Questions tagged [word-usage]
Wortgebrauch - Questions on usages in German language.
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How to use "doch"
I know "doch" is used to contradict a negative statement:
A: Das ist nicht wahr.
B: Doch!
It's a great word for this usage and some languages really lack this word.
But, I found it hard to ...
user508
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What is the difference in usage between “vielen Dank” and “Danke schön”?
I know that they are both essentially polite and mean Thanks a lot, Many thanks etc. but I’ve always wondered if there is a specific difference between the two.
Is there a specific context or ...
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Was ist der Unterschied zwischen den Fragewörtern "wieso", "weshalb" und "warum"?
Wo liegt der Unterschied zwischen den Fragewörtern "wieso", "weshalb" und "warum"? Ist er regional, gibt es subtile Unterschiede in den Bedeutungen, oder gibt es noch einen anderen Grund für die ...
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How to use "hier", "dort" and "da" properly in German?
In English "here" and "there" are typical pairs to indicate space and distance. The same is true of Hungarian ("itt" and "ott").
But in German it's a bit different: I have seen "da" many times in ...
- 1,042
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What is the difference in usage between “Möhre” and “Karotte”?
I've been doing a bit of German practice and encountered the words Möhre and Karotte. Supposedly, they both mean carrot, but I can’t see where these would differ in usage. Any ideas?
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Was ist der Unterschied zwischen "reden" und "sprechen"?
Ich denke, sie sind Synonyme; aber sind sie es wirklich? "Reden" scheint mehr umgangssprachlich zu sein, während "sprechen" ganz viele verschiedene Bedeutungen hat. Warum gibt es das Wort "reden"? ...
- 1,181
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Are “Kinder” still their parents’ “Kinder” when they grow up?
In English, child can mean a young person, but it can also mean something like “offspring” or ”progeny”—i.e., it can denote the relationship that one has with one’s parents. For example, it is ...
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What is the difference between "nun" and "jetzt"?
This question also has an answer here (in German):
Wo liegt der Unterschied zwischen "nun" und "jetzt"?
I hear nun and jetzt used a lot but I've not been able to pick out what ...
- 445
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6
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What is the difference between “ändern” and “verändern”?
I'm still confused about the difference between ändern and verändern. I have read something about ändern only being used with small changes and verändern when something changes totally. But where ...
- 687
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How to refer to a woman based on her age?
For example, you wouldn’t use girl for a 40 years old woman or kid for a 20 years old woman (unless you’re far older).
Fräulein for single woman between what ages?
What is the age range for Mädchen?...
- 301
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2
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Menschen vs Leute
Is the same to say Menschen and Leute? When are they exchangeable? I've heard that if you know the people you use one of this words, but I don't know which. (And I don't know if what I've heard is ...
- 30.8k
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Do people actually use the word "kaputt" in conversation?
Related: Is something "kaputt" just broken or completely ruined?
Do people actually use the word "kaputt" in conversation, or would this be a strange thing to say? For example, if I ...
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Spricht man über ein Mädchen/eine Frau mittels „sie“ oder „es“?
Diese Frage wurde auch hier (auf Englisch) beantwortet:
Can ‘sie’ be used to refer to ‘Mädchen’?
Wenn man über ein Mädchen oder über eine Frau spricht, spricht man dann von ihm oder von ihr?
...
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When to use “beziehungsweise”
Beziehungsweise:
a) (stilistisch unschön) [oder] vielmehr, besser/genauer gesagt – sinnv: oder
Er war mit ihm bekannt bzw. befreundet
b) und im anderen Fall
Die Fünf- und Zweipfenningstücke waren ...
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What are the differences between "Kunststoff" and "Plastik"?
When I googled for it, some people say it's formal vs colloquial, some others say there is no difference between the two. Some say Kunststoff is more general. That made me confused.
In addition, is ...
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