Časoris
Znamenitosti Nemčije. Vir: Moloko88/Dreamstime
Znamenitosti Nemčije. Vir: Moloko88/Dreamstime

Germany is a land of complex language and rich culture

German Language Day, or “Tag der deutschen Sprache” in German, is celebrated annually on the 2nd Saturday in September

The German language is just part of a group of Germanic languages.

German is not only spoken by the people living in Germany, but it is an official or second spoken language in several European countries.

German is spoken also in Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, and even in the Italian region, Tyrol.

A special dialect of German is also used by the Amish and Mennonites.

Almost 100 million people around the world use it as their mother tongue, and over 130 million people speak it.

Germany has countless beautiful castles.  Source: Vojtaheroutcom/Dreamstime
Germany has countless beautiful castles. Source: Vojtaheroutcom/Dreamstime

Germany is famous for its rich culture, picturesque cities, and musical history.

Among the most famous composers are the famous Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Germans are known for their love of meat dishes, especially sausages, and of course beer.

The world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, takes place every year in the third-largest German city, Munich.

Germans are stereotyped as valuing punctuality, order, and discipline.

German is a language of infinitely long words.

Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung is the longest German word and means the “Real Estate Movement Permit Transfer of Responsibility Ordinance.”

Ugh, this one is really hard!

But with such long words, there is no reason to panic. They can almost always be broken down into shorter, more understandable chunks.

You can celebrate German Language Day in several fun ways.

Surprise a friend and send them an SMS in German. Of course, you can help yourself with an online translator.

Learn some new German words.

Bitte means “please” – a very important word for politeness in German.

Guten Morgen means “good morning” – an easy term for those who already speak English since it sounds similar.

Entschuldigung means “excuse me” – okay, this one might be a bit more difficult to pronounce, but give it a try anyway. It might be fun!

Points to Consider

  1. Which language do you find the most difficult?
  2. Are you learning German in school?
  3. What is the capital of Germany?

***

The original version of this article was published on September 9th.

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Mateja

je novinarka in mama dveh odraščajočih deklet, ki svoj prosti čas najraje nameni športu. Rada ima sneg, še raje valove, najraje pa pleza nekje v naravi.

Rebecca

Svetina is an English translator, EFL educator, and graphic designer. She is an American who has lived in Slovenia since 2008. She loves hiking and traveling with her family.

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