How to do a German accent (by a German native!) | Feli from Germany

++Reason for blurs/muted audio: This channel was renamed in Oct 2021. All references to the old name have been removed.++
German Reacts to German (?) Scenes in Hollywood Movies! ▸ • German Reacts to Germa...
17 FALSE FRIEND WORDS in German and English ▸ • 17 FALSE FRIEND WORDS ...
5 Mistakes Germans Make in English ▸ • 5 Mistakes Germans Mak...
All videos with my friend Josh (an American who speaks German WITHOUT AN ACCENT!) ▸ • Videos with Josh
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0:00 Intro
1:55 The English "TH"
2:31 The English "W"
3:50 The English "R"
4:59 Hard word endings
5:52 German vowels
7:17 L-sounds
8:00 Grammar mistakes
11:01 More pronunciation tips
11:38 Outro
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 27, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other experiences that I have made during my time in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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Music by ARTMAN MUSIC www.artman-music.de/ based on a theme by www.twinmusicom.org/ (CC BY 4.0)

[@berlindude75]

Other typical German grammar mistakes include not getting conditional ("If I WERE you, I WOULD.") and subjunctive clauses ("It's crucial that you BE here.") right, dropping essential auxiliary verbs ("I WILL go there tomorrow."), mixing up the English subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, inserting temporal expressions at the wrong position in a sentence or clause, and overusing the perfect tense which is more common in German ("I have given her the keys yesterday.") over the simple past (preterite) tense which is more common in English ("I gave her the keys yesterday.").

[@annettg1202]

Ertappt. I hope, nevertheless you will understand us.

[@securitysystem]

How about the most obvious of them all? Questions. "Have you time for me tomorrow?"

[@limzhanfeng115]

To be fair, I think many native English speakers don't subjunct 'correctly' either, they just say "If I was you"

[@berlindude75]

@@annettg1202 Klar doch. ;) Overusing commas and applying German punctuation rules is by the way another typical mistake by native German speakers. Use of commas is significantly rarer in English, especially when it comes to subordinate clauses which do or could begin with "that" ("dass" in German) where -- unlike in German -- the comma isn't used. Hence, "I hope (that) you will nevertheless understand us." would be clearer and not possibly be misunderstood as "Ich hoffe; trotz alledem wirst/werdet du/ihr uns verstehen." :)

[@its_clean]

@@limzhanfeng115 I was about to say this too. A lot of native English speakers don't understand or adhere well to subjunctive and conditional constructions. It doesn't help that some constructions that are errors when intended to be present subjunctive (if he was coming) are actually correct when used for the past subjunctive.

[@_np7]

Watching this video as a German really is confusing. It's like school but backwards....

[@PhoenixAusten]

Hard agree :D

[@ZethisVA]

I feel like I unlearned all the correct ways to speak english without an accent.

[@TheIhplodur]

@@ZethisVA Wait, you learned how to pronounce english correctly at school? Most teacher I knew did the same mistakes. I never heared about the dark "L" before.

[@ZethisVA]

@@TheIhplodur In Austria and it was a "Gymnasium", so there might be a difference. I had more than one teacher but they all tried to teach us correct british english and in later years add some american english and explain the finer nuances and differences between those.

[@juttas.537]

Ja, aber echt. 😂😂😂

[@SpielSatzFail]

Captain: "S.O.S. - S.O.S.! We are sinking!" German coastguard: "Vot are you sinking about?" a classic XD

[@DruSolis]

Oh, that's such a good commercial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn64pImZjs14iLs

[@Nikioko]

Was hängt an der Wand und singt? Spucke...

[@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708]

@@DruSolis awesome :D

[@3.k]

@@DruSolis Hell’o! Ziss is ze djörmen cocetgart. ^^

[@markheithaus]

😂🤣😂🤣

[@davidlucas4136]

My American girlfriend is of German-Scottish descent and has taken German since high school. For the longest time I refused to learn it because I thought it was impossible, but thanks to your awesome tips and some hard work of my own I’m able to speak a little German with her which makes her happy. Thank you Feli!

[@m0lDaViA]

The best way to learn it is to speak it (or at least to try it) and get corrected.

[@jamesbruce8053]

I lived in North Germany for a while but only taught myself German (sadly) so I make a few mistakes. But most people can understand me. Anyway coming originally from Scotland, and talking German with my Scottish accent, a lot of Germans actually thought I come from Holland. I loved Germany and do miss it a lot.

