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Hey everyone, Dana here! 00:00
Time for another round of English sayings translated literally into German. 00:02
Why? Just for a little fun. 00:07
I did this before with sick English idioms, idioms about being sick. 00:17
And now after my video about air conditioning in the U.S. and the crazy hot, humid weather 00:21
in Florida in the summer, I’ve had weather on my mind. 00:27
So today it’s English idioms having something to do with the weather, translated word 00:30
for word into German. 00:37
I did the best that I could with the translations, but if you have a better word for word translation, 00:38
or if there is an actual German saying that means the same thing, please let me know in 00:45
the comments. 00:51
Thank you. 00:51
In English we have the saying that something is a breeze if it’s really easy. 00:52
Learning German is no big deal at all. It’s a breeze. 00:57
Of course that right there was not a true statement. 01:01
Learning German is not a breeze. 01:05
But anyway, "it’s a breeze" means that something is super easy. 01:07
So I guess “es ist eine Brise” in German. 01:10
Can you say that? 01:14
If you have so much work to do that it’s really just overwhelming you, you can say 01:15
that you’re snowed under. 01:20
Ever since we took on that new client at work, I’ve just been snowed under. 01:22
In German: Unter geschneit or geschneit unter? 01:26
But I think that make no sense at all, right? 01:31
Oh yeah, believe me. 01:33
As soon as we got wind of their plan, we left the company. 01:34
In English “to get wind of something” means to hear about something or learn that 01:37
something is going on. 01:43
I had a tricky time translating this expression word for word into German. 01:45
I guess: davon Wind bekommen. But I’m not so happy with it. 01:49
So if you have a better word for word translation for that, please let me know in the comments. 01:54
Of course, we can’t talk about weather idioms without mentioning the saying: 01:58
it’s raining cats and dogs. 02:01
Which, I just feel like must sound really funny and ridiculous translated word for word 02:03
into any language that doesn’t actually use that saying. 02:09
Ugh, Stefan, hast du das gesehen? 02:12
Es regnet Katzen und Hunde da draußen! 02:14
To me it still makes sense in German, because I grew up using the saying in English. 02:17
But I’m guessing that anyone who heard this saying for the first time would be like: what? 02:22
Cats and dogs falling from the sky? What are you talking about? 02:29
And what often comes along with rain? 02:33
Why thunder of course. 02:36
And in English you actually have to protect your thunder from getting stolen by someone else. 02:37
The same day that they got married, the best man proposed to his girlfriend. 02:43
At the wedding. 02:49
He completely stole their thunder. 02:51
Stealing someone’s thunder can mean to take the attention away from someone else. 02:53
So in German I guess "Donner stehlen." 02:58
Does that make any sense, or it just sounds really, really weird? 03:01
Sticking with rain, if someone completely ruins something for you or ruins your plans, 03:04
you can say that they rained on your parade. 03:10
I’m sorry to rain on your parade, but you can’t bring your dog on the rollercoaster. 03:13
Es tut mir Leid, auf deine Parade zu regnen, aber du kannst deinen Hund 03:17
nicht auf die Achterbahn mitnehmen. 03:22
And, still on the subject of rain: "when it rains, it pours." 03:24
Meaning that when something either good happens or bad happens, then it happens really, really 03:28
good or really, really bad. 03:34
So this saying can go in either direction, but in an extreme way. 03:36
After years of trying to make friends, I suddenly made 5 new friends in one week. 03:40
When it rains, it pours! 03:47
Or on the other end of it: today I lost my job, my car broke down, I dropped my phone 03:48
in the toilet, and now I burned my toast. 03:54
When it rains, it pours. 03:58
So in German I guess: "Wenn es regnet, dann schüttet es." 04:00
Does that make any sense at all? 04:05
I'm guessing that it does not. 04:07
There are two more that I have, but I think that these ones actually do already exist 04:09
in German as well. 04:14
You can have an icebreaker. 04:16
Which I believe is Eisbrecher in German. 04:18
And fair-weather friends: Schönwetterfreunde 04:20
So my question for you is: did these sayings make any sense in German, or just sound really weird. 04:24
What are your favorite weather idioms around the world? 04:30
And what are your favorite funny idioms translated literally, word for word into another language? 04:34
Please let me know in the comments below. 04:41
Thanks so much for watching. 04:43
I really hope that you enjoyed this video. 04:45
And also a really big thank you so much to our patrons on Patreon, who help make these 04:47
videos possible. Thank you so much for your support. 04:53
If you would like to check out our Patreon page, you can find a link to that down in 04:56
the description box below. 05:00
Until next time, auf Wiedersehen! 05:01
Es tut mir Leid auf deine Parade zu regnen, aber du kannst deine...deinen Hund! 05:05
Man, was für ein Tag! Es regnet Katzen und...Hunde da draußen! 05:10
Word for word into any saying...into any language that doesn't use that saying. 05:15
Or...wait. No. Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes. 05:19
Alright, alright. I got it. 05:24

