Learning a second language can be an exciting and fun challenge for you and your child. Not sure which language suits your fancy? Here are three fun facts about the German language!
When It Comes To Gender, Germany Has Three!
Languages such as Spanish traditionally have two genders, male and female, But German adds an additional challenge of having a third, neutral gender as well. Interestingly, the genders don’t always agree with the word they are describing. As Mark Twain once said, “In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has.”
Telling Time Can Be… Tricky
Germans don’t tell time based on the current hour but rather the one coming up. So, instead of saying 2:30pm or half past two, they would say 30 minutes until three or half three.
The Same, But Different: Shared Words In German And English
Some of the exact same words exist in both English and German. However, they can have drastically different meanings! These are called ‘false cognates’ and can be quite hilarious. For example, gift means poison in German, while smoking means tuxedo. And kind means child, related to our word, kindergarten!
Have we piqued your interest in the German language? If so, come explore our collection of German books, movies, and CDs!