I, Claudia: German Words - The Long and The Quirky

02/28/24 • 9 min

'Life is too short to learn German', said Oscar Wilde. And even for a native German speaker, it does have its challenges. Over Here, Over There podcast co-host Claudia Koestler takes you through the quirky nuances and daunting tongue-twisters that give credence to Wilde's perspective. Still, it can be rather amusing to hear a German word that is as long as a football pitch or another that captures the tone and feeling that only the preciseness that the German language can do. Enjoy (Genießen)!
Here are some of the German words that Claudia mentions that are particularly challenging for non-native and, in some cases, native speakers alike.
Ulpe(germanised Icelandic for jacket)
Zwanzig (which means twenty)
Brötchen (bread roll)
Schleswig Holstein (a federal state in Germany)
Quietscheente (rubber duck, Squeaky duck)
Quietscheentchen (its diminutive form)
Streichholzschächtelchen (little matchbox, but literally translated as draw wood along a little box)
Warmduscher (literally "warm or hot showerer"; figuratively, it refers to those who don't want to extend themselves beyond their comfort zone; also, 'wimp')
Schattenparker (similar to Warmduscher, literally 'Shadow Parker')Weichei (similar to Warmduscher, literally 'soft egg')
Hüftgold (meaning hip gold. A word to describe excess fat in the hip area.
Verschlimmbesserung (an intended improvement that only make things worse)
Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (Federal Training Assistance Act)
Personenkraftwagenhaftpflichtversicherung: (passenger car liability insurance)
Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (real estate transfer authorization ordinance)
Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit (food intolerance)
Fremdschämen (a feeling of embarrassment for another person)
Auspuffrohr (exhaust pipe)
Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft (Danube steamship electricity main works construction sub-civil servant company)
Eichhörnchen (squirrel)
Oachkatzlschwoaf (Bavarian dialect version of a specific part of the squirrel recently voted the most unpronounceable word in the world, which translates to tail of a squirrel)
English words that Claudia and other Germans find hard to pronounce (and English speakers to spell!):
Spontaneity
Phenomenon
Worcester
Worcestershire (as in the England county and sauce)

Previous Episode

I, Claudia: There's No Place Like Heimat

'There's no place like home', said Dorothy in one of the most famous final lines in cinematic history in The Wizard of Oz. The concept of home has intrigued writers, scholars, travelers, artists, soldiers, students, and every human being who has ever walked the planet. So it has with Claudia as she prepares to leave a place she has called home for twenty-seven years and start anew somewhere else. She explores the uniqueness of the German meaning of Heimat, which its closest equivalent in English is 'homeland'. Claudia doesn't break out into 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', but you will want to listen to how she explores the usage of Heimat over time in Germany and asks listeners to think of the visceral and poignant nature of its meaning in their language and to humanity.

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