Translation between German and English
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Contents of this article:
- Challenges when translating between German and English
- False friends when translating between German and English
- A comparison of the German and English languages
- History of the English language
- Special features of the English language
- Fun facts about the English language
Challenges when translating between German and English
The translation between German and English is particularly difficult due to the differences in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and cultural context a complex task.
Both languages differ, for example, in the word order. In the German language, the sentence order is often used to emphasize the meaning of the sentence. In English, on the other hand, word order is usually more flexible and emphasis is placed through the use of parts of speech such as adverbs or by emphasizing certain words. It is therefore difficult to use a literal translation, as this can lead to an incomprehensible or unnatural sentence structure.
In the German language, compound words (compounds) are common, in which several words are joined together to form a meaning. In English, however, these composites are often written as separate words. This can lead to problems in translation, as a German compound word can have several meanings that cannot always be covered by a single English translation.
Challenges in German English translation
German Gemütlichkeit does not exist in English!
An example of a challenge when translating from German to English is the German word "Gemütlichkeit". This word has no direct equivalent in English and can be translated differently depending on the context. A translator might translate "Gemütlichkeit" as "coziness" or "comfort", but these words may not fully capture the meaning of the German word.
In German culture, "Gemütlichkeit" is an important value that conveys a feeling of security and comfort. In the English language, there is no similar word that can capture all aspects of this term. Therefore, it is important to consider the context and possibly use a longer description to convey the meaning of the term. For example, "Gemütlichkeit" could be translated as "a feeling of comfort, coziness, and warmth" to capture the term more accurately.
Headaches in England
Another example of a challenge when translating from German to English is the sentence "I have a headache".
A literal translation of this sentence would be "I have headaches", which is grammatically correct, but may not capture the full meaning of the German sentence. A better English expression might be "I have a headache", as the singular (a specific type of headache) is commonly used in English, whereas the plural (headache as a symptom) is used in German.
It is important to consider the context and cultural differences between the two languages in order to achieve an accurate and appropriate translation.
Challenges in translating English to German
One example of a challenge when translating from English to German is the use of prepositions. English and German have different rules for the use of prepositions, and it can be difficult to choose the correct preposition in translation.
To rely on / upon / with or what?
For example, the English verb "to rely on" can be used with different prepositions, such as "on", "upon" or "with", depending on the context. When translating into German, however, the correct preposition must be chosen in order to preserve the meaning of the sentence.
Another example is the English verb "to think about". In German, this verb can be used with different prepositions depending on the context, such as "über", "an" or "nachdenken". It is important to understand the context of the sentence and to choose the correct preposition in the translation in order to convey the meaning of the sentence correctly.
Differences when baking cakes.
An important aspect when translating from English to German is the grammar. English often uses an active formulation, whereas German prefers a passive formulation.
For example, the English sentence "John baked the cake" would be translated in German as "Der Kuchen wurde von John gebacken", i.e. passively formulated. It is important to bear this in mind to ensure that the meaning of the sentence is conveyed correctly and that the translation is fluent and grammatically correct.
False friends when translating between German and English
False friends are words that sound similar in both languages but have different meanings. Here are ten false friends that can occur when translating between German and English and can cause some confusion as well as laughter:
- "Handy" - In Germany, "Handy" means cell phone, while "handy" means "practical" in English.
- "Gift" - In German, a "poison" is dangerous, while "gift" means present in English.
- "Smoking" - In German, "Smoking" refers to evening wear, while "smoking" means smoking in English.
- "Chef" - In German, "Chef" refers to the supervisor or manager, while "chef" means head chef in English.
- "Aktuell" - In German, "aktuell" means "currently" or "latest", while "actual" means "actual" in English.
- "Bekommen" - In German, "bekommen" means "to receive" or "to get", while "become" means "to become" in English.
- "Eventually" - In German, "eventuell" means "possibly", while "eventually" means "finally" in English.
- "Sensible" - In German, "sensibel" means sensitive, while "sensible" means "sensible" in English.
- "Factory" - In German, "Fabrik" refers to an industrial building, while "fabric" means "cloth" or "fabric" in English.
It is important to be aware that false friends can occur in translation and to carefully check the context and meaning of words to ensure that the translation is correct.
A comparison of the German and English languages
Similarities between German and English
German and English are both Germanic languages and therefore have some similarities in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Here are some examples of similarities between German and English:
- Word origin: Many words in German and English have a common origin, as they both come from the same Germanic language family. Some examples are "Haus" (German) and "house" (English), "Mutter" (German) and "mother" (English) as well as "Wasser" (German) and "water" (English).
- Grammar: German and English have some grammatical similarities, such as the presence of verbs, nouns, adjectives and pronouns. Both languages also use articles and have a similar structure for forming questions.
- Pronunciation: German and English have some similar pronunciation rules, such as the pronunciation of vowels and consonants. Both languages also have a stress that can make a difference in the meaning of words.
- Sentence structure: German and English have a similar sentence structure, as both languages use subject-verb-object (SVO). This means that the subject comes first, then the verb and then the object.
Differences between German and English
The English and German languages have developed independently of each other over several centuries, so there are differences in grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and sentence structure. Here are some of the biggest differences:
- Grammar: The grammar of the English language is relatively simple compared to German. For example, English has no grammatical cases, no gender-specific articles and no complex endings for adjectives.
- Pronunciation: English has a relatively simple pronunciation compared to German. There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, whereas there are 30 letters in the German alphabet. English also has many silent letters and an accent that can sometimes be irregular.
- Vocabulary: English has many words that come from other languages, especially Latin and French. German also has many loan words from other languages, but they often come from Latin, Greek or English.
- Sentence structure: The sentence structure in English is more flexible than in German. English sentences can often be formulated in a different order than in German without changing the meaning.
