Sunday, May 20, 2012

Verbs: What You Can Say with the Prefix “be”


Verbs are usually seen as indispensable for creating a sentence. It doesn’t make much sense to have a couple of nouns hanging out with some adjectives and doing nothing. Only verbs can keep them busy. Who would have thought then that verbs represent only a pathetic minority. No more than two percent of the German vocabulary are verbs, only 900 to 1.000 words. However, the German language has a nice tool to make them look larger than life: the prefix, little guys consisting of two or three letters who can be attached to many verbs (or many verbs can be attached to them, depend on your viewpoint). There are only a dozen of them, but they can increase the meaning of a verb exponentially and quadruple the chance of a life-changing misunderstanding.
Don’t tinker with prefixes like an-, auf-, zu-, er-, ver-, emp-, ein-, aus-, ge- etc. unless you know exactly what you want to say.
With the verb fallen or example you can simply fall. With the prefix auf- , thus auffallen, you stand out, with ver- as in verfallen your talent declines, with ge- as in gefallen you will please.
Today, we are going to look at the prefix be-.
The prefix be- is especially treacherous because very often (not always) it does not change the meaning of the verb directly. A moment ago, staunen (to be astonished) was a nice, independent verb, only committed to the subject of the sentence, something that is capable of staunen, a human being or some animal. Now, with the prefix be- it needs an object, something to marvel at: Wir bestaunen das Brandenburger Tor.In many cases (not in all cases), the prefix be- changes an intransitive verb, a verb that does not have an object like leben (to live), into a transitive verb, a verb that needs an object, like beleben (to revive, to revitalize, to activate).
Other examples are...
- lügen (to lie) > belügen (to lie to someone): Das Volk belügt die Politiker (just kidding);
- zahlen (to pay) > bezahlen (to pay for something): Ich bezahle das Bier;
- urteilen (to judge, to pronounce a judgement) > beurteilen (to judge or to evaluate something or someone): Der Chef beurteilt meine Arbeit.
- lächeln (to smile) > belächeln (to smile at something or someone condescendingly): Die Diva belächelt den Fan.
Other verbs change their objects after they got aquainted with be-. The verb singen can stand alone, like the soprano on the stage: Sie singt. It can have an object, too: Sie singt das Lied (song).
With besingen however, she celebrates or praises something. She sings ein Lied von Schubert oder Madonna, but sie besingt die Liebe.
Other examples are...
- antworten (to answer a person, dative) > beantworten (to answer a letter, e-mail, twitter, questions etc.),
- schenken (to give something as a gift) > beschenken (to give a gift to a person),
- bauen (to build a building) > bebauen (to build a building on something, for instance, a piece of land),
- fahren (to drive a vehicle) > befahren > (to drive a vehicle on a street, alley, Autobahn etc.).
Sometimes, be- modifies the verb’s meaning:
- fragen (to ask a question) > befragen (to consult, to canvass, to interrogate, to survey)
- grüßen (to greet) > begrüßen (to welcome someone)- raten (to advice) > beraten (to consult)

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Mo., March 12: Intensive Course German for Beginners

Together with my collegue Anja Rohde, I am offering an intensive course "German for beginners" in a small group and at a warm and friendly location in the center of Berlin-Kreuzberg.
The Course:
- 4 times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday), three hours (9 am – 12:15 p.m., including a 15minutes-break. Kitchen facilities available.)
- The course begins on Monday, March 12th and ends on Wednesday, March 28th , altogether 30 hours.
- Learning material will be provided – some from books, some we will develop during the course based on the needs and interests of the students.
- You will speak German as early and as much as possible. You will improve your comprehension, your writing and reading skills.
- Try out our FREE 90-minute introductory class on Wednesday, March 7th at 9 a.m. before you decide to sign up.
The Teachers:
- Anja Rohde: Anthropologist and German teacher with a teaching certificate DaF (German as Foreign Language). Lived in France, England, Spain, Thailand and Ireland and knows what it means to learn a new language. Teaches German to individuals, groups and company staff in Berlin.
- Bernd Hendricks: Writer and German teacher with a teaching certificate DaF (German as Foreign Language). Returned from New York after 15 years of teaching and tutoring German to English speakers (groups and individuals, children and adults). Teaches German to individuals and groups in Berlin.
The Location:
"Gudruns Kulturraum," Böckhstr. 40, Kreuzberg (See the photo above)
The Price:
The course costs 290 Euro. (Learning material included, no text book purchase necessary.)
Bring a friend and both of you pay 270 Euro.
Bring two friends and all three of you pay 260 Euro.
If you are interested, please contact Bernd at (030) 34 71 99 75 or via e-mail
bernducha@gmail.com

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Das Gesicht brennt vor Kälte


This poem was written by my student Zareen S.
Its language is as clear as cold winter air.


Das Gesicht brennt vor Kälte
 Ich riskiere nicht, durch die Nase zu atmen.
Das Feld ist blendend weiss.
Der Schnee muss nicht hoch sein, um zu glitzern

Ein riesiger Himmel,
Babyblau bis farblos am Horizont.
Die Luft schmeckt wunderbar.
Die Gedanken sind so klar und so hell
Wie der Tag.

Meine Ohren genießen
Das Geräusch der Schritte auf dem Schnee.
Zuckerguss auf dem Rasen,
Jeder Fuß fühlt den Widerstand der Kruste.

Wir brechen das Eis
Und werfen Stück für Stück über den gefrorenen See.
Der Ruf eines Vogels
Hallt betörend schön über den See zurück.
Zareen S.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Monday, January 2, 2012

Starting Mo., January 16: Course German for Beginners

On Monday, January 16th I will start a new "Yorkville German Language Course" German for Beginners.
You will learn German in a fun and friendly atmosphere, and fast and effective in a group at a pleasant location in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The first class is free.
The Course:
* 10 lessons, twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, each 90 minutes for beginners in a group with max. 10 students.
* Learning material will be provided – some from books, some I will develop during the course based on the needs and interests of the students.
* You will speak German as early and as much as possible. You will improve your comprehension, your writing and reading skills.
* The course starts on Monday, January 16, and ends on Wednesday, February 15
* Hours: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
* Location: "Gudruns Kulturraum," Böckhstr. 40, Kreuzberg.The Price
* FIRST CLASS IS FREE
* 12 Euro per class, meaning 108 Euro for the remaining 9 classes, each 90 minutes (learning material included).

If you are interested, please contact me via email:
bernducha@gmail.com