[@deftuner]

Scotland and Dutch ? haha i live right next to the netherland border and last year i was in Norway on holiday and there i ask myself always "Is that dutch when they speak in their native language" but Scottish ? haha very funny

[@jamesbruce8053]

Many of the words are similar between English, German and Dutch like a mixture. Same as Platt Deutsch, (found that out around Keil) I worked in Norway many years ago before I went to Germany, and found that totally confusing.

[@jamesbruce8053]

Oops Kiel and not Keil lol. When I worked in Vlissingen, because of my knowledge in German I was surprised how much Dutch I understood, especially when it was English expats speaking fluent Dutch. A bit different when hearing native Dutch speakers with the accent.

[@rudigertholken827]

Have you been a british soldier in Bad Fallingbostel?

[@jamesbruce8053]

@@rudigertholken827 No sorry, I was never in the army or any forces. I was working in the shipyards, mainly in Bremerhaven and Bremen, also in Kiel for a few years. But a few different places.

[@Dizerfullpower]

> German "r" is tricky for anyone who learns German as a second language *laughs in Slavic*

[@cleliac.2470]

Yes, and to think that we Germans "imported" it from France, some centuries ago...! It took some time to establish itself but, as of now, I think that it is only for singing German operas and lieder that you do not use it. By the way, nothing against the other R that is spoken in in many languages including Slavic languages like Russian, but, when it comes to differenciate between, say, «рыс» and «рис»... 😏😉, this is a phonetic challenge on yet another level 😆.

[@Dizerfullpower]

@@cleliac.2470 Probably less difficult than dealing with Japanese "r", though.

[@Malocarid]

Actually the "standard version" of the German "r" can be difficult for German native speakers too. There are many different ways to pronounce the "r" in different regions of Germany and most of them don't sound like the "standard version" at all. Everything between alveolar trill, uvular approximant and elision occurs somewhere. Also the articulation might change depending on the preceding phoneme.

[@erichamilton3373]

It's like in English the difference between eat and it

[@wintonhudelson2252]

@@Dizerfullpower almost as difficult as the Japanese "L", like LOL. As in "Raff Out Roud"?

[@karlknapp2798]

I'll never get my German accent out of my English. In California, I once just said "hello" to someone and the response was, "oh, are you from Germany?". Useless to continue at this point :-D

[@MildlyRabid]

Did you say it in that sing-song way, like a typical "hallo"? I could recognize that "hallo!" anywhere, haha

[@JesBewsey]

That sing-song "hallo!" is what I imagined immediately, as well. S'cute, imo.

[@timo7968]

IMHO people in California never say "Hello". ;-) It usually, "Hi there", "Oh hi!", "Hey", or "Howdy" if you want to sound 'from out of town'. They may say hello, but not as a general greeting, unless it's a very dry business situation, where everyone is just acknowledging everyone else. They may also say "Hellooooooo???" when someone is acting dumb, or if you're on the phone and are call waiting... and then they suddenly they surprise you, and you might reply, "Oh! Oh... hello...".

[@xx_naasson_xx]

@@timo7968 uh actually we do say 'hello' often here and in a casual setting, whether at work or at the store. Happens alot, at least in the I.E. where I'm from.

[@divinity8243]

Feel you

[@Kate-tq7sz]

Hi! German is my 5th language, I'm from Ukraine (now live in Germany). And it's sooo interesting to realize the difference between Eng and Germ! This video in passive way helps me to learn German 😂 Thank you

[@sylvira3212]

Your 5th language? I am glad that I speak one and a half languages. Native german and half english

[@benduncan4027]

@@sylvira3212 I am from Ukraine too and know 5 languages as the commenter above. For me they are Ukrainian and Russian (both native), English (full fluency - C1/C2), French B1 and German B1/B2

[@sylvira3212]

@@benduncan4027 yes thats very impressive. I am trying to learn sign language as a third. But 5 languages would probably cause a lot of chaos in my head.

[@Hian482]

@@sylvira3212 The 5 languages are prob russian (every ukrainian knows) ukrainian, english,polish,and 5 th ofc is german which is very popular for ukrainians which knows 5 language

[@glintwane5309]

​@@benduncan4027Holy smokes dude, that is impressive!

[@no_w4y]

As a German English teacher that travelled a lot to the US, I have to let you know how impressed I am by your content. Not only did you explain it in different ways that reach up to a much bigger audience (simple terms and linguistic terms), but also emphasised the most common grammatical issues Germans are stuffing with while learning English as a foreign language. much love from and liebe Grüße from your home country

[@LiveSimpleLiveFree]

Sanks, zis vas great!

[@thorralf]

"Greht" - so viel Zeit muss sein :)

[@fantasietraume]

xD

[@trhsummers]

Wunderbar!

