German Language Stack Exchange
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Which genus do I use for neutral expressions in German?

If I want to express myself gender neutral I always use the male version of nouns, as this feels to me to be the "default". My colleague in the office is always nice. Mein Kollege im Büro ist immer nett. My question now is if there actually is a…
GittingGud
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Can I say "Gesundheit" if someone is coughing?

I often see when people sneeze, the colleagues suddenly respond with the word "Gesundheit". My question is that, can we use "Gesundheit" when somebody is coughing? If not, is there any word for it?
Xeoff Baloch
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Would people understand me speaking German all over Europe?

I assume that German is a very old and widely spoken language. I am not sure how much of Europe speaks or understands German. I want to know: can you speak German in all of Europe’s big cities, i.e. Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Bern, Zurich etc? Can…
Xeoff Baloch
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What is the German equivalent of the proverb 水清ければ魚棲まず (if the water is clear, fish won't live there)?

The proverb's meaning is that just as fish prefer muddy waters and avoid clear streams, people generally do not associate with those who are too ideal in terms of ethics, manners, and habits. In other words, being strictly honest and always making…
Mitsuko
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What is the exact meaning of “ich wäre gern”?

In my exercise book I stumbled across this phrase, and the explanation of the subject was quite vague. Ich bin stark, aber ich wäre gern stärker. I am not quite sure which of the following it means: I am strong, but I would like to be…
Alexey Koptyaev
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Use of Konjunktiv II: Why "Ich wünschte", not "ich wünsche"? Compare "I wish" in English!

Man verwendet oft die Wendung "Ich wünschte, …" und meint eigentlich "Ich wünsche [mir], …". Warum kommt hier der Konjunktiv II zum Einsatz? (Oder ist das gar ein Präteritum?) – Weswegen steht im Englischen dafür nur "I wish" und nicht "I…
k.stm
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Expressions to congratulate on October the 3rd (Day of German Unity)

Tomorrow is the third of October, the Day of German Unity or the national day of Germany. What expressions do Germans use to congratulate each other on this day?
diadiora
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Neid ohne Missgunst

Der Begriff "Neid" bedeutet, dass man jemand anderem seinen Besitz missgönnt und diesen für sich selbst haben will. Gibt es ein Wort, das ausdrückt, dass man den Besitz des anderen für sich selbst möchte ("Ich will auch ein iPhone"), aber ohne die…
waldrumpus
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Is there metaphorical meaning of "aus der Haft entlassen"?

In a formal letter that I received there was a sentence Gerne werden wir Sie aus der Haft entlassen per 31.05.2019. It is regarding rental agreement, but the only translation for Haft, that I've found is prison and I am not being actually…
matvs
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How do I reply to an email using salutation if a gender is unknown?

Recently I got this confusion when I received an email in German as I was unable to make out the gender of the sender to reply as Sehr geehrte(r) Frau/Herr. If the names are David, Tom, Christian, Sebastian, Mohammad then its obvious to use Sehr…
user1264624
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Herkunft: Der Würfel brennt

Wenn beim Brettspiel der Würfel auf der Kippe steht und es zwei mögliche Augenzahlen als Möglichkeit gibt, gibt es den Ausdruck: "Brand!", oder "Der [Würfel] brennt!". Woher kommt dieser Ausdruck? Der Duden erwähnt diese Bedeutung nicht unter Brand…
infinitezero
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How to pronounce fünf in 45

In several places where I get pronunciations I've come across 45 being pronounced something like fümundvierzig or possibly fünwundvierzig, not the f sound that I would expect. Is this Hochdeutsch and I've just missed this, or is this a regional…
Kevin Alcozar
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Are the two uses of “Frau” in “Frau Hauptfrau” redundant?

A friend will sometimes reply to my texts in German. His reply recently to a question was “Jawohl, Frau Hauptfrau.” The use of Frau Hauptfrau appears redundant. When I use lower case on Frau and Hauptfrau the sentence takes on a whole different…
Susan
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Was ist der Unterschied zwischen kommissarisch und interim?

Gibt es Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Begriffen? kommissarischer Manager Interim-Manager
J. Doe
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Are there any english subtitled german intellectual shows?

I've taken german in school for several years, meaning I got the basics of the language somewhat ingrained in me. One of the ways to improve my skills, I notice, is by watching english (or swedish, which is my native language, but I'm not asking for…
Speldosa
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