Sunday, May 15, 2005
Vocabulary : möchten
When you use möchten, you are expressing yourself politely. So you can omit additional terms of politeness such as bitte or gern. Example: Möchten Sie einen Kaffee?
Vocabulary : Entschuldigung
We say Entschuldigung: when we've had a mishap (= sorry) or when we make a polite request (= excuse me): Entschuldigung, wie ist Ihr Name?
Sunday, April 10, 2005
München : The most expensive city in Germany
There is enough office accommodation everywhere. In recent years a lot has been built and put on the market at high prices. But there’s still a shortage of housing – despite state subsidies. Prices and conditions vary greatly, however: it makes a lot of difference whether you live in northern or southern Germany, in a big city, small town or in the country.
It all depends of course on where you work. An hour’s commute is the maximum German employees expect.
If your journey takes an hour and a half or longer, colleagues look on you with a touch of admiration – or pity. And an employer may ask cautiously if it wouldn’t be better to find somewhere to live a little closer. People in Germany tend to stay put once they’ve built or bought a house. They are reluctant to move once they’ve become homeowners, and often stay in the same place till the end of their life.
It’s easier to find somewhere to live in northern Germany, somewhere that isn’t too expensive. In southern German, however, and especially in the Munich area, prices have soared.
Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. Even Frankfurt am Main has dropped behind. There are several reasons for this: the attractive setting and the surrounding countryside, the proximity of Austria and Italy, and also employment prospects. A lot of people travel to Munich not just on holiday or for leisure purposes, but also to work. In the past agriculture was the most important factor in Bavaria’s economy. But all that changed some while ago. The number of farms is dropping all the time.
Munich has become a powerful industrial centre: high-tech firms have set up business, famous car-makers such as BMW are based here, and the city is also a centre of the film and TV industry. The new airport has become an important international hub, and the new exhibition centre attracts exhibitors and visitors in large numbers from far and wide.
It all depends of course on where you work. An hour’s commute is the maximum German employees expect.
If your journey takes an hour and a half or longer, colleagues look on you with a touch of admiration – or pity. And an employer may ask cautiously if it wouldn’t be better to find somewhere to live a little closer. People in Germany tend to stay put once they’ve built or bought a house. They are reluctant to move once they’ve become homeowners, and often stay in the same place till the end of their life.
It’s easier to find somewhere to live in northern Germany, somewhere that isn’t too expensive. In southern German, however, and especially in the Munich area, prices have soared.
Munich is the most expensive city in Germany. Even Frankfurt am Main has dropped behind. There are several reasons for this: the attractive setting and the surrounding countryside, the proximity of Austria and Italy, and also employment prospects. A lot of people travel to Munich not just on holiday or for leisure purposes, but also to work. In the past agriculture was the most important factor in Bavaria’s economy. But all that changed some while ago. The number of farms is dropping all the time.
Munich has become a powerful industrial centre: high-tech firms have set up business, famous car-makers such as BMW are based here, and the city is also a centre of the film and TV industry. The new airport has become an important international hub, and the new exhibition centre attracts exhibitors and visitors in large numbers from far and wide.
Grammar : Present tense / Strong verbs
| nehmen | essen | schlafen | |
| ich | nehme | esse | schlafe |
| du | nimmst | isst | schläfst |
| er/sie | nimmt | isst | schläft |
| wir | nehmen | essen | schlafen |
| ihr | nehmt | esst | schlaft |
| sie/Sie | nehmen | essen | schlafen |
Some strong verbs change:
e to i or ie (nehmen: du nimmst, essen: du isst)
a to ä (schlafen: du schläfst)
Grammar : Perfect Tense
mit haben
mit sein
When you talk about something in the past, you use the perfect.
For example: Gestern habe ich gekocht. Heute gehen wir essen.
The perfect is also possible in cases where you would use the simple past tense in English.
The perfect consists of two parts: Gestern habe ich Spagetti gekocht. You need the conjugated form of haben or sein (ich habe, du hast etc.) and the past participle (gekocht).
The past participle usually starts with ge- and ends in -(e)t (gearbeitet, gekocht) or -en (gegangen). It is placed at the end of the sentence, and the form doesn’t change.
In German as in English there are weak and strong verbs. Weak ones have the ending -(e)t, strong one -en.
| kochen | wohnen | sparen | finden | lesen | |
| ich habe | gekocht | gewohnt | gespart | gefunden | gelesen |
| du hast | |||||
| er/sie hat | |||||
| wir haben | |||||
| ihr habt | |||||
| sie/Sie haben |
mit sein
| gehen | |
| ich bin | gegangen |
| du bist | |
| er/sie ist | |
| wir sind | |
| ihr seid | |
| sie/Sie sind |
When you talk about something in the past, you use the perfect.