[@mweskamppp]

@@trhsummers Now i am sinking...

[@dr.bluesfield3629]

@@mweskamppp vot ar u sinking about?

[@SennaHawx]

"There you can become money." - A German trying to communicate with a group of refugees in 80s

[@lordraytard2462]

Made me laugh

[@MrVirgilVox]

I "broke together" laughing when I read this.

[@Mick2K]

I think I spider.

[@levko4738]

@@Mick2K I can see that your Englisch is not the Yellow from the Egg

[@sascha5160]

Or when ordering in the restaurant. "I become a steak."

[@BugsyFTO]

One of my friends from many years ago was studying in the U.K. and had seen a job advertised for the role of a German soldier in a short film. As both an amateur actor and a German, he was certain he’d walk into the job. He was rejected because “you don’t sound very German” 😂

[@SuBeKuTah]

😂😂😂

[@cgreen6369]

As an actor who is asked to do a German accent on occasion, this is excellent, probably the best KZbin video on speaking with a German accent ! Your video would also be useful for writers who are writing a German character into a story or script,

[@dagi72164]

German ordering in a Restaurant: can I become a steak please? American waiter/waitress: well I’m not sure, you can certainly give it a try 😂🤣😂

[@Henning_Rech]

American in Germany: "Ich bin ein Berliner"

[@j3nn3s]

But this false friend is confusing English native speakers, too: Und so bekam ich ein Ingenieur :-)

[@wandilismus8726]

@@Henning_Rech Lasst uns einen Hamburger essen. 😉

[@l.a.3680]

@@Henning_Rech "Ich möchte - diesen Teppich - nicht kaufen!"

[@berndheiden7630]

Or the German ordering in Britain: I want a bloody steak. Waiter: Would you care for some fucking potatoes as well?

[@brossovitch]

I actually thought she was going to say, "We pronounce Germany as Deutschland." 😂

[@dschonsie]

or teutschlant

[@l.a.3680]

I thought the same, but i don't think any american is able to say "Deutschland" without beeing identified as an american by any german listener on the spot.

[@senorpepper3405]

i see that you are new tie wearing.

[@dinozyx]

@@l.a.3680 yeah theyd prob say dutchland lmao

[@12tanuha21]

Daitschland

[@_TheIntrovertedArtist_]

I have been writing a German character who originally came from Germany, and I wanted to do it right, he’s only been speaking English more often as of now, so I took these tips into consideration while writing with him, thank you!

[@sandwichsultan906]

This has been very helpful! I'll make sure to use all of these notes for an upcoming role I have for a series I'm involved in.

[@Ulrich.Bierwisch]

When in the US, I got a phone call from someone who wanted to sell a newspaper. He was unstoppable and after 3 minutes, when he kind of had to take a breath for the first time, I said in the most possible German accent: "Sorry, I could not understand that very well. I am from Görmany. Can you repeat that?" what immediately ended the phone call.

[@fantasietraume]

No way xD

[@binbanboni2284]

THATS extremely relatable like when i talk with my non German speaking friends they immediately say I should take a break cus I talk so fast and much at the same time so that’s very funny when seeing that it’s normal to talk strangely

[@rhalleballe]

Why didnt you simply say "Wie bitte?". That would end it as well immediately...

[@fantasietraume]

@@rhalleballe stimmt Mag deinen Benutzernamen xD

[@rhalleballe]

@@fantasietraume >Mag deinen Benutzernamen xD Und ich erst!

[@StabYourBrain]

As a german i can only say that i love the over exaggerated cliché mad scientest german accent. Cracks me up every time. Shoutout to the Team Fortress 2 Medic!

[@keinname9638]

"oops zhat vas not medicine!"

[@undeadwerewolves9463]

Medic gaming!

[@robscott9414]

SNL’s Dieter comes to mind…

[@christopherburk9082]

@@robscott9414 Shprockets?

[@St._Violence1]

That's Richthofen lol

[@olduhfguy]

A very enjoyable video. My father taught English so he constantly corrected mine , which makes me hyper-aware of everyone's accents.

[@RikkiJk]

This is really useful! I've been writing a character lately who has a German-like accent sometimes, so this is really useful for imaging how his voice will sound. It really fleshes out some of his scenes and also gives his speech style a distinct difference from the rest of the crew. :D I've also been wanting to learn German regardless and I'm going into voice acting, so it's a great video to give me accurate pointers for when i need them.

[@ursanbear]

A German woman pretending to be a native English speaker pretending to do a German accent. That's talent. It's a good day to be alive.

