English Tips

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fahren is not to drive

 

A common mistake Germans make is to assume that to drive is exactly the same as fahren. They then make funny sentences like "Did you drive by bike?" or "I drove by train to Hamburg." or "My wife and I will drive to Mallorca for a holiday."

 

English speakers use drive only when they are the ones holding the steering wheel inside the vehicle. Therefore, you cannot drive a bike, neither can you drive by train, and you most certainly cannot drive for a holiday to Mallorca.

 

Use go in place of drive and use drive only when you can control which way the vehicle is going:

• Did you go by bike? = Bist du mit dem Fahrrad gefahren?
• I went to Hamburg by train. = Ich bin nach Hamburg mit dem Zug gefahren.
• My wife and I will go to Mallorca for a holiday. = Meine Frau und ich werden nach Mallorca in den Urlaub fahren.
• I drive my car to work every day. = Ich fahre jeden Tag zur Arbeit mit meinem Auto

You’ll become a what?

 

Be wary of false friends, or words that look or sound similar in German and English, but have completely different meanings.

• “I become a chicken” is hilarious for English speakers because to become = werden.
  to get = bekommen
• “That’s the ground I’m here” will raise questions because ground = der Erdboden
  reason = der Grund
• “I want a bloody steak” will make the waiter nervous because a bloody steak = verdammtes Steak
  rare steak = blutiges Steak

 

 

Do? / Does?

 

Unlike German verbs, most English verbs need the helping verb do to form a question in the present tense.

 

• Sprichst du Englisch? = Do you speak English?
• Essen wir jetzt? = Do we eat now?
• Magst du Schokolade? = Do you like chocolate?

 

German verbs are conjugated depending on the subject, while do changes its form depending on number: is it singular (does) or plural (do)? The main verb remains infinitive.

 

• Kommt ihr hier oft? = Do you come here often?
• Tanzt er jede Woche? = Does he dance every week?
• Trifft sie sich jeden Tag mit ihm? = Does she meet him every day?

 

 

"Verstehen Sie?" is not equal to "Do you understand?"

 

While it is completely acceptable and quite common for Germans to ask “Verstehen Sie?”, English speakers will find it impolite when somebody asks them “Do you understand?”.

 

The English translation might be taken as an insult because it questions the person’s ability to understand.

 

These are suggested alternatives to “Do you understand?”:

 

• Is everything clear? Is it clear?
• Did I explain everything well?
• Does it make sense?

 

 

"Make" in German, but "do/had" for English speakers

 

The German verb machen can be partnered with many other words:

• sauber machen, which can’t be translated to make clean
• Party machen, which can’t be translated to make party
• Sport machen, which can’t be translated to make sport

 

Sometimes you can use had or do instead of make:

• Wir haben eine Party gemacht. = We had a party.
• Ich habe Sport gemacht. = I did sport.

 

Sometimes you can use the partner word as the verb:

• Er hat die Küche sauber gemacht. = He cleaned the kitchen.

 

 

"To be" and not "to have"

 

It’s quite common for Germans to say that they have something, while English speakers say they are:

• Ich habe Hunger. = I am hungry.
• Sie hat Angst. = She is afraid.
• Du hast Glück. = You are lucky.

Unfortunately, there is no fixed rule when you say that one is instead of one has. You’ll need to learn this the hard way – read, listen, then practice, practice, practice.