Awkward and Language: Scheiße!

Scheiße!

By Xerfox - 03/07/2016 18:05 - Germany - Löwenstein

Today, I found out the German I've been learning for nearly a month is a dialect only spoken by people in a small area of the country. This means I'll need to re-learn most of what I thought I knew. FML

I agree, your life sucks 13 494

You deserved it 1 973

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Same thing different taste

By nolinguist - 22/11/2009 17:39 - Austria

Today, I arrived in Austria. Within about an hour, I realized that I couldn't understand any "German". Turns out they have a totally different dialect here to anything I was taught in school. I'm here till May. FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 312

You deserved it 18 787

By traveling - 09/07/2013 11:18

Today, I arrived in Germany for a summer-long stay. The family I'm supposed to stay with had said they spoke fluent English. They don't. I don't speak German. It's going to be a quiet two months. FML

I agree, your life sucks 47 973

You deserved it 6 412

Back home

By Anonymous - 30/12/2012 19:21 - Germany - Neunkirchen

Today, I returned to Germany for a break from my studies abroad. I got lost while out for groceries, so I tried asking a guy for directions. I went totally blank and strained to think of the right words, prompting him to mutter about rude foreigners not bothering to learn the local language. FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 032

You deserved it 5 363

By nullroute - 16/02/2016 11:34 - Switzerland

Today, I found out that while on foreign exchange for over six months now, I have been pronouncing the word for "night" in German wrong. Apparently, this whole time, the way that I have been pronouncing it in German means "naked". This explains a lot. FML

I agree, your life sucks 20 138

You deserved it 2 805

Moving on

By Awesome - 17/08/2011 00:05

Today, I found out that I was moving to Germany. I'm going to be put back a year in school because of the system change. I also don't speak a word of German. Why? Because my mother wants to brag about this experience to her friends. FML

I agree, your life sucks 34 970

You deserved it 2 791

By lostforwords - 06/08/2011 19:10 - Ireland

Today, I found out that my German wasn't as great as I thought it was. Trying to give directions to some German tourists, I tried to say, "I hope I don't get you lost." Turns out I actually said something closer to, "I hope I don't seduce you." FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 075

You deserved it 6 299

By Jan - 27/02/2013 04:50 - United States - Ann Arbor

Today, a German guy came into the place where I work. Eager to use the German that I'd learned from my immigrant mother and her family, I started a conversation. Things were going well until the term I grew up thinking meant "Africa" turned out to be racist, translating as "Ape Land." FML

I agree, your life sucks 33 276

You deserved it 4 320

By anon - 25/09/2014 05:48 - United States - Germantown

Today, I have learned a lot of "big" words from reading so much, but can actually only pronounce about half of them correctly. FML

I agree, your life sucks 29 882

You deserved it 6 801

By hrmpf - 19/01/2016 14:37 - Germany - Bremen

Today, I went to the hairdresser for the first time in the country I just moved to. Guess I don't speak the language as well as I thought. FML

I agree, your life sucks 21 986

You deserved it 2 955

By dunicha - 17/11/2011 00:37 - United States

Today, I was reading a book in German, which I don't know very well. Suddenly I reached a passage I had no trouble understanding. Excited, I showed my husband, saying I was finally getting the hang of it. He laughed and patted my head. Turns out, that particular passage was a quote. In English. FML

I agree, your life sucks 11 372

You deserved it 38 317

mliajkfml 15

Monday 4 July 2016 2:55

Maybe only ever visit a small area of Germany?

cornwallus24 8

Monday 4 July 2016 2:59

Germans will help you.They probably know better English than you.

Comments

mliajkfml 15

Monday 4 July 2016 2:55

Maybe only ever visit a small area of Germany?

cornwallus24 8

Monday 4 July 2016 2:59

Germans will help you.They probably know better English than you.

thatonechicksaid 12

Monday 4 July 2016 5:24

that's true and not true. in Germany, you're forced to learn English from first grade til you graduate. i know from experience

randomname98 22

Monday 4 July 2016 6:24

Well I'm visiting Germany right now, and it seems everyone on the streets can speak English. They are more than willing to help (for the most part). Usually they just start speaking English when they hear your accent

AlmostDiffident 9

Monday 4 July 2016 3:00

Was it Low German? Never learn Low German. Only learn standard German if you want to visit Germany.

vampire9545 5

Tuesday 5 July 2016 5:46

hochdeutsch ftw!

toolazytotype99 18

Monday 4 July 2016 3:11

At least you'll be fluent in some of Germany till you learn the rest. Good luck OP

4FukSake 12

Monday 4 July 2016 3:12

I will get you started. Nein=no

ericanicole1 12

Tuesday 5 July 2016 5:16

Also acht (sounds like oct) means 8 as in octagon ?

KebabRemover 6

Saturday 9 July 2016 0:37

Cyrus00 41

Monday 4 July 2016 3:18

I'm half german and can speak the language fluently, but when I visit an area of Germany which I'm not from I cannot understand a word they are saying. Everywhere has different dialects so its very difficult.

Mauskau 35

Monday 4 July 2016 3:36

We have the same in the UK, it's difficult to understand people from some parts due to their accents and weird sayings.

elainebarish 8

Monday 4 July 2016 5:46

I have the same issue in Canada! A lot of people from southern Ontario sound nearly american, but Newfies have such a bizarre way of speaking that I'd actually have an easier time talking to somebody from Quebec!

Im_Sleepy_Gamer 12

Monday 4 July 2016 8:58

Really I'm also from Canada I'll have to talk to one

Mynamewontfi 40

Tuesday 5 July 2016 2:35

Same in The Netherlands. Even though it's a small country, there're many different dialects. One province even has very its own language, which is only spoken there so no other Dutchman understands them.

vampire9545 5

Tuesday 5 July 2016 5:51

we have a lesser issue in America. we have many accents but only boston is terrible. p.s. Pennsylvania Dutch ftw

GamerG0DDESS 29

Tuesday 5 July 2016 18:16

Pretty sure I can't understand my own town with all these valley girl hashtag java latte with no whip yoga boot people in my town. America is definitly the worst out of them all. (hope you've picked up on the joke).

Dilexar 26

Monday 4 July 2016 3:18

Well, you can either just settle in that small part of Germany, or you can choose to work a bit harder and have a German tutor or friend teach you standard German. Either way, good luck, and FYL

aGMAELSTR0M 10

Monday 4 July 2016 3:19

Hey, if you were willing to learn a new language, then you're already on the right path. Nothing wrong with furthering your education. Keep up the good work!

RosaMaravillosa 10

Monday 4 July 2016 9:10

I agree.

KillerChipmunk 15

Monday 4 July 2016 3:29

German dialects and accents can get ridiculous. I had two different teachers, so my accent is super weird. One of my friends said it sounds like a country girl who married up.