[@TheMmex]

I know its late, but did you miss her beauty? It sure is a good day to be alive, perhaps its a good day to... no ^^

[@macski6924]

It seems to me she knows more technically correct English than most native English speakers no matter where they come from.

[@claudiasolomon1123]

She's not pretending to speak English, she's speaking it perfectly.

[@gennaroliguori376]

@@claudiasolomon1123 thanks for poiting that out. her english is really good!

[@ursanbear]

@@claudiasolomon1123 missed my point.

[@andyfraps470]

For a native German living in the US for only a few years, your American accent is amazing.

[@marioluigi9599]

Well it's funny, because when she does her example sentences, she sounds totally American... ....but when she speaks normally she still got a light German accent

[@hellodolly7989]

Native German speaking people usually have a pretty solid American accent I find.

[@TheMastermind729]

She just has to make a few vowel changes and she’ll be perfect

[@davegreenlaw5654]

On occasion accents can be picked up easily, sometimes without the speaker knowing it. In the 80's I spent a couple of years at a boarding school in Pennsylvania, under an hour outside of Philly, before coming home to Toronto to finish. First day of one class, the teacher had us do a quick talk about ourselves, and I mentioned how I had been attending school in the US. As I was heading back to my seat, my teacher mentioned "Yes, I can hear your American accent."...to which I was thinking "WHAT American accent?" At that same school in the US, there was a girl who came from another school she had been at in South Carolina for four years. Even though she was from Indiana, she had a distinct 'Southern' accent under her Midwestern one.

[@maggot6320]

she definitely has a bit of a german accent but its so subtle, sometimes she says a word so perfectly it sounds like it's coming straight from an american

[@yvng.jyoshu8833]

I dont really know why im watching this as i am german...

[@smittybo67]

You are AMAZING! What a brilliant explanation of all things you described! Very, very impressive the way you effortlessly flowed between accents!

[@jackiemorrison2706]

When I travelled in Germany (& spoke my school girl German), I was twice asked what part of Austria I came from! Up until then I hadn't given it much thought that my High School German teacher came from Austria! Must have nailed the accent lol!! x

[@Jpeg13759]

I don´t know about America, but here in Germany, you pretty fast know, what Part of Germany She/He is from... The Sound of Language is different....

[@EternalQuestion]

​@@Jpeg13759 I think it's the same everywhere. In the UK, every major city pretty much has its own accent. Most British people can easily identify those accents because we hear them all the time. It's just down to familiarity. To me it's easy to tell the difference between a Birmingham accent and a Leeds accent. But I would have no clue whether a German was from Munich or Berlin, even though to you it's probably really obvious!

[@To_Cool_4_U.]

Ja!! Gut auftrag

[@damonmosier3651]

I once met a man that I thought was from London, until I learned that he was from the Netherlands. He just spoke absolutely flawless English with a London accent.

[@Milesco]

My English-speaking parents lived in Italy for a year (before I was born) -- my father was an engineer and he was working on a telecom project -- and as he eventually picked up the language, his Italian colleagues chuckled a bit because apparently he had picked up the lower-class accent from the neighborhood where he was living! 😁

[@EuropeYear1917]

As an actor, I totally appreciate these tips Felicia! If I ever have to play a German character in a production, I will totally have to put these tips to good use!

[@eeddingt]

My first thought was this this video should be able to land her a speech consultant job.

[@dietwald]

@@eeddingt you assume Hollywood gives a damn :(

[@parkjimin-standkb-62]

Woah that's cool! Where do you act in?

[@Myrtone]

Here is another less well know feature of that accent, and it can be heard in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imWVnWljj62ihsk

[@bookinit5216]

This was incredibly helpful, thank you!

[@Blude]

OMG Feli du bist echt eine Maschine!! Lustiges Video 👏

[@Paul_Wetor]

Your German and English are great, but to be a German pretending to be an American trying to talk German is beyond impressive.

[@holger_p]

Well, being able to pretend something, is an art by itself. Trying to speak English with German accent is as hard as speaking British as an American.

[@MrVirgilVox]

@@samanthabishop6251 only that there is no "the british accent".

[@peterpledge8956]

but sad it war

[@natestickeler924]

@@MrVirgilVox Same with accents from the US. But there are common features in both.

[@mikelastname1220]

@@MrVirgilVox Yeah it is! I saw it on television! :)

[@libertycosworth8675]

Your awareness of the differences in the two languages is extraordinary, and your ability to move between those accents, including variations is impressive.

[@Siggy4844]

you would do just fine in Northern Germany. Their dialects sound very similar to a mix of English and Dutch.

