Any Germans/German speakers who could help?

Hi Germans (and German speakers) of ATS, I could really use your help.

See, I have been taking a high school level course in German over the last 9 months and I have oral exam coming up in a couple of days. I thought it would be good idea to prepare a couple of sentences - you know to fall back on, when I go blank ...or just start to babble. :-)

I am very much a novice German speaker and my written German is ..well .. is pretty Google assisted, so I would be super appreciative of anyone who could check and correct the below sentences or perhaps even suggest other sentences.

"Das Wort/die Wörter ist mir entfallen" (The word(s) escapes me)

"Ich kann das Wort dass ich suche nicht finden" (I can't find the word I'm searching for)

"Meine Stimmband ist müde" (my vocal cords are tired ..which they are! I sound like an eighty-year-old smoker at the moment! It is ridiculous!)

"Ich bin ein bisschen nervös" (I'm a bit nervous)

"Das ist ein gutes Frage, aber ich weiss nicht ob ich das antworten kann" (That's a good question, but I'm not sure I know the answer)



Anyone? :-)

I am of German descent but never learned the language as it sounds about as pretty to me as Klingon.
Maybe try The Germania society or something instead of ATS.

originally posted by: abe froman
Maybe try The Germania society or something instead of ATS.

I do not know the Germania Society, but I will check it out, thanks. (But I will still appreciate any help here too)

Cheers.

Hi there

I will Paste the corrections below the questions.

originally posted by: DupontDeux


Hi Germans (and German speakers) of ATS, I could really use your help.


"Das Wort/die Wörter ist mir entfallen" (The word(s) escapes me)

Das Wort/die Wörter ist/sind mir enfallen."Text you forgot the plural "sind"

"Ich kann das Wort dass ich suche nicht finden" (I can't find the word I'm searching for)

"Ich kann das Wort das ich suche nicht finden" you just had an extra "s" there.

"Meine Stimmband ist müde" (my vocal cords are tired ..which they are! I sound like an eighty-year-old smoker at the moment! It is ridiculous!)

"Mein Stimmband ist müde" or "Meine Stimmbaender sind müde" I can't make Umlauts with my keyboard. But recalling that the vocal cords are more than ONE the 2nd reply would be right.

"Ich bin ein bisschen nervös" (I'm a bit nervous)

"Das ist ein gutes Frage, aber ich weiss nicht ob ich das antworten kann" (That's a good question, but I'm not sure I know the answer)

Anyone? :-)

The rest is good in my view.

Enjoy

a reply to: Guenter

Thanks Guenter (ur Günther?), you are awesome! :-)

a reply to: DupontDeux

glad it helped.

good luck at the exam.

"Ich bin ein bisschen nervös" (I'm a bit nervous)

Might be better rendered as "Ich bin etwas ängstlich."

originally posted by: CJCrawley
"Ich bin ein bisschen nervös" (I'm a bit nervous)

Might be better rendered as "Ich bin etwas ängstlich."

"ängstlich" is associated with "fear" as in facing danger as in pain, punishment etc. One can be "ängstlich" before an operation, blood test, dentist root canal etc. but for exams and other high stress situations as a job interview and so forth, "nervös" is the more common form. Also it all depends on the region/province one is used to and their common expressions.

a reply to: CJCrawley


Thanks for the input - I will have it in mind!

Cheers.

a reply to: Guenter

..well, if I start going really off course during the exam, "ängstlich" just might be a better fit! :-)

originally posted by: DupontDeux
a reply to: Guenter

..well, if I start going really off course during the exam, "ängstlich" just might be a better fit! :-)

Rule of thumb:

"ängstlich" As in Autsch! and "Nervoes" as in "NOT sure."

a reply to: Guenter

So .. I am ängstlich for something potentially physically uncomfortable and nervös for a situation which I will/might find mentally uncomfortable?

originally posted by: DupontDeux

"Das ist ein gutes Frage, aber ich weiss nicht ob ich das antworten kann"

Das ist eine gute Frage, aber ich weiss nicht ob ich sie beantworten kann.

originally posted by: DupontDeux
So .. I am ängstlich for something potentially physically uncomfortable and nervös for a situation which I will/might find mentally uncomfortable?

I would say "ängstlich" for something potentially dangerous and fully unknown, and "nervös" for something uncertain and stressing, but not really dangerous. "Mentally uncomfortable" as you've said is pretty close IMO.

Good luck for your exam.

a reply to: ColCurious

Thank you. ..and thank you. :-)

Hopefully the exam subject will be "ängstlich vs nervös - explain" ..I feel prepared!

a reply to: DupontDeux

Part of the German "Geist" is: if you stumble, or even if you fall - you always stand up! and you NEVER give up!

Embrace that and you're good to go.

*I think it is amazing when foreigners learn our language.
I've been told German is one of the hardest languages to learn and to speak fluent, so I applaud you for choosing German of all languages.

originally posted by: ColCurious
a reply to: DupontDeux

Part of the German "Geist" is: if you stumble, or even if you fall - you always stand up! and you NEVER give up!

Embrace that and you're good to go.

*I think it is amazing when foreigners learn our language.
I've been told German is one of the hardest languages to learn and to speak fluent, so I applaud you for choosing German of all languages.

Oh, I'm Danish so it wasn't completely incomprehensible to start with and I sort of enjoy speaking German. I like the sound/tone if it (Also, it's so enjoyable to rewatch German films and being able to really follow the dialogue. Subtitles never does dialogue justice.)

And yes, Germans never give up. That is why, in football, the German Nationalmannschaft has been feared for decades. Undemoralizable! It's demoralizing!

a reply to: DupontDeux

Hah!... even better when it is our high esteemed nordic neighours!
Greetings to Denmark!

*I'm not so sure about our team for Brazil this year though... but we'll see.

a reply to: DupontDeux

I am a native speaker (and long time lurker) from austria and willing to help.



"Meine Stimmband ist müde" (my vocal cords are tired ..which they are! I sound like an eighty-year-old smoker at the moment! It is ridiculous!)
-> Meine Stimmbänder sind müde. but i think you mean Ich bin (ein bisschen) heiser.

"Das Wort/die Wörter ist mir entfallen" (The word(s) escapes me)
"Das Wort/die Wörter ist/sind mir entfallen."
"Das [Wort] liegt mir auf der Zunge." (I know it. I really know it.... - same meaning as above).

"Ich kann das Wort dass ich suche nicht finden." (I can't find the word I'm searching for)

"Das ist eine gute Frage, aber ich weiss nicht ob ich das antworten kann" (That's a good question, but I'm not sure I know the answer)
Das ist eine gute Frage, aber ich [weiss nicht (I don't know) | glaube nicht (I don't believe) | bin mir nicht sicher (I am not sure)] ob ich das beantworten kann.

a reply to: hewriteshere

You are right, I mean that Ich heiser bin: It sound much less forced/constructed. Thanks!

Das wort liegt mir auf der Zunge sounds more natural. Great suggestion!

Update (if anyone is interested) :

T -20 hours!

I drew my subject today, and I got "Märchen", fairytales, and I know have to prepare an analysis and presentation of this Grimm Brother story called The Twelve Brothers. I don't know about you guys, but to me dealing with a two centuries old text in a foreign language is quite challenging!

Of course, I could have drawn "Relationships" and according to my girlfriend I know next to nothing about that, so perhaps I´should consider myself lucky! :-)