– English Lyrics

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Lyrics & Translation

[English]
Hey everyone, Dana here!
Time for another round of English sayings translated literally into German.
Why? Just for a little fun.
I did this before with sick English idioms, idioms about being sick.
And now after my video about air conditioning in the U.S. and the crazy hot, humid weather
in Florida in the summer, I’ve had weather on my mind.
So today it’s English idioms having something to do with the weather, translated word
for word into German.
I did the best that I could with the translations, but if you have a better word for word translation,
or if there is an actual German saying that means the same thing, please let me know in
the comments.
Thank you.
In English we have the saying that something is a breeze if it’s really easy.
Learning German is no big deal at all. It’s a breeze.
Of course that right there was not a true statement.
Learning German is not a breeze.
But anyway, "it’s a breeze" means that something is super easy.
So I guess “es ist eine Brise” in German.
Can you say that?
If you have so much work to do that it’s really just overwhelming you, you can say
that you’re snowed under.
Ever since we took on that new client at work, I’ve just been snowed under.
In German: Unter geschneit or geschneit unter?
But I think that make no sense at all, right?
Oh yeah, believe me.
As soon as we got wind of their plan, we left the company.
In English “to get wind of something” means to hear about something or learn that
something is going on.
I had a tricky time translating this expression word for word into German.
I guess: davon Wind bekommen. But I’m not so happy with it.
So if you have a better word for word translation for that, please let me know in the comments.
Of course, we can’t talk about weather idioms without mentioning the saying:
it’s raining cats and dogs.
Which, I just feel like must sound really funny and ridiculous translated word for word
into any language that doesn’t actually use that saying.
Ugh, Stefan, hast du das gesehen?
Es regnet Katzen und Hunde da draußen!
To me it still makes sense in German, because I grew up using the saying in English.
But I’m guessing that anyone who heard this saying for the first time would be like: what?
Cats and dogs falling from the sky? What are you talking about?
And what often comes along with rain?
Why thunder of course.
And in English you actually have to protect your thunder from getting stolen by someone else.
The same day that they got married, the best man proposed to his girlfriend.
At the wedding.
He completely stole their thunder.
Stealing someone’s thunder can mean to take the attention away from someone else.
So in German I guess "Donner stehlen."
Does that make any sense, or it just sounds really, really weird?
Sticking with rain, if someone completely ruins something for you or ruins your plans,
you can say that they rained on your parade.
I’m sorry to rain on your parade, but you can’t bring your dog on the rollercoaster.
Es tut mir Leid, auf deine Parade zu regnen, aber du kannst deinen Hund
nicht auf die Achterbahn mitnehmen.
And, still on the subject of rain: "when it rains, it pours."
Meaning that when something either good happens or bad happens, then it happens really, really
good or really, really bad.
So this saying can go in either direction, but in an extreme way.
After years of trying to make friends, I suddenly made 5 new friends in one week.
When it rains, it pours!
Or on the other end of it: today I lost my job, my car broke down, I dropped my phone
in the toilet, and now I burned my toast.
When it rains, it pours.
So in German I guess: "Wenn es regnet, dann schüttet es."
Does that make any sense at all?
I'm guessing that it does not.
There are two more that I have, but I think that these ones actually do already exist
in German as well.
You can have an icebreaker.
Which I believe is Eisbrecher in German.
And fair-weather friends: Schönwetterfreunde
So my question for you is: did these sayings make any sense in German, or just sound really weird.
What are your favorite weather idioms around the world?
And what are your favorite funny idioms translated literally, word for word into another language?
Please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks so much for watching.
I really hope that you enjoyed this video.
And also a really big thank you so much to our patrons on Patreon, who help make these
videos possible. Thank you so much for your support.
If you would like to check out our Patreon page, you can find a link to that down in
the description box below.
Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
Es tut mir Leid auf deine Parade zu regnen, aber du kannst deine...deinen Hund!
Man, was für ein Tag! Es regnet Katzen und...Hunde da draußen!
Word for word into any saying...into any language that doesn't use that saying.
Or...wait. No. Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Alright, alright. I got it.

Key Vocabulary

Start Practicing
Vocabulary Meanings

idioms

/ˈɪdiəmz/

B2
  • noun
  • - a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.

humid

/ˈhjuːmɪd/

B1
  • adjective
  • - containing a high amount of water vapor.

breeze

/briːz/

A2
  • noun
  • - a gentle wind.

overwhelming

/ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/

B2
  • adjective
  • - very great in amount.

wind

/wɪnd/

A1
  • noun
  • - the perceptible natural movement of the air.
  • verb
  • - to become aware of.

ridiculous

/rɪˈdɪk.jʊ.ləs/

B1
  • adjective
  • - deserving or inviting derision or mockery.

thunder

/ˈθʌndər/

A2
  • noun
  • - the loud crash or rumble heard after a lightning flash.

stolen

/ˈstoʊlən/

B1
  • verb
  • - past participle of steal; to take something without permission.

parade

/pəˈreɪd/

A2
  • noun
  • - a public procession celebrating an event.

pours

/pɔːrz/

B1
  • verb
  • - to flow rapidly in a stream.

icebreaker

/ˈaɪsˌbreɪkər/

B2
  • noun
  • - an activity or question designed to relieve tension or awkwardness.

friends

/frendz/

A1
  • noun
  • - people whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.

Do you remember what “idioms” or “humid” means in ""?

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Key Grammar Structures

  • Learning German is no big deal at all. It’s a breeze.

    ➔ Present simple tense

    ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense to express a general truth or habitual action. "Is" and "It's" are examples of this tense.

  • Ever since we took on that new client at work, I’ve just been snowed under.

    ➔ Present perfect continuous

    ➔ The sentence uses the present perfect continuous to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. "I’ve just been snowed under" highlights the ongoing nature of the action.

  • As soon as we got wind of their plan, we left the company.

    ➔ Past simple with 'as soon as'

    ➔ The sentence uses the past simple with the conjunction 'as soon as' to indicate that one action immediately followed another. "Got" and "left" are in the past simple.

  • He completely stole their thunder.

    ➔ Past simple with adverb

    ➔ The sentence uses the past simple with the adverb 'completely' to emphasize the extent of the action. "Stole" is in the past simple.

  • When it rains, it pours.

    ➔ Present simple in conditional statements

    ➔ The sentence uses the present simple in a conditional statement to express a general truth. Both 'rains' and 'pours' are in the present simple.

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