#GERMAN WORDS IN ENGLISH FULL#

What follows are 10 of our favorite seemingly-never-ending German words, which earn a spot on our list thanks to characteristics like technicality, definition, adaptation, or sheer perseverance in length. As Mark Twain put it, 'Some German words are so long that they have perspective.' As a result, the language is rife with lanky terms. Now go to the top of der Klasse for German, for taking our tongue-twisting challenge.Compound words exist in many languages, but German's grammar construction in particular lends itself to easily tacking on parts to make single words stretch across a page.

The Czech Republic, in Central Europe, is a country that’s known for its ornate castles, native beers, and long history. You have that voiced uvular fricative /r/ combined with the ü, meaning that eating it is way easier than pronouncing it. The German word for scrambled eggs is Rührei. Couple with that the ‘z’, ‘sch’, and ‘tz’… a nightmare for many! The /r/ is the Voiced uvular fricative sound which is incredibly hard for an English speaker. You never know when you might have to ask for a screwdriver! Pronounced: Creuzschleetsschraubentseeher Rubber duck! Well, who takes a bath without one? In honor of his medical contribution, his name hence landed in the German dictionary as both a verb and a noun. In this case, you can blame Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, the doctor who patented the process in the late 19th century. While getting an x-ray can certainly be a nightmare for anyone, just having to pronounce the German word for it, röntgen, is bound to cause any non-native speaker a few sleepless nights. Depending on how coordinated you are, however, saying the German word for ice skating could actually be easier than doing it – and certainly easier on your behind.

“Ch” and “sch” form entirely different sounds, but both are nearly impossible for non-natives – particularly when the combination turns up multiple times in the same word. A female director is called a Regisseurin – though that’s no easier to pronounce. The Germans borrowed the term from their neighbors, which is why it sounds somewhat exotic to the German ear, but narrowed the context to mainly refer to the theater or the silver screen. In this case, however, you can blame it on the French.

RegisseurĪ soft “g” followed by a double “ss” is a killer in this word for film or stage director. But if your lips just can’t form a proper Frucht, then try Obst, which also means fruit.

#GERMAN WORDS IN ENGLISH FULL#

Hint: Talking with your mouth full of the word doesn’t help. The short “u” and “t” at the end only add to the hidden challenge. Once again, that troublesome “ch” comes into play in the word for fruit. Just six letters can spell the end of making people think you’re German. Z – Makes a ts sound, like the sound of the drop of water on a hot stove, or when you open a bottle of carbonated water Breakdown: Fünf + hundert + fünf + und + fünfzig

German words in english