[@stibbs11]

Agreed, north is becoming quite a mix. You must be some form of educator, you seem to have the ability many lack, to see and hear variations in pronouncement of vowels, thanks for the tutorials.

[@MegaWolfDesigns]

And the fact she doesn’t used to make people feel bad is a relief

[@darrenjones2933]

@@Siggy4844 Agreed. I spent two years in Bavaria near where Fili is from. I can understand her German a bit better even after 30 years. The Nord Deutsch I struggle to understand. Which is closer to Hoch Deutsch?

[@ElMakz]

Oh please this is pure basics, let me guess you are an English speaker that knows no other language.

[@aucourant9998]

That was amazing. You were able to switch effortlessly between your very good American-English accent and your German-English accent. That's quite a feat.

[@tonyharshbarger]

Loved this video! Now I understand my German friends so much better! I just heard “I made an application” (where I would say, “I applied for a job”) from a friend a couple weeks ago. This was also very helpful! Trying to sing in a correct German accent!

[@azure6392]

Time to unpimp zee auto.

[@alexaales7937]

girl, as a native speaker always cracking up about my elderly mother's super strong german accent while attempting to speak english, I have to say, you were spot on with all your observations. well done!!!!

[@arbukuvh5563]

This actually helps a lot to sound LESS German!

[@Scriblyn]

Don't hide your accent! It's so cool.

[@emarekic7658]

@@Scriblyn A lot of Germans think its like dumb when they use their accent but its actually really nice and cute and calming

[@jm9920]

@@emarekic7658 Up until now I never met someone who's actually fine with it. Like, there are so many accents that go quite well with english (french for example) and then there's us, just butchering every word >~

[@emarekic7658]

@@jm9920 noo everyone thinks its cute cuz its so calming when you guys say it I live in Germany but im3not native speaker and I pove when they talk on englishh

[@mistermossman6074]

@@jm9920 i love the German accent, something about it makes me happy :D

[@annelarrybrunelle3570]

Absolutely fabulous how you've analysed pronunciation so finely over two languages! Your American English is almost perfectly native, with an occasional hint - a hint less noticeable than some common minor speech impediments, or local accent/idioms. I construe you are likely also a good musician with that ear.

[@martinmummert5614]

While stationed at a U.S. Army base in Italy, I befriended an Italian girl who taught herself to speak English without the slightest hint of an Italian accent. She also had a very sharp musical ear, and was a terrific singer.

[@nickellis999]

Your good-natured teasing of your compatriots made me smile.

[@terrywhittington3010]

Young lady, you have an amazing language capability to be able to discern all of those linguistic differences. You took what I thought to be a silly subject and turned it into a "real" educational experience.

[@macnachten8822]

This echos my sentiment...how ever, I would have liked to hear you explain "and" v "oondt"...well done Felicia, we'll done!

[@simonsaunders8147]

Like most educated non-native English speakers, her understanding of language and grammar outstrips your standard common or garden Brit or American. It is disgraceful that first language speakers can know or understand so little about the language they garble.

[@DerTaran]

@@macnachten8822 That is simple, the German word for 'and' is 'und' and sounds like you described. And because they are so similar, we mix it from time to time.

[@senorpepper3405]

@@simonsaunders8147 there is truth to this. but, some people get stuck in their own world(region) where they talk a certain way and that becomes the normal way they talk. "I'm finna go to Walmart and get some soda." You underdig?😂 Verstehen Sie? is there a odd slang way of asking if someone understands in german?

[@Andifined]

@@senorpepper3405 why underdig? :D

[@beaudanner]

just used this for my audition and it gave me a lot of confidence. thanks!

[@ArchaeaZero]

I'm currently learning German and this helped me out so much! I think the most daunting thing about learning another language is their "sayings". Understanding how people communicate with things that might not make sense to me even with the words meaning specific things. German has so many words for the same word (Eg. Male, malst, malt) but it's a lot more simplified in a way... English is a stupidly complex language so I am glad I am a native speaker of it, but German is very different. I do love it though! Thank you for all the tips! The R sound in German has definitely been my most difficult hurdle... Rechts however... I still struggle to pronounce that word LOL...

[@The_Vanished]

I'm really impressed with your knowledge of pronunciations in both languages

[@metalboy5150]

I could be wrong, but her word choices in some of her explanations make it fairly clear to me that she is either a linguist, or has aspirations in that direction. The was she talked about "time modes," the progressive mode, and the "present perfect progressive tense," not to mention talking about "devoicing" certain consonants, makes me think she is either a linguist, or is just very, very interested in linguistics, like me. It's a crazy fascinating field.

