NationStates Jolt Archive

This summer I'm just interested in learning some German so I'm flying through wikibooks.

Anyway, are subjects and objects always capitalized on the first letter of the word?

It seems so.

Example: Der Junge wrift die Kugel. (The boy throws the ball).


Or is it a typo?

Nouns are always capitalised. Doesn't matter what part of sentence they are.

Not subjects and object, but all nouns.
And all words that are used in the semantical purpose of a noun (and that's where it gets complicated ;))

Not subjects and object, but all nouns.
And all words that are used in the semantical purpose of a noun (and that's where it gets complicated ;))
So words like hammer, computer, child. All those get capitalized?

So words like hammer, computer, child. All those get capitalized?

Any word that is a noun is capitalized. Both proper and normal nouns.

Not subjects and object, but all nouns.
And all words that are used in the semantical purpose of a noun (and that's where it gets complicated ;))

Yes, those are quite fun... ;)

So words like hammer, computer, child. All those get capitalized?

Exactly. That sounds like and interestin sentence you've got in mind there...

Anyway, all words used as nouns get capitalised as well.
For example, "fliegen" means to fly, but if you were refering to the action of flying, "das Fliegen" would get capitalised.

So words like hammer, computer, child. All those get capitalized?

All nouns.

Yes, those are quite fun... ;)

I remember endless disciussions with our Germanistic professor at university about grammatical details like that... they tended to get a bit frustrating after about 3 hours.

Exactly. That sounds like and interestin sentence you've got in mind there...

Anyway, all words used as nouns get capitalised as well.
For example, "fliegen" means to fly, but if you were refering to the action of flying, "das Fliegen" would get capitalised.

What are those called? Gerund phrases?

Noun capitalisation is said to improve literacy and I believe there was a movement in the 1920s to introduce it in English.

I remember endless disciussions with our Germanistic professor at university about grammatical details like that... they tended to get a bit frustrating after about 3 hours.

The hard thing is, they are easy to confuse with an infinitive in English sentences translated to German.

What are those called? Gerund phrases?

I think so...

Yay! German!

And yes it's the nouns. Obviously

The hard thing is, they are easy to confuse with an infinitive in English sentences translated to German.

Native speaker... we didn't translate, we all grew up with the language. But there are still areas that can confuse...

"im schoenem blauen Himmel" always was a favourite...

Der Junge wirft den Ball
The typo's here, not in the capitalization. Those are right. As stated from everyone else so far, indeed, all Nouns get capitalized.

(Pretty much like headlines in English, except for verbs not being capitalized)

And for the last one:

If there already is a "m" the others won't have one, the case is already carried within "im" for "im" = "in dem"

Im schönen blauen Himmel.

Native speaker... we didn't translate, we all grew up with the language. But there are still areas that can confuse...

"im schoenem blauen Himmel" always was a favourite...

Uhm, isn't it "In dem/Im schönen blauen"?

Der Junge wirft den Ball
The typo's here, not in the capitalization. Those are right. As stated from everyone else so far, indeed, all Nouns get capitalized.

(Pretty much like headlines in English, except for verbs not being capitalized)

And for the last one:

If there already is a "m" the others won't have one, the case is already carried within "im" for "im" = "in dem"

Im schönen blauen Himmel.

That's what we never could decide... but to be honest, I can't even remember if the example I put here was considered right by me or by the prof... sorry, it's rather late here...

Native speaker... we didn't translate, we all grew up with the language. But there are still areas that can confuse...

"im schoenem blauen Himmel" always was a favourite...

Wouldn't it be "Im schoenen blauen himmel"?
I'm quite sure it should...
(By the way, while chatting or in a forum nearly all Germans do NOT capitalize nouns.)

No harm taken. I don't even wanna know how often I mutulated the English language... Aber ich werde besser :D

(BTW, since this is about language: Is it correct if I said something like "This will learn them". I thought I would have to be "this will teach them" since learning is lernen and teaching ist lehren. Just a thought 'cause I encountered it twice or thrice today here on NS)

No harm taken. I don't even wanna know how often I mutulated the English language... Aber ich werde besser :D

(BTW, since this is about language: Is it correct if I said something like "This will learn them". I thought I would have to be "this will teach them" since learning is lernen and teaching ist lehren. Just a thought 'cause I encountered it twice or thrice today here on NS)

I would have thought "teach them" is the correct form, I never before heard "learn them". But then, even after living in English speaking countries for a number of years, I'm still no native speaker...

No harm taken. I don't even wanna know how often I mutulated the English language... Aber ich werde besser :D

(BTW, since this is about language: Is it correct if I said something like "This will learn them". I thought I would have to be "this will teach them" since learning is lernen and teaching ist lehren. Just a thought 'cause I encountered it twice or thrice today here on NS)

"This will teach them" is the correct term, but "this will learn them" (or more commonly "that'll learn'em") is mostly a US colloquialism (if not an idiom) used to give an air of being from a rural area.

Well, thanks for learning me that little difference, then! :D

"This will teach them" is the correct term, but "this will learn them" (or more commonly "that'll learn'em") is mostly a US colloquialism (if not an idiom) used to give an air of being from a rural area.

Although in that context, I believe "larn" is preferred over "learn", probably in an attempt to prove that the speaker believes in the "school of hard knocks" not "that thair fancy edjamacation".

