Adjectives · a348a37b531b0354eb87b6d73a0c8f81
Multiple Meanings
Just like in English, a single word in German can have multiple meanings! Here are a few examples to be aware of:
Leicht means light. In English, we use light to refer to both weight and color, but in German, it only refers to weight!
Das Mädchen ist leicht.The girl is light.
Kurz means short or brief, but be careful! Kurz can only be used for objects and time. To say a person is short, use klein.
Das Buch ist kurz.The book is short.
Der Mann ist klein.The man is small.
The meaning of toll has changed over time. Nowadays, it means great, but back in the 1950’s it meant crazy or insane! In fact, a word for an insane asylum was Tollhaus!
Der Kaffee ist toll!The coffee is great!
German Sounds
Earlier, we practiced how to say that soft ch sound (like in humid).
leicht
leicht, nicht, schlecht
(as in “humid”)
Sometimes ch is pronounced more harshly and farther back in the throat, almost like the sound some people make before spitting. If you put your hand to your throat and say it, you should feel vibration! This typically comes after an a or u.
schwach
schwach, Nacht, Buch
(like “leicht”, but even harsher)
Another sound made in the back of the throat is the German r at the beginning of words. It’s similar to a cat purring, or gargling.