[@metalboy5150]

@@chogiblob816 German grammar is of about the same complexity as English (since English grammar is largely based on German grammar), except hat German has pronoun declension where English lost it centuries ago. Now, we can debate on whether or not English overtakes German in other areas, but whichever one is more complicated, it's not by much. That aside, we learn all the tenses in elementary/middle school, as well, but most people don't actually remember them unless they're actually interested in language/linguistics. As far as the "devoicing," if you actually go into pronunciation that specifically in primary school in Germany, well, I have to give you that. I'm sure the German education system is better than that of the US, but that, at least, has nothing to do with the relative complexity of our respective languages.

[@IkedaHakubi]

I studied German and Japanese at the same time college. My teacher said I spoke Japanese with a German accent. ;)

[@brianplum1825]

What accent did you have when you spoke German? Japanese?

[@birdandcatlover5597]

When I was mastering my hebrew guttural (same as ch in Bach), I was pronouncing all my english Ks with a raspy sound, a bit like Kaf Sofit in hebrew. I randomly roll my english Rs, because I know a bit of spanish (and have a native Spanish speaking friend). Trying to master german r...I can only do it during the alphabet, but not when saying a word or sentence!

[@eeveeta]

I did the same! German and Japanese! But I dropped Japanese after a while.

[@appleslover]

I'm an arabic native speaker living Turkey and learning German and japanses while using English

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

I apparently kind of sound french when I try to pronounce Russian. I'm German and never learned French in my life other than all the loan words we use in German, how did this even happen.

[@mvdeehan]

This is brilliant!

[@Christopher-xd5in]

I'm 3rd generation German descent Floridian. I grew up with my elders speaking German, I studied German in college. It's amazing how much German in the English language. On accents, in the South there's the twang accents and drawl accents. I'm enjoying your talks. Zehr Dank.

[@erhardpostinger1326]

"Zehr Dank"? Entweder "Vielen Dank" oder "(ich) danke sehr". Es gibt aber noch viele Varianten wie "herzlichen Dank", "danke schön" ... Man muss auch wissen, ob man das Substantiv "Dank" oder die Tätigkeit "danken" meint.

[@RadCenter]

I come from 10 generations of Pennsylvania Germans, and some of these pronunciation and sentence construction quirks still creep into my speech, even though I didn't grow up speaking the language. My grandparent's generation all referred to hair as "hairs." They also used a construction similar to the one you described where German speakers put "or" at the end of a question, except they used "not" instead ("She's rather tall for her age, not"?) Pennsylvania Germans also invert their sentence structure, so that we say things like "Throw me the car keys" instead of "Throw the car keys to me."

[@KristenRowenPliske]

“Throw me the car keys” sounds normal to me, though. (American English is my native language.) I wonder if that phrasing got used so much it became a normal thing here or if it depends on where in America you live. Curious.

[@FogFighterHD]

That „not“ at the end of a question is very interesting. Probably your ancestors come from a northern part of Germany. They often put a „nich“ at the end of a sentence to form it into a question. „nich“ is an abbreviation from „nicht“ (not) which is probably again an abbreviation from „nicht wahr?“ (not true?). So actually they do a statement and ask if it's true or not.

[@RadCenter]

@@FogFighterHD Most (but not all) Pennsylvania Germans are from the southwestern part of Germany, particularly the Rheinland-Pfaltz, and the Alsace-Lorraine part of France. Many migrated to Germany from Switzerland after the 30 Years War.

[@armoricain]

We do the same thing in French also by using "non" or "pas" at the end of a question.

[@inconnu4961]

I originate from your part of Pennsylvania( South central PA) and I am descended from Gingrichs. I was told our people came from an area know as the Palatinate in Germany( although it wasnt a unified Germany in those days. Pennsylvania german is definitely a low German variant, as i struggled mightily trying to use a German dictionary to read documents. Many grave yards have head stones entirely in German, especially in Lebanon county where i did the most of my searching.

[@swright1970]

I'm learning this for my D&D campaigns. It's handy to have a variety of accents to pull out in a pinch. And you've taught me a great deal. Also, you earned a subscriber. Thanks!

[@peterthiessen4573]

Me too!

[@BGMcWhirter]

Same, but for the Castle Falkenstein RPG.

[@thinknight23]

Absolutely the reason I'm here. XD

[@yourlocaltheatrekid900]

Same here! Learning it in a couple hours because our session time got moved up 😅

[@jordanthemisfit]

Same

[@faithfedor8033]

Thankyou sooooo much for this video, I am working with a student in a play who has to speak with a German accent, this has been so helpful.

