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Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

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Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#71

Post by ainar-g »

thomasahle wrote: post #53
cloogshicer wrote: post #26

Native German speaker here. My partner is a native English speaker and I was about to recommend this to her. However, it looks like a lot of this is auto generated/translated, making it sound unnatural or sometimes just wrong. For example: I looked at this example story [1] and the practice question is slightly bad grammar. It should be "Wer ging im Wald spazieren?", not "Wer ging spazieren im Wald?". Or: "Sie lachte…

Seems silly to translate short stories into German, rather than just using German short stories. Even if translation got incredibly good, the "real" German stories would have the extra benefit of teaching you about the culture. On that note, do you have a recommendation for a collection of actual German short stories?

Not exactly stories in text, but there is a YouTube channel called “Deutsch Lernen Durch Hören”[1] (“Learning German Through Listening”), which has hundreds of stories for all levels.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/@DldH

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#72

Post by guenthert »

verst wrote: post #62
WalterBright wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Der Struwwelpeter

Excellent recommendation. I always use that book to explain to people how I grew up very differently from folks in the US (where I now live). English: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24571 German: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24571/24571-h/24571-h.htm

My sarcasm detector is failing me. Mid 19th century Germany (around the time the Struwwelpeter was written, that would have been the Deutscher Bund, when nationalism was seen as progressive) is culturally, sociologically more different from late 20th century Germany then late 20th century Germany from late 20th century USA methinks.

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#73

Post by xhevahir »

When I was studying German twenty or so years ago I got good results from reading lots and lots of children's books, starting with the really basic stuff--like books meant for kindergarteners--and working my way up to books by Erich Kästner. By grading the material in this way you can read a lot without getting tripped up by unfamiliar words every sentence.

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#74

Post by 082349872349872 »

thomasahle wrote: post #53
cloogshicer wrote: post #26

Native German speaker here. My partner is a native English speaker and I was about to recommend this to her. However, it looks like a lot of this is auto generated/translated, making it sound unnatural or sometimes just wrong. For example: I looked at this example story [1] and the practice question is slightly bad grammar. It should be "Wer ging im Wald spazieren?", not "Wer ging spazieren im Wald?". Or: "Sie lachte…

Seems silly to translate short stories into German, rather than just using German short stories. Even if translation got incredibly good, the "real" German stories would have the extra benefit of teaching you about the culture. On that note, do you have a recommendation for a collection of actual German short stories?

not a collection, but Heinrich Böll, An der Brücke, is one of my favourite shorts in any language.

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#76

Post by bloak »

DataDaoDe wrote: post #45
TurkishPoptart wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

can you recommend any German shows? thanks!!

I liked: Türkisch für Anfänger, Dark, Kleo, ans Stromberg. Unfortunately I’d say IMHO if you’re accustomed to US series you won’t find a lot of German ones that stand up to the production values and acting quality. Dark is a notable exception there I think.

Yes, but "Dark" (Netflix) doesn't have a lot of words spoken per hour, as I recall, so perhaps it's not so good for language learning. There's also "Beat" (Amazon) with a somewhat gruesome main storyline.

If you wanted to get linguistically flummoxed there's "Capitani" on Netflix. (A great story, but it's in Luxembourgish!)

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#77

Post by bloak »

Suppafly wrote: post #44
phyrex wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Die Brüder Grimm” ;) A lot of those stories aren’t written in contemporary German and would sound very weird if you used it in your day to day language.

so to make it plural, you just change the u to a ü?

Yes, but there are only about 24 German nouns that form their plural just by adding two little dots like that (Umlaut). Four of them mean close relatives and are recognisable to English speakers: Vater, Mutter, Bruder, Tochter.

A while ago I came across an ancient copy of "Teach Yourself German" printed around the start of the Second World War. The very first chapter had a list of those German nouns that form their plural just with an Umlaut and instructed the reader to learn them. I bet you won't find many books published today that start like that. I like to think there are still a few people around who learnt German by reading that edition, perhaps during an air raid.

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#78

Post by piceas »

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #41
kreas wrote: post #19

This is off to a great start. I've been studying German through various methods for around 3 years now. Mostly as a mental exercise but also because I love German television. For me, reading has been one of most productive ways to learn.

can you recommend any German shows? thanks!!

Mord mit Aussicht

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#79

Post by lb1lf »

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #41
kreas wrote: post #19

This is off to a great start. I've been studying German through various methods for around 3 years now. Mostly as a mental exercise but also because I love German television. For me, reading has been one of most productive ways to learn.

can you recommend any German shows? thanks!!

Dark was terrific. Time travels and parallel worlds. Deutschland '83 (in particular) but also '86 and '89 were quite decent - about a young German becoming a Stasi superagent of sorts.

Oh, and while you're at it, get Das Boot if you haven't already, also available as a TV miniseries.

As for movies, you could do a lot worse than picking up a few Wim Wenders movies - say, Der Himmel über Berlin or Alice in den Städten.

Oh, if you pick up Der Himmel über Berlin, consider picking up In weiter Ferne, so nah! as well. Same universe, but more run-of-the-mill than Himmel über Berlin, which is probably the most poetically beautiful movie I have ever seen.

Re: Show HN: Learn German with Short Stories

#80

Post by yorwba »

guenthert wrote: post #72
verst wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Excellent recommendation. I always use that book to explain to people how I grew up very differently from folks in the US (where I now live). English: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24571 German: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24571/24571-h/24571-h.htm

My sarcasm detector is failing me. Mid 19th century Germany (around the time the Struwwelpeter was written, that would have been the Deutscher Bund, when nationalism was seen as progressive) is culturally, sociologically more different from late 20th century Germany then late 20th century Germany from late 20th century USA methinks.

The Struwwelpeter continues to be part of German culture.
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