The Werewolf

A Werewolf, troubled by his name,
Left wife and brood one night and came
To a hidden graveyard to enlist
The aid of a long-dead philologist.

“Oh sage, wake up, please don’t berate me,”
He howled sadly, “Just conjugate me.”
The seer arose a bit unsteady
Yawned twice, wheezed once, and then was ready.

“Well, ‘Werewolf’ is your plural past,
While ‘Waswolf’ is singularly cast:
There’s ‘Amwolf’ too, the present tense,
And ‘Iswolf,’ ‘Arewolf’ in this same sense.”

“I know that–I’m no mental cripple–
The future form and participle
Are what I crave,” the beast replied.
The scholar paused–again he tried:

“A ‘Will-be-wolf?’ It’s just too long:
‘Shall-be-wolf?’ ‘Has-been-wolf?’ Utterly wrong!
Such words are wounds beyond all suture–
I’m sorry, but you have no future.”

The Werewolf knew better–his sons still slept
At home, and homewards now he crept,
Happy, humble, without apology
For such folly of philology.

Tschüss!

Thursday, June 12, 2025

What are the greatest German sayings, translated into English?

 

Profile photo for Uwe Zimmer
Uwe Zimmer
PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist
2,561 followers
71 following

I consider myself a native German speaker, although my true mother’s tongue is the Upper Hessian dialect, which I still speak fluently. l learned Standard German in school. Further languages: French, Latin. I live in Berlin now. I talk to a lot of people for job reasons. My favorite subjects here on Quora are German history ( the 19th and 20th century), language and lifestyle.


25 GREAT GERMAN SAYINGS YOU NEVER HEARD OF

OK, here it comes: My list of sayings. Plus translation. If anybody knows an equivalent English saying, please let me know.

  1. Sich zum Affen machen = making a monkey ( a fool) out of yourself.

2. Dem geht der Arsch auf Grundeis = He is anxious (direct translation difficult)

3. Eulen nach Athen tragen, oder Schnecken nach Wien = Carrying Owls to Athens / snails to Vienna, means irrational efforts : The owl is the symbol of Athens, it’s just everywhere. So there are enough owls in Athens, and the Viennese are already known for slow speed, they don‘t need snails (Symbols for slowliness).

4. Dumm wie Brot = very silly, as smart as bread.

5. Blind wie Paul, und Paul war’n Maulwurf = when someone oversees the obvious: Blind like Paul ’n Paul was a Mole.

6. Lieber Arm dran, als Arm ab = better loose your money than your arm (in German “arm” means „arm“ as well as „poor“).

7. Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund = Morning hour bears Gold in its mouth. similar to: The early bird catches the worm.

8. Honig um den Bart schmieren = smear honey around someone’s beard. To make compliments. Meant in a derogatory way.

9. Zeigen, wo Barthel den Most holt = originates in a Yiddish saying: show, how you get the money (most) with a crowbar (Barthel). means : I will teach you!

10. Schaffe, schaffe Häusle baue… = work, work, build a house. Means: I am / You are always busy.

11. Klappe zu Affe tot = Flap is shut, monkey’s dead. We screwed it up. We cannot make it undone. Let’s carry on.

12. Keine Arme, keine Kekse = You have no arms to pick a cookie, you ‘ll have none. means: Your own fault! Don’t complain and ask for help (OK; Not a nice one but very. common).

13. Die Haare vom Kopf fressen = Others are eating the hair from your head. Means someone (your kid) costs you a lot of money.

14. Morgen morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute = tomorrow, not today, only lazy people say.

15. Früher hatte er nen forschen P*****, heute hat er nen Porschefimmel. Means he used to be a women chaser, now he is a sportscar racer.

16. Die Revolution fand im Saale statt = The revolution will be held indoors (in case of bad weather). A popular comment on revolutions in Germany, which are said to have been lead not with much effort.

17. Das sind für mich böhmische Dörfer = This sounds like villages in Bohemia. Means : I have no idea what you are talking about. I don’t know these words.

18. Sport ist Mord = Sports equal Murder. Doing sport will kill you. A saying loved very much by couch-potatoes.

19. Wer aufräumt, ist nur zu faul zum suchen = Keeping your room tidy means you‘re too lazy to search for everything.

20. Zeigen, wo der Frosch die Locken hat. Now I show you where the frogs have their curls. Absolute nonsense. Means: I’ll teach you!

21. Schnee von gestern = Snow from yesterday. Nobody is still interested in this.

22. Ha - ha. Selten so gelacht. 3 Sack voll und den Rest in Tüten = (Ironically) Look how much we laughed: Three sacks full, the rest in plastic bags. Means: This wasn’t funny, this was boring.

23. Witz komm raus, du bist umzingelt = .Imagine a bank robbery, they have taken hostages but the Police are there, and now the Captain uses the bullhorn: You better come out, you are surrounded by police. Here Meaning: What you told, isn’t funny. If there is a point in your joke, he hides in between the words and doesn't want to come out.

24. Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift = It seems my pig whistle blows. Meaning this is absolutely weird. Stop it!

25. Sauer macht lustig = Sour (drinks, food) makes you laugh. A nice comment when somebody offers you e.g. a sour cider: “Well, yes, it is a little sour, but sauer macht lustig".