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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Fawkes@lemmy.zip to c/LanguageLearning@lemmy.zip

As an English speaker learning German, I face endless confusion and frustration with many of the short question words that are "False Friends"

Such as:

Wer (where) - Actually means who.

Wo (Who) - Actually means where.

Wie (We) - Actually means how.

Was (was) - Actually means what.

Also (also) - Actually means so.

Will (will) - Actually means to want.

And the completely arbitrary gender assignments!

For example.

The year is: Das Jahr, a neuter word.

The month is: Der Monat, a masculine word.

And the week is: Die Woche, a feminine word.

And then there's directly counter-intuitive examples of words that seem like they Should be a gender other than what they are, such as:

The little girl - Das Mädchen (Neuter, not feminine)

Breasts - Der Busen (Masculine! Boobs is masculine!)

Person - Die Person (Feminine! Why isn't this word neuter?!"

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[-] Pipster 8 points 1 week ago

Dutch (probably applicable for a bunch of Germanic languages), the way a word at the end can modify the whole meaning of the sentence as I've already mentally parsed it.

I need a book Ik heb een boek nodig

I have a book need

So my brain has got to 'boek' and therefore already finished that part of the sentence as 'I have a book', only to have a new word thrown in. It feels like a kid saying "I like you........ NOT".

And time... Ugh... Half past seven = Half acht (eight) Twenty five past one = Vijf voor half twee (five before half two).

On the other hand, dutch swear words? Sublime. Gezellig? Amazing word. Swaffelen? Chef's kiss.

[-] Eq0@literature.cafe 4 points 1 week ago

I know some Dutch. God verdomme just beats any other swear word ever. So satisfying

[-] Pipster 2 points 1 week ago

My favourites (especially as a microbiologist) are the swearing ilnesses. Krijgt tyfus. Kanker op. Teringlijer etc ect.

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this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2025
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