[@dizdizzy8937]

Girl you are delightful! Love this video

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

As an american with a German grandma it's so insane to have this explained 🤯 she tried so hard to lose the accent and Feli just breaks it down to the microscopic level!

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

Also anybody reading this please reply with a way that I can speak with German people because I'm curious if my grandmother's accent cued me how to pronounce German properly

[@DackelPlay]

And Feli does the breakfown with such precision... Natürlich!

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

@@DackelPlay oh that's a hard one... nat-yuh-lich?

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

@@DackelPlay does German follow a rule like Spanish where most words emphasize the second to last syllable? Cuz that's what I tend to do with German pronunciation

[@SharpAssKnittingNeedles]

@@DackelPlay especially when there's an umlaut

[@thomaspc0]

Wow, your German accent at the very beginning intro was perfect. ;) Americans just tend to think of old WWII movies when they think of a German accent and you know how wrong those are.

[@bonkbonk3802]

DACH!!! HANS VAT ZE FUCK DIT YOU DO VIS ZE PANZER

[@Rubymagicalgirl88]

Listening to this for a character, the explanation of how certain sounds, sound is incredibly useful.

[@oldtimehockey7123]

That was pretty informative actually.

[@testtest5695]

Ouuhh, Ei cännott vait tu vatsch anoser gräit viedeo!

[@isabellam362]

Dit yu giv it a thumbs upp?

[@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708]

@@isabellam362 you mean a sump?

[@isabellam362]

@@alle_namen_schon_vergeben708 eksaktly

[@henningbartels6245]

* feetjo

[@linusfotograf]

wideo

[@BrianHartman]

I think a lot of people fall into a Schwarzenegger accent (even though he's Austrian, rather than German).

[@rookmaster7502]

His native tongue is still German... but with an Austrian accent.

[@DrGalazkiewicz]

“IZ NAHT A TOOMA!”

[@kendradinsmore8003]

FWIW, my native-German instructor said that Arnold still sounded odd to her when he was speaking German. Apparently he has a heavy regional accent, not just a standard Austrian accent.

[@Historylord15]

@@kendradinsmore8003 Yes

[@larsbonau4067]

@@kendradinsmore8003 As a German: He sounds a bit odd. I can't say which exact Austrian accent* it is he is speaking but he sounds exaggeratedly Austrian. Almost like how a German person would try to make fun of an Austrian person. *I don't even know how many, if any, different Austrian accents are there.

[@hugofindenigg3959]

Great Teaching! THANKS!

[@kalemjade5258]

thank you! i graduated from college with a theatre degree last year but i loved when we learned certain accents, but we only had time to learn a few in our voice class (we did standard American, standard English, and dublin). i love adding more to my acting repertoire

[@ktipuss]

In the hit TV series "The Crown", it's a pity that they got Queen Mary (the present Queen's grandmother) to speak with a posh English accent. Queen Mary actually spoke with a strong German accent (she was born Princess Mary of Teck; her father was Francis, Duke of Teck, a German nobleman, and her mother was three-quarters German).

[@macvena]

After WWI and to some degree WWII anything German fell out of fashion to the point where German immigrants changed their names or spelling, and stopped speaking German principally. I lived near German Town, Maryland as a kid and many elderly people had heavy German accents and still used or inserted German words into their speech.

[@InevitableTruthTeller]

All that matters is replacing historically White characters with Black actors. You know, because that makes so much sense.

[@madamecoeurdemontespan1712]

@@InevitableTruthTeller Sorry, aber was klingt denn hier durch? Auch im leisesten Fall von Diskriminierung haben wir null Toleranz. Kein Gruß, M.

[@InevitableTruthTeller]

@@madamecoeurdemontespan1712 So, we're talking about hypocrisy, a double standard.

[@madamecoeurdemontespan1712]

@@InevitableTruthTeller Sorry, but who talks of hypocrisy?

[@aragorn1780]

How I do a German accent: Take German for 10+ years, the accent comes with the territory over time XD

[@calico9046]

That’s pretty much my approach too. I see all these videos for “Learn German Fast!” & I’m like why? Slow & steady wins the race. I’ll build up experience speaking & writing it instead of trying to cram like my final exam is tomorrow

[@k-leb4671]

@@calico9046 Yeah you can't really learn a language fast. It takes years upon years for offspring to figure out just one language.

