German Conversation - Linguistic Challenge.

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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:46 pm

So I've taken a few years of German through high-school and again in college.

One of my jobs is working phones here at work, and we occasionaly get some calls from our office based in Germany. I'd like to slip in a nice "goodbye" in German, but since I'm not fluent I always feel kind of dumb using German words - worried that I'm using them awkwardly and whatnot.

At the end of a quick, fairly causal conversation. "Looks like he's not in, he'll give you a call. Great, talk to you later..." Can I say "Tschus"?

I keep thinking of the many ESL individuals I know who speak remarkable English but still say things like, "OK, it was excellent to discuss with you. I will to you talk tomorrow. Goodbye for now." ...doesn't flow quite right.

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:10 pm

In business conversation you'd exclusively say "Auf Wiederhören!", "Tschüs" (a distinctively northern German term) was reserved for more intimate conversations with friends or business partners you have a closer contact to. Nowadays "Tschüs" has become more acceptable and might be used at the end of a friendly, somewhat informal conversation with people your age or younger but not everyone will appreciate it the same way so with "Auf Wiederhören!" you'll be on the safe side.

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:25 pm

'bye bye' is also understood and often used Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:44 pm

Thanks Don! It is business conversation...but the whole company is remarkably informal. Our CFO is named Bob, but we all just call him by his nickname - even when I just joined. (his nickname is "Ster", which I don't get...but there you go).

What's the difference between "Auf Weidersehn" and "Auf Wiederhören"?

Not quite a Newb Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 32

"Auf Wiedersehen" is roughly "Until I see you again" while "Auf Widerhören" is "Until I speak with you again".

Also, while "Tschüss" is generally used among friends, I've also heard it used in business situations, particularly in retail situations.

My German is pretty decent (I lived there for three years), so let me know if I can help. Smile

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:31 pm

I often say "fick Dich ins Knie," but I wouldn't recommend it if you can't get the pronunciation right, some people could get upset. Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:03 pm

^^^^

Why not stick to the classic "leck mich am Arsch"?

mathias wrote:

'bye bye' is also understood and often used Wink

Yes, sure, if by business we mean selling Starbucks coffee-substitute to misguided twentysomethings who wrap jumpers around their waists. Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:06 pm

Well you know, if anything else fails, just end the conversation with "Saupreuss" or "Scheiss Piefke".... Laughing

Seriously: I found out that in the Cologne area "Tschö" is also very often used. Very Happy

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:14 pm

why not use a more decent 'mach dich vom Acker Arschloch!' like i have often heard in pubs Laughing

(but i would not recommend to talk like that to a ViP customer) Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:16 pm

Although probably nobody really cares, "tschüß"/"tschö" originated in the Cologne area and are a local adoption (= Verballhornung) of the French "adieu." It's origins go back to the period when Cologne became a French protectorate after being occupied by Napoleon.

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:03 pm

Vielen dank zu alles!

...that's me not looking anything up and trying to remember how to speak the lovely Deutsch. Meine grammatisch ist gewöhnliche schlect!

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:11 pm

Peanut wrote:

Vielen dank zu alles!

]

Vielen Dank FÜR alles to be exact. - Bitte sehr. Guten Abend und auf Wiedersehen. Wink

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:16 pm

kleindoofy wrote:

I often say "fick Dich ins Knie," but I wouldn't recommend it if you can't get the pronunciation right, some people could get upset. Wink

Wash your mouth out with soap! (And not the nice perfume4d stuff either!)
Wink

What you were saying about "tschüß" reminds me of the time I told my sister-in-law's mother that "Portemonnaie", which is the word she uses for "purse" (in the UK sense of the word) is an adopted French word. She didn't speak to me for a few days once I'd proved it. Which was nice, as she never shuts up. Twisted Evil

Not quite a Newb Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 32

mathias wrote:

Peanut wrote:

Vielen dank zu alles!

]

Vielen Dank FÜR alles to be exact. - Bitte sehr. Guten Abend und auf Wiedersehen. Wink

Soll "Vielen Dank an Alle" sein, oder?

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:43 pm

^^^^ Nein. Er meint "vielen Dank für alle Antworten (ausgenommen den Blödsinn von Kleindoofy)".

Also 'für'.

Ansonsten hieße es "vielen Dank an alle (ausgenommen Kleindoofy, der mich soeben mein Job gekostet hat)".

Wink

Not quite a Newb Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 32

Achso, klar. Hab' ich vorher offensichtlich falsch verstanden. Manchmal bin ich bestimmt auch Bloed!

Razz

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 262

@volfan nein, nein, fuer jemanden, der nur kurze Zeit in Deutschland gelebt hat und das vor laengerer Zeit, ist das wirklich gut... Very Happy

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:57 pm

Das erinnert mich hier ein bisschen an die Jugendschwänke von und auf dem anderen Forum LOL
Sort of old comrades meeting again when they are fat and rich by now, laughing about the days of old and the Blödsinn they have said. Tschüss!

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:12 pm

Volfan wrote:

.... Manchmal bin ich bestimmt auch Bloed!

Razz

das macht doch nichts. Laughing

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:20 pm

^^Alles gar nicht wahr... denn dumm ist der, der Dummes tut Smile

- By Forrest G....would be an interesting baiting character Idea

Not quite a Newb Joined: 22 Sep 2007 Posts: 32

Naja, Ich war drei Jahre in Berlin...von '88 bis '91. Letztes Jahr bin ich auch zurueckgegangen...eine Woche nochmal in Berlin. Die Stadt war bestimmt ganz anders als ich mich an sie erinnern. Alexanderplatz....die ganze ehemaligen Ost Berlin ist heutzutage 'was anders!

Mindestens kann man immernoch Currywurst oder Doener kaufen! Razz

"Icke bin Berliner, wat ick kann kann keener!"

Wink

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 262

haaaa Alexanderplatz...86...."the Rocky Horror Picture Show"....Currywurst, Kudorf... Very Happy

Sadly, i also remember an American friend of mine who died in the "La Belle" bombing...the only sad memory i have of My student year in Berlin...

Not quite a Newb Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 44

Quote:

What's the difference between "Auf Weidersehn" and "Auf Wiederhören"?

Easy:
"Auf Wiederhören" is used at the end of telephone conversations without exeption.
You can start looking very appalled when using it inadvertently at the end of a face to face meeting.

"Auf Wiedersehen" (= hope to see you again) is the usual greeting at the end of a face to face meeting but can be used on the phone without major embarrassment.

But "Tschüs" is, as mentioned above a purely (northern) german, very informal term, NEVER to be used in Austria.

419Eater is my life Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 441

kleindoofy wrote:

Ansonsten hieße es "vielen Dank an alle (ausgenommen Kleindoofy, der mich soeben mein Job gekostet hat)". Wink

Und ich dachte immer, Kleindoofy wäre eine SIE... Embarassed

Bist das etwa gar nicht DU in Deinem Userpic? Shocked

English: KD just outed itself by admitting to be MALE in the above quote. That sort of blows my illusions! Very Happy

On topic: you might as well try "Hau die Hühner" for "goodbye", as the Northern Germans like to say.

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