suplanguages: English speakers often struggle with German word order and verb forms. But here are th
suplanguages: English speakers often struggle with German word order and verb forms. But here are three situations which are especially confusing for English speakers when learning German! If you have any questions, let me know. WANN VS. WENN: Wenn, as you’ll come to realise, is often times a false friend. It sounds like when, and in some cases it does mean when, but not always. Take a look at these examples: Wann muss ich nach Hause? - Wenn es dunkel wird.When do I have to come home? - When it’s getting dark. Ich weiß noch nicht, wann ich nach Hause komme.I don’t know when I’ll be coming home. If it’s a question or a negated statement, you always use wann! The first is a question, so you use wann. The second is the reply. In the second example the speaker can’t pinpoint the exact time of his return. He uses a negation (nicht). Therefore, he has to say wann. WENN/FALLS VS. OB In this case, ‘if’ is the confusing word. Germans also struggle with this when learning English. If and when don’t correlate the same way as wenn/falls and ob do. Take a look at the following examples: Kommst du mit an den See? - Ja, wenn/falls es nicht regnet.Are you coming along to the lake? - Yes, if/in case it doesn’t rain. Weißt du, ob das Wetter morgen schön sein soll?Do you know if/whether the weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow? ‘wenn’ - used in if / in case situations. ‘falls’ - can be used as a synonym for wenn, though it’s more formal. When in doubt, use wenn.‘ob’ - used for conditional sentences and questions with a definite yes or no answer. If you can use ‘whether’ in English, it’s ‘ob’. Hint: there’s always a comma before ob. FALSE FRIEND: BEKOMMEN Bekommen does not mean to become. It means to get/receive. Germans also mix these up when speaking English sometimes. To become is werden in German. Ich bekomme ein Fahrrad zu Weihnachten!I’m getting a bike for Christmas. Kann ich Lehrer werden, wenn ich groß bin?Can I become a teacher when I’m grown up? NOTE: In some cases, to get can translate to werden. But to become NEVER means bekommen!!!! Ich werde alt.I’m getting old. -- source link
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