The Local Germany

Could Denglisch one day kill off German?

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:21:34 +0200

From being heard in coffee shops to popular TV programmes, "Denglisch" is being used more and more across the country. But is it threatening to kill off German? A linguist sheds light on the phenomenon.

Seven English words Germans get delightfully wrong

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 19:34:06 +0200

As much as English-speakers might feel insecure about their Deutsch skills when faced with Germans' comparatively widespread grasp of English, Germans themselves often mess up English - in some pretty hilarious ways.

Germans love English adverts - but don't understand them

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 17:25:24 +0100

Most Germans don’t understand English phrases when they appear in advertising but find them cool and interesting anyway.

Minster wows crowds with Denglisch

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:45:01 +0200

Development Minister Gerd Müller recently captivated crowds at the Global Citizen Earth Day in Washington, D.C. with his enthusiastic - if erratic - English. The speech has since gone viral.

Quiz: How good is your Denglisch?

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 13:13:00 +0200

Love it or hate it, Denglisch is a fact of life in Germany. But do you understand what's going on when your friend can't find their Smoking or when there's a debate about the dangers of trampen?

'The only way to fight Denglisch is with English'

Tue, 13 May 2014 14:15:00 +0200

Sick of hearing English words being mangled by Germans what feels like all the time, expat Harald Maidstone argues they should stop dubbing films and TV shows and play everything in English.

Ten English words only Germans use

Wed, 07 May 2014 15:42:00 +0200

Most English-speakers will know exactly what words like bodybag, peeling and timer mean. But in German these familiar words are used to mean something completely different. How many of the English words in our Local List can you guess the meaning of?

'Gate' named Germany's English word of the year

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 10:30:00 +0100

The English suffix "gate" has been named Germany's Anglicism of the Year. The quirky, linguistic award honours the positive contributions English had made to the German lexicon.

'Denglisch is for losers, it has to stop'

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 09:44:00 +0100

Professor Walter Krämer, founder of the German Language Society, tells The Local why the Anglicization of German must stop and why Denglisch is for losers.

Let's drop the Angst about Anglicisms

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 13:13:00 +0200

Does German need protection from creeping Anglicization? The question was highlighted this week when the Duden dictionary was criticized for including too many English words. What a lot of cack, says Hannah Cleaver.

Deutsche Bahn ditches bad English for German

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:05:00 +0200

Deutsche Bahn has become too Anglicized, managers have decided, and issued staff with a booklet of more than 2,000 German terms and phrases which they want to become the norm.

Schlecker man insults customers' intelligence

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:27:00 +0200

German drugstore Schlecker is trying to stem a public relations disaster after a spokesman said a derided advertising slogan had been chosen to fit the chain’s poorly educated customers.