The beam of pine is 10 Meters long

It is a 10 meter long beam of pine –> why is this one right?

It is a 10 meters long beam of pine –> and this one wrong?

—> this was actually a question from my swedish mentor at Ericsson..

• In english “fetch” is realllly only used for dogs. So if you say it to someone - they will feel a bit like a dog… but as long as they can tell you have an accent you are “fine” but really … just say “get” it's easier - and one less word to remember.

–> when you say this and you're a german you usually mean “it's fun”

Because my job is really funny

–> no

==== “Great!” ==== this went out of fashion at the top of my grandparents… thing's aren't really “GREAT” anymore..

unless sometimes you can use it as a cool word for “big”

In english the reflexive verb is rarely used…. in german you use “erinnerist du dich an diese bug….”

in english it's “do you remember this bug” or “I don't remember that”… so easy! :)

doesn't mean - it is “okay” it means it is bad and I don't want to say it to your face…

if the meal you have prepared is referred to as “fine” then… don't cook next time.

— would you like my seat? “Ohh no thanks it's FINE..” - this means YES I do want it but societies rules would probably forbid me from taking that seat from you.

“warum das?” it's the exact translation - but it sounds REALLY retarded in english… no one would say this..

WHY is one of the first things we learn how to ask - and we are EXPERTS with the useages of it!

“Your registration was successful”

“you have registered successfully”

–> fashion and trends in languages…

• es fehlt das “s” bei der 3. Person Singular: he gets, she plays, it likes

• Satzstellungsfehler: Am Abend geht er ins Bett. In the evening goes he to bed.!!!!!! Die Schüler machen die Umstellung von Verb und Subjekt wie im deutschen Satz.

• Zeitenfehler: Simple Past und Present Perfect, da in der deutschen Sprache nicht so genau unterschieden wird:
  • Bsp. Gestern ging ich ins Kino/ bin ich ins Kino gegangen. Beides ist richtig.
  • In der englischen Sprache muss bei “yesterday” Simple Past stehen: Yesterday I went to the cinema.
  • Bsp. Wie lange wohnst du schon in Hamburg?
  • How long have you been living in Hamburg. In der engl. Sprache muss das Present Perfect Progr. stehen.
  • Bsp. Simple Present für Tatsachen: I play the piano. But at the moment I'm teaching English!!!! (Present Progressive)

• Probleme bei den if-clauses: Die Schüler vergessen oft die Regeln:
  • if-clause: Simple Present - main clause: will-future
  • Simple Past Conditional 1
  • Past Perfect Conditional 2

• Wortschatzfehler in vielen Richtungen: false friends: Bsp. become = werden nicht bekommen!!!!! (to get!!!)
  • Oft werden auch falsche Präpositionen gebraucht, weil die Schüler nicht nachhaltig lernen: at the evening, on March……

It's weird - and MOST germans do not do this - but SOME germans will really think that in every situation that you use “bitte”

you should substitute the word “Please” - which if of course NOT the case - when someone says “Danke” and then the german guy says “Please”…

Das ist kein Bug —> directly translated… but in english it has to be “That is not a bug” - it's a feature!!!

Most germans will use “sex” referring to male or female… when really in english that's pretty rude

we always use “gender” because it sounds less “crass” and blatant.

Take and Bring seem a source of constant confusion for germans…

You BRING something with you

but you take it TO some place…

me: “I'll take it with me when I visit you”

her: “make sure you BRING that with you when you visit me!”