evapfromm

Thank you! I was about to say that I might give Berghoff a try, but how disappointing that it closed down. I really can't name a German restaurant in the Chicagoland area that I like. They all seem to close as soon as I discover them. I only get to travel there to see my sisters in Berlin, Mannheim and Stuttgart every few years. We both could probably use a vacation there, just to explore the rest of Germany.

I guess I am "living abroad" right now, since I am a German immigrant in America. I spent half of my life there, and half of my life in the Chicagoland area. I'm hoping to take the opportunity to spend a few years in a completely different country. Maybe Ireland, Scotland or New Zealand.

I am already fluent in German and English. I would love to learn French or Dutch. I would have an easy time with Dutch, since the words already seem so similar to German. I would love to pick up French because it is a beautiful language, and my sisters in Germany already speak it fluently. I grew up a half hour from France, so it is probably going to be my next choice.

Is anybody here familiar with good German books for kids? I grew up in Germany until I was around 10, and I was wondering if anybody here knew of any that I might be familiar with. The ones that stand out in my mind are a book about a man with many hats, and one about an intelligent cat. Beats me what the name of them are, though! I wish I could remember. Feel free to share your favorites!

Since I am a native German speaker, I never went through the process of trying to learn German. However, my American friends and my boyfriend tell me to try and teach them all the time. It usually ends up with them attempting to say a few words, awkwardly stumbling through the tough pronunciations, and giving up. How did you go about learning German? Do you have any tips or ideas I could share with them?

I like 2010's word... "Wutbürger." I can see how a word that literally translates into "Angry Burger" could confuse someone trying to learn German.

I definitely missed this after I started speaking primarily in English. I think my favorite German combination words are "Schadenfreude" and "Weltschmerz." Some of the German compound words I used to use, don't really have an equivalent in English.

I like "Backpfeifengesicht" myself. It means a face that cries out for a fist in it. It's one of those insults that Americans probably won't understand.

I wouldn't recommend google translate for anything professional, or even for homework. I find it works well if you are already pretty good in the language you are translating to. Or, if you are just trying to translate a word or two.

I am a native German speaker of standard German, and I always get offended when I hear someone say that German sounds "aggressive." I personally believe Americans get that stereotype from having seen too many World War II movies. My American boyfriend used to have this belief, but now he admits that the German my family speaks sounds very soft and sweet. Stereotypes sadden me.

I have tried it out in the past, after reading many rave reviews. Maybe it was an older version that I tried, but it seemed far too... "Simple" for me. For example, I can remember a woman saying "Katze", and you would have to click on a picture of a cat. I thought Rosetta Stone would be a little more fun or interactive, or even immersive, but it fell flat for me. I tried the French version out as well, but it was the same story.

Thank you for the recommendations. I am always looking for new ways to improve how well I can write in German. If you are looking for a good translation website, I also recommend www.leo.org. It's what we used in High School to accurately translate words, and it has always worked well for me.

I am happy, to be in Germany. "Mein Vogel ist viel zu dick und ich gebe ihnen schon Diätfutter."

Hello! My name is Eva. I am a 21-year-old German native, currently living in the Chicagoland area. I moved to America around 2001, when I was only nine years old. My family still mostly lives in Germany, but my father, my brother and I live here. The reason I moved to America is because my father met a woman online, fell in love, and swiftly got married in Las Vegas. I am desperately trying to hold onto my German language abilities. Since finding another German speaker in America is a bit of a rare find, I am losing the ability to speak my native tongue as the years go by. I am perfectly fluent in English now, and do not even have an accent anymore. I still speak and understand German well, but my ability to write in in could use a lot of practice.