Why do the Germans talk like Yoda?
 

Seriously, their sentence structure is all **** about face. :roll:

I started with a few basic lessons on CD last year prior to going to the Nurburgring. So this year I decided to dust them off and get the rest of the series too - gives me something to do with my time and makes shuffling all the tracks on my iPod somewhat 'interesting'. :wink:

I'm about half way through: the words are easy enough, and with a Welsh mother I'm Ok with the guttural pronunciation too - it's just stringing them together that makes me sound like Yoda with a bad case of laryngitis! :roll:

I wonder what it;ll be like when i start on Arabic?! :shock:
(I got a DVD with all the introductory lessons for a load of different languages free so i figure I may give some of the more obscure ones like Swahili a go for a laugh.)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Where'd you get it? I'd love a go. :D

F.U.N.E.X?

Re: Why do the Germans talk like Yoda?
 

Try Cantonese. There's 6 different tones of pronouncation, Get it wrong and you could end up calling your mum a horse. :oops:

Where else - eBay! :wink:

German is a very "literal" language. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the naming of some common vehicle parts:

Exhaust pipe = spitzenpoppenbangenhangentube
Windscreen wipers = flippenflappenmuckenspreaders
Estate car = bagzervroomfurshagginginafter

HTH

:lol: :wink:

Ah ha!! some submarine ones...

Torpedo tube - das schwimminloudenboomerspittentube

Conning tower - Das fighten und sinkenwerke

Sonar - das pingen und findenwerke
:lol:

What actually got me started was going through some old board games from my parents loft and finding a little book that had been used as a scorecard for something on the back.

The book itself was a genuine, 194something publication from the American version of the Home Office. It has some wonderful little cartoon in it and phrases that can only be useful in certain situations - such as, "Where are the American Soldiers?" & "We are here to help you, please don't shoot!" :roll:

The worst thing about learning German is that there are no rules to help you along. Trouble is there is always three possible ways of saying something. Depending on if the person is someone you know, a stranger or someone of importance.

Believe me, speaking to a Policeman that has pulled you over for a traffic offense and saying du (you) instead of sie (you) makes a difference between a possible ticket or not.

There are also three ways to say The. Der Die Das. I mean how bloody stupid is that. Only one will be the right one and you only know which one is the right one if you all ready know that the adjective is feminine, masculine or neutral. And there are no rules to let you know which one it is.

I did O level German whilst in the Army. (Oh and the ex was German).