English is a Germanic language, and many students who are learning German for the first time are relieved to find a nearly identical alphabet and similar vocabulary. However, this doesn’t stop a student of German from making mistakes, even at higher levels of language learning. Beyond the challenging cases and adjective endings that are infamous to beginners, numerous false friends and easy-to-make mistranslations are common pitfalls. Here are some common mistakes that even upper-level learners are guilty of making.
1. Ich bin gut vs. Mir geht’s gut: How are you? Many American English speakers reply with the ungrammatical yet understood “I’m good” instead of “I’m well.” German is not so forgiving; reply with “ich bin gut” to “wie geht es dir?” will immediately set you apart as a beginner. Remember that “Ich bin gut” is for proficiencies (as in the equivalent “I am good at baseball”) while “mir geht’s gut” is to describe how you are feeling.
2. Studieren vs. Lernen: Do you know how to reply when someone asks what you’re majoring in? In English, “studying” can be used to both describe a field of study (“I’m studying Psychology”) and a general activity (“I’m studying for a test.”) The German “studieren” is limited to university students to describe location of where they are going to school (in a city or university) and for relating a major of study, though it also describes the act of studying something in detail, such as a document. “Lernen” is the English equivalent of learning, reading, or studying a subject for class.
3. Vor vs. For : You might say “Ich wohne hier vor zwei Jahren” when you mean to say “I’ve lived here for two years.” The German “vor” sounds like the English “for,” but that’s where their similarities end. “Vor zwei Jahren” means “two years ago.” The correct preposition is “seit.”
4. Du vs. Man – It’s common in English to use the “generic you” when discussing an unspecified person rather than the formal “one,” e.g. “That’s what happens when you don’t exercise” vs. “That’s what happens when one doesn’t exercise.” Be careful when translating these types of sentences into German, as using “du” rather than the generic “man” will make the other speaker think you’re talking about them!
5. Possessive Apostrophes: German does not use possessive apostrophes in the same way that English does; Maria’s dog in English is Marias Hund in German. Apostrophes are only used in possession when a noun ends in an s-sound, and rather than ending in ‘s, the possessive form simply ends with an apostrophe, e.g. Hans’ Buch.
6. Noun Gender: One of the most frustrating aspects for English speakers with their cozy catch-all “the,” it’s impossible to go without making any mistakes about the genders of German nouns. That being said, not making an effort to learn them at all will just make you look uneducated to other speakers and can sometimes change the meaning of the noun. Make an effort to memorize the gender with the noun, and look out for predictors of the gender.
7. Du vs. Sie – It baffles me how many students in upper-level classes believe that they can shift between these interchangeably, not because they don’t realize the significance behind them but because English’s lack of formal “you” forms mean that most haven’t had real experiences with changing conjugation to suit who they’re talking to. When it doubt, use Sie (unless you’re talking to a child or animal). It’s always better to be more respectful – and in the present tense, you don’t have to conjugate from the infinitive!
8. Ich will vs. Ich möchte – Beginners find it easier to pronounce “will” and tend to abuse it, though it translates to a more direct “I want” than möchte’s “I would like.” Germans themselves will use “ich will” when they mean “I would like,” so it’s not a big misstep if you use these two more interchangeably, unlike the difference between “du” and “Sie.” Still, knowing the differences between these is importance, and if you are in doubt whicn one to use, it’s better to be on the safe side and use “ich möchte.”
9. Umlauts : Though most beginners of Germans are strangers to umlauts, they are non-negotiable both in spelling and pronunciation and it’s critical for students to remember them when speaking and writing German – it’s the difference between a singular and a plural noun in some cases.
10. Lieben : There are often complaints that English speakers use the term “love” too freely – “I love cake,” “I love this show,” “I loved the book” – and that it makes it lose its meaning. Even if you use “the L word” liberally, it’s important to take advantage of other verbs in German to express appreciation or risk abusing “lieben.” Use gern, genießen , or other similar words to describe what you love to do or things you enjoy.
As you can see, these pitfalls can present a challenge to even the most diligent language learner. Let us know if we can help you master German or another language and get acquainted with the culture of the country where that language is spoken. Contact us with any questions!
Bromberg Author: Jillian Lewczynski