- Word formation: English has many ways to form words, especially using prefixes and suffixes to form new words. German also has many ways to form words, but it is often more complex than in English.
Overall, English and German have many differences, but also similarities. Both languages have their own strengths and challenges, which must always be kept in mind when translating in both directions.
| Native speakers worldwide | 405 million | 130 million |
| Second language learners worldwide | 1.5 billion | 15.4 million |
| Number of letters in the alphabet | 26 | 30 |
| Popularity as a foreign language | Very high | Medium |
| Number of words in the dictionary | approx. 170,000 | approx. 300,000 |
| Sentence order | Subject-Verb-Object | Subject-object-verb |
| Conjugation | Simple | Complex |
| Language family | Germanic | Germanic |
| Accent varieties worldwide | approx. 20 | approx. 7 |
| Influence on other languages | Large | Low |
History of the English language
The history of the English language begins in the 5th centurywhen Germanic tribes came to the British Isles and brought their languages with them. The Old English is a highly inflected language with many cases and different word forms.
In the year 1066 William the Conqueror conquered England and introduced French as the language of the elite. This gave rise to Middle Englisha complex mix of Old English, Old French and Latin. This is also the period in which Chaucer wrote his Canterbury Tales.
This phase of Middle English was characterized by a standardization of the language. Chaucer wrote his Canterbury Tales during this time.
During the early modern period (16th to 18th century), English underwent an enormous expansion of its vocabulary through the introduction of new words from various languages such as Latin, Greek and Spanish. This is also the period in which Shakespeare wrote his works.
In the 17th century a phase of normalization and standardization of English began. The first dictionaries and grammars were published.
In the 18th century a form of English known as Standard English emerged. Today, this form of the language is used as the standard in many English-speaking countries.
In the 19th century English established itself as one of the most important world languages. English became the language of science, technology and politics.
In the 20th century English continued to evolve with the introduction of new words from popular culture, technology and the internet.
English is also the dominant language on the internet and in science. Around 90% of all websites are written in English and most scientific publications are published in English.
Today, English is one of the most most widely spoken languages in the world and is spoken by around 1.5 billion people. English is the official language of a total of 67 countries and is used as a second language in many other countries.
In total, there are more than 1 billion people who speak English as a foreign language. This is more than any other language in the world. According to EF Education First's English Proficiency Index, Sweden is the country with the highest level of English proficiency. It is estimated that around 90% of Swedes can speak English. Other countries with high English proficiency are the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland.
Some of the best known dialects of the English language are British English, American English and Australian English. These dialects have their own differences in terms of pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
British English
British English is the dialect spoken in Great Britain. It has many different accents, including the Cockney accent, Estuary English and RP (Received Pronunciation). The RP is the standard accent in the UK and is often used in the media and education.
Some of the distinctive features of British English are the pronunciation of the letters "r" and "t". In some accents, the letter "r" is not pronounced, while in other accents the letter "t" is pronounced as a "glottal plosive", which means that it is formed in the throat.
American English
American English is spoken in the USA and also has many different accents, including the Southern accent, the New York accent and the California accent. American English has some differences in vocabulary compared to British English, such as the use of "apartment" instead of "flat".
Some of the special features of American English are the pronunciation of the letter "r" and the use of "z" instead of "s" in some words. In American English, the letter "r" is normally pronounced, and in some accents it is even emphasized. The use of "z" instead of "s" is common in some words, such as "realize" or "criticize".
Australian English
Australian English is spoken in Australia and also has its own peculiarities. It has some similarities with British English, but there are also differences in vocabulary and pronunciation.
Some of the distinctive features of Australian English are the use of contractions and slang expressions, such as "arvo" instead of "afternoon" and "brekkie" instead of "breakfast". In terms of pronunciation, Australian English has a tendency towards a "nasal" sound and a pronunciation of "i" as "ai".
Special features of the English language
The English language has some special features that distinguish it from other languages:
- Large vocabulary: English has one of the largest vocabularies of any language. It is estimated that there are more than 170,000 words included in current English dictionaries.
- Flexible sentence structure: Unlike many other languages, English has a flexible sentence structure, which means that the order of words in the sentence can vary without changing the meaning.
- Consonant clusters: English has many words with consonant clusters, i.e. several consonants directly after each other, which can be difficult for speakers of other languages to pronounce. For example, "strength" or "twelfth".
- Irregular verbs: English has many irregular verbs where the past tense and past participle forms are formed differently than with the usual "-ed" ending. For example, go -> went (went) and eat -> ate (ate).
- Phrasal verbs: English often uses so-called "phrasal verbs", which consist of a verb and one or more particles that change the meaning of the verb. For example, "give up" or "put off".
- Accent: English has a characteristic stress, where certain syllables in words are emphasized. The stress can also affect the meaning of a word.
These peculiarities of the English language can pose a challenge for a correct translation between German and English.
Fun facts about the English language
The English language is full of interesting and entertaining facts. Here are some "fun facts" about the English language:
- The word "set" has the most meanings in English. It has a total of 464 different definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary.
- The longest English sentence ever written is over 13,000 words long. It was written by William Faulkner in his novel "Absalom, Absalom!".
- The letter "E" is the most common letter in English and has a frequency of about 11%.
- The word "O.K." is said to come from the Greek. It is said to come from "olla kalla", which means "all is well".
- The sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" contains all the letters of the alphabet.
- The word "queueing" (waiting in line) has five consecutive vowels.
- There are words in English that contradict themselves, such as "cleave", which can mean both "to cleave" and "to join".
- The word "phonetic" is not spelled phonetically.
- "Goodbye" originally comes from the Middle Ages and is an abbreviation for the phrase "God be with ye".
- Most English words come from Latin, French and Germanic.
