6 Fun Facts Show Why German Translation is Essential

While German is both fascinating and widely-spoken, it has a reputation for being one of the world’s most complex languages. As a result, German translation can be incredibly difficult and must be handled by a skilled language service provider.

Here are six amazing facts about the German language:

1. German Translation In The EU

German is the official language of Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium, making German a great language to learn if you ever plan on visiting Europe.

With more than 100 million native speakers, German is the most common native language spoken in the EU. There’s even a push to make German one of the working languages of the EU, a major opportunity for translation services.

2. Nouns Are Capitalized For German Translation

One of the most unique aspects about the German language is that all nouns are capitalized. For new German learners, this makes it easy to recognize the nouns in a sentence. For example, in the German phrase, Äpfel sind auf dem Baum (“Apples are on the Tree”.), the two nouns, “Äpfel” and “Baum”, are both capitalized.

3. German Translation And False Cognates

Due to their close relationship, German and English share 60% of their vocabulary. For comparison, English and French share just 27% of their vocabulary. This greatly benefits native English speakers learners when learning German. However, it can create awkward social situations if you accidentally stumble on a false cognate. For example, in German, ‘Gift’ doesn’t mean a present; it means poison.

4. German Has Three Genders

In many Romance languages, nouns are either masculine or feminine, making them relatively difficult for native English speakers to get used to. German is even more complicated, as it has a third gender known as the neuter. For example, “Das Mädchen” (the girl) is a neuter, even though it refers to a female person.

5. German Has A Unique Letter

The Latin alphabet is used in German. It does, however, have an extra consonant: the ß, which is called “Eszett.” The letter is never at the beginning of a word and always takes the shape of a double-s after a long vowel or diphthong.

6. The Longest German Word

German is known for endlessly long words. One of the longest words is “Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung”

It means “regulation on the delegation of authority concerning land conveyance permissions.” This neologism is derived from officialese. But you don’t need to worry; such long words can almost always be broken down into more understandable parts.

German Translation Services at Language Connections

Are you looking for language translation or interpreting services? The German translation team at Language Connections consists of trained linguists who provide exemplary professional language services.

We translate and interpret both from and into German. Our German specialists come from diverse backgrounds and are experts in their subject areas, so we can complete projects perfectly in most industries. If you have any questions about German medical translation, technical translation, legal translation, or other language needs, please reach out.