Here is an example:

TALE OF THE FISHWIFE AND ITS SAD FATE [2]
2. I capitalize the nouns, in the German (and ancient English) fashion.

It is a bleak Day. Hear the Rain, how he pours, and the Hail, how he rattles; and see the Snow, how he drifts along, and of the Mud, how deep he is! Ah the poor Fishwife, it is stuck fast in the Mire; it has dropped its Basket of Fishes; and its Hands have been cut by the Scales as it seized some of the falling Creatures; and one Scale has even got into its Eye, and it cannot get her out. It opens its Mouth to cry for Help; but if any Sound comes out of him, alas he is drowned by the raging of the Storm. And now a Tomcat has got one of the Fishes and she will surely escape with him. No, she bites off a Fin, she holds her in her Mouth -- will she swallow her? No, the Fishwife's brave Mother-dog deserts his Puppies and rescues the Fin -- which he eats, himself, as his Reward. O, horror, the Lightning has struck the Fish-basket; he sets him on Fire; see the Flame, how she licks the doomed Utensil with her red and angry Tongue; now she attacks the helpless Fishwife's Foot -- she burns him up, all but the big Toe, and even she is partly consumed; and still she spreads, still she waves her fiery Tongues; she attacks the Fishwife's Leg and destroys it; she attacks its Hand and destroys her also; she attacks the Fishwife's Leg and destroys her also; she attacks its Body and consumes him; she wreathes herself about its Heart and it is consumed; next about its Breast, and in a Moment she is a Cinder; now she reaches its Neck -- he goes; now its Chin -- it goes; now its Nose -- she goes. In another Moment, except Help come, the Fishwife will be no more. Time presses -- is there none to succor and save? Yes! Joy, joy, with flying Feet the she-Englishwoman comes! But alas, the generous she-Female is too late: where now is the fated Fishwife? It has ceased from its Sufferings, it has gone to a better Land; all that is left of it for its loved Ones to lament over, is this poor smoldering Ash-heap. Ah, woeful, woeful Ash-heap! Let us take him up tenderly, reverently, upon the lowly Shovel, and bear him to his long Rest, with the Prayer that when he rises again it will be a Realm where he will have one good square responsible Sex, and have it all to himself, instead of having a mangy lot of assorted Sexes scattered all over him in Spots.

This from "The Awful German Language" by Mark Twain. He hated the language.

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html

Uhm, isn't it "In dem/Im schönen blauen"?
Although...if you don't include Himmel as the Noun, blauen would become it, and you'd have to capitalise it....
Right?

Although...if you don't include Himmel as the Noun, blauen would become it, and you'd have to capitalise it....
Right?
Exactly.
Here, have a cookie (http://i.euniverse.com/funpages/cms_content/11745/images/cookie.gif) ! :)

KEKSE!!!

That cookie looks great! :D

KEKSE!!!

That cookie looks great! :D
Doesn't it? :D
Personally, I don't think of cookies as 'Kekse', to me cookies generally are a lot bigger than their German equivalent (the prototype of a 'keks' to me is a 'Weihnachtskeks', which really isn't all that big. Seems more like an appetizer compared to a nice and big chocolate chip cookie ;))
...but that's just me.

This from "The Awful German Language" by Mark Twain. He hated the language.
http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html

No he didn't. The essay is a humour piece, not a polemic.

--dunerat, Dominar of EvaMade

In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what overwrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the girl. :D

Deutsche sprache, schwere sprache....

oder....

Deutsche sprache, verruckte sprache ;) :D

Which is why I am in Germany learning the damned language :D Logisch ;)

To continue with the German genders: a tree is male, its buds are female, its leaves are neuter; horses are sexless, dogs are male, cats are female -- tomcats included, of course; a person's mouth, neck, bosom, elbows, fingers, nails, feet, and body are of the male sex, and his head is male or neuter according to the word selected to signify it, and not according to the sex of the individual who wears it -- for in Germany all the women either male heads or sexless ones; a person's nose, lips, shoulders, breast, hands, and toes are of the female sex; and his hair, ears, eyes, chin, legs, knees, heart, and conscience haven't any sex at all. The inventor of the language probably got what he knew about a conscience from hearsay.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/1820/roflcopter4ar.gif

Mmmmhhh....Keks! Und so ein Großer...

Actually in German, Tomcats are male.
Der Kater
Die Katze
Das Pferd - aber die Stute und der Hengst
Oh, I'm so glad I don't have to learn that crap...

My advice, listen to rammstein its fun and educational.
"Cause knowlegde is power" lol
Good luck with german.

My advice, listen to rammstein its fun and educational.
"Cause knowlegde is power" lol
Good luck with german.
Woah. The second I read and right now as I'm typing this, I'm listening to "Engel" by Rammstein.

Woah. The second I read and right now as I'm typing this, I'm listening to "Engel" by Rammstein.
The new album is the best.
"Amerika", "Moskau" etc. Excellent songs.
But the best language-wise:
"Los". If you get it, you're German can no longer be improved...I find it fascinating how much you can do with that one syllable.

Native speaker... we didn't translate, we all grew up with the language. But there are still areas that can confuse...

"im schoenem blauen Himmel" always was a favourite...


sorry, Cabra West, but I think it's "Am schoeneN blaueN Himmel :rolleyes:

My advice, listen to rammstein its fun and educational.
"Cause knowlegde is power" lol
Good luck with german.

he he he yes.