For example: Gestern habe ich gekocht. Heute gehen wir essen.
The perfect is also possible in cases where you would use the simple past tense in English.
The perfect consists of two parts: Gestern habe ich Spagetti gekocht. You need the conjugated form of haben or sein (ich habe, du hast etc.) and the past participle (gekocht).
The past participle usually starts with ge- and ends in -(e)t (gearbeitet, gekocht) or -en (gegangen). It is placed at the end of the sentence, and the form doesn’t change.
In German as in English there are weak and strong verbs. Weak ones have the ending -(e)t, strong one -en.
Vocabulary : Useful expressions
Entschuldigung = Excuse me
Tut mir Leid = I’m sorry
Macht nichts = That’s OK
Einverstanden? = OK?
Du hast Recht = You’re right
Hast du Hunger? = Are you hungry?
Tut mir Leid = I’m sorry
Macht nichts = That’s OK
Einverstanden? = OK?
Du hast Recht = You’re right
Hast du Hunger? = Are you hungry?
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Berlin und München – Nord und Süd
In Germany there are two cities that call themselves the capital, one of them the official capital, the other the „secret“ one. Everybody knows the official capital, that’s Berlin. But the „secret“ capital has always been Munich. Has Munich really got something special about it that other cities don’t have? People who know Munich will answer „yes“ straightaway. But what is it that’s special about this city?
Southern Germany is a tourist centre. No federal state has as many tourists as Bavaria and Munich, and the numbers are rising all the time. Bavaria is the most popular holiday area among both Germans and tourists from all over the world. Munich, thanks partly to its central location, attracts millions of visitors every day, and they usually leave enthusiastic about the city’s special appeal with the nearby lakes and mountains. And when the „Föhn“ is blowing, a warm southerly wind, the sky is a glorious clear blue and you feel you can almost reach out and touch the mountains, so near do they seem. Then people think of street cafés and an almost southern, Mediterranean atmosphere in the summer.
The castles built by the Bavarian King Ludwig II in the 19 th century are just an hour’s drive from Munich. He was the fairytale king who loved castles and music, especially Wagner, whom he brought to Munich. The fact that the king, towards the end of his life, was a very lonely figure, and that he died rather mysteriously in Lake Starnberg means he is shrouded with a fairytale cloak of magic and mystery.
Munich cast a rather jealous glance at Berlin when it was basking in the limelight as the new capital after reunification. The government decided on Berlin in 1991, after the small city of Bonn had been the provisional capital for about 50 years. By the year 2000, the most important ministeries and the government had moved.
A breathtaking building boom developed, with architects of international renown helping to design the new Berlin. Berliners were almost overwhelmed by the dynamism of change in the first years after reunification, observing what was happening with their typical dry sense of humour. Some initial scepticism was eventually transformed into enthusiasm and a touch of pride – the face of the rejuvinated city was indeed impressive. There are still plenty of problems, especially with money. But everyone is convinced that one day, when the buildings are finished and the parks are laid out, Berlin will be one of the finest metropolises there is.
Southern Germany is a tourist centre. No federal state has as many tourists as Bavaria and Munich, and the numbers are rising all the time. Bavaria is the most popular holiday area among both Germans and tourists from all over the world. Munich, thanks partly to its central location, attracts millions of visitors every day, and they usually leave enthusiastic about the city’s special appeal with the nearby lakes and mountains. And when the „Föhn“ is blowing, a warm southerly wind, the sky is a glorious clear blue and you feel you can almost reach out and touch the mountains, so near do they seem. Then people think of street cafés and an almost southern, Mediterranean atmosphere in the summer.
The castles built by the Bavarian King Ludwig II in the 19 th century are just an hour’s drive from Munich. He was the fairytale king who loved castles and music, especially Wagner, whom he brought to Munich. The fact that the king, towards the end of his life, was a very lonely figure, and that he died rather mysteriously in Lake Starnberg means he is shrouded with a fairytale cloak of magic and mystery.
Munich cast a rather jealous glance at Berlin when it was basking in the limelight as the new capital after reunification. The government decided on Berlin in 1991, after the small city of Bonn had been the provisional capital for about 50 years. By the year 2000, the most important ministeries and the government had moved.
A breathtaking building boom developed, with architects of international renown helping to design the new Berlin. Berliners were almost overwhelmed by the dynamism of change in the first years after reunification, observing what was happening with their typical dry sense of humour. Some initial scepticism was eventually transformed into enthusiasm and a touch of pride – the face of the rejuvinated city was indeed impressive. There are still plenty of problems, especially with money. But everyone is convinced that one day, when the buildings are finished and the parks are laid out, Berlin will be one of the finest metropolises there is.
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