More and more people today are learning German. Its popularity is growing every day. But few know that German is also considered one of the most interesting and peculiar languages. There are a lot of interesting facts about the German language, the existence of which you didn't even suspect, even if you have been learning this language for a long time.
- The distribution of German is most concentrated in Europe. However, more than 8 million native speakers of this language live abroad: in the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and even in Russia.
- Germany consists of 16 federal states. Sometimes the dialects in German are so different that even residents of different federal states cannot understand each other. German in Austria also differs significantly from German in Germany. There are more than 50 basic dialects, but according to some estimates, the number of German dialects is more than 250.
- The Germans like to create very long words. Sometimes the whole phrase fits in one word. The longest German word consists of 87 letters: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz. It means the "Law on the distribution of responsibilities for monitoring the labeling of beef and cattle".
- Do you know this letter - ß? It is called "sharp S". Until the 19th century, it was used in almost all European languages. Today "sharp S" uses only in German language.
- Legend has it that German once became almost a new state language of the United States of America. After the end of the American Revolution in 1783, the congressmen tried to break all ties with England. Nevertheless, English won the election of a new official language with a margin of only one vote. True or false - you must decide for yourself.
- The first book in German was printed in 1466. It was the Mentelin Bible. It was named after its creator Johann Mentelin.
- According to the stereotype, all Germans are very fond of beer. Therefore, no one is surprised that in the German language uses a lot of idioms associated with this drink. For example: "Das ist nicht dein Bier". Literally translated as "this is not your beer." But for a German, this phrase means: tend to your own beeswax.
- Everyone who learns German sometimes makes mistakes when writing some words. Do you know which German word is most often written incorrectly? Lizenzieren, which means to license. In 83% of cases write lizensieren. Be careful!
- Love is wonderful. Sometimes emotions are so overwhelmed that you cannot find the right words to describe your feelings. More than 90% of Germans call their elect “mein Schatz” - “my treasure”. «Meine Liebe» - my love and «Meine Seele» – my soul are also popular.