[@Roozyj]

Yeah, but if you are an actor and play a role with a German accent for example, you might not have 10 years to master the language before rehearsals start ;)

[@HowlingWolf518]

I dunno, the Russians took German territory for forty years and they still sound Russian. ;)

[@teddiemm2259]

I have one

[@robinfrenzy]

I'm living in a WILLAGE. I spent a year in Germany and that pronunciation always shocked me! I loved this video, I knew about a lot of these pronunciation differences but it's the first time I hear someone describe them so well.

[@cheesecreeper3306]

Vielen Dank, dass Sie darüber berichtet haben

[@minibar182]

Pro-Level would be „Tschörmen“ instead of „German“ 😅

[@kenzieduckmoo]

or just say Doitch.

[@Historylord15]

@@kenzieduckmoo *Deutsch

[@juniatamc]

Adwanct.

[@sonntagskindlein]

Same as "Murican"?

[@BritneyLaZonga]

Schlaaand

[@timberlunadeazul]

It's really impressive how little German accent comes through when you speak English, especially for only having lived here for a few years! 👍

[@maggnet4829]

Two things people in the US tend to not be aware of: Germans start learning English in school when they are around 7 years old. Nowadays often even earlier. English is a rather simple language to master.

[@abufrejoval]

@@maggnet4829 Learning English well enough to be understood seems easy. And a large part of that is the vast tolerance it's being accorded due to the variety of speakers. But that's precisely why it's so hard to 'master': too broad a fief for anyone to till but a small lot.

[@Oktaviii]

@@maggnet4829 English is easy to master but to get rid of the accent can be incredibly difficult. Your tongue just can’t do certain sounds correctly

[@chrishayes8197]

@@maggnet4829 the German-based syntax in English probably helps.

[@Brandon4Weiss]

I stumbled across this video/your channel for the first time today; I'm a 3rd Generation American whose family came from the Sinsheim/Niederwinden areas in Germany. I grew up mostly in Cincinnati - wasn't expecting to hear you say you live there!

[@shaunuvegrunenberg9392]

echt gutes video :D

[@maxwellheintz2391]

I’ve experienced the “I make” instead of “I do” thing firsthand when listening to Germans speak English. I hosted a German exchange student in High School who, when asked about his hobbies, said “I make discos.” I’m thinking “wait, you build the building where the club is housed? That can’t be right.” What he meant was that works as a DJ at parties and clubs, etc. on the weekends. The differences between the way speakers of different languages put information together is super interesting.

[@thereal_m_t]

that's why i'm interested in studying languages

[@peterstedman6140]

@@thereal_m_t It's so cool

[@thereal_m_t]

@@peterstedman6140 ikr

[@nightmaster5593]

I love that story! Can "I make discos!" become the new "I like turtles!" please?

[@maxwellheintz2391]

@@nightmaster5593 LOL! Why not?

[@keithcaserta]

Brilliant presentation. This should be mandatory for German students of English, and English students of German. Very well done.

[@allanrichardson9081]

I’m sure the classes held by the US government for embassy/consulate workers and spies dwell on these same points. After all, a Korean-American spy’s LIFE can depend on speaking Korean properly, in the NORTHERN dialect!

[@isaacchristie3627]

Thanks for help! I'm gonna book this audition!

[@CarstenMoreno]

Nice video! My maternal grandma is from Germany and didn't really learn English (except for a few small words) until she moved to America in her early 20s. Having said that, she usually says the word and like the German "und". However, if someone has a name like Andy (like the Andy Griffith Show), then she will pronounce the "And" part of Andy. Also, I'm from Chicago (suburbs, not city) and the German immigration around Chicago, Wisconsin, most of Michigan, and even in parts of Northern Ohio have the short a like you naturally have. This is called the Northern Cities vowel shift, which stretches from Upstate New York all the way to Minnesota. I'd love for you to do a video on it and talk about it!! Cheers!

[@anaisussy]

Me: is learning french KZbin: may I interest you in some german? 🕵‍♀

[@jessalynncarnes5489]

My Oma did every single extreme accent and grammar mistakes you mentioned regularly (except the V and W switch--she just did V for everything, W was not in her vocabulary)...and to think she learned Hebrew late in life and went to Jerusalem and taught English to Jews. If they only learned from her, they learned English with a German accent! =D She wrote her life biography in a book and passed it down to her children, and now my mom wants me to edit it to be understandable for all us English speakers. SO overwhelming, fixing all this German grammar! God will give me strength, I can DO this! :)

[@Jpeg13759]

Love that word "Oma" My Oma was a big part of my Life

[@ThePraQNome]

That's so cool. How did it go with fixing the grammar mistakes?

[@joepall323]

WOW, so much great information. You speak English very well, my compliments !

[@cassandraeder3349]

Ich musste so lachen 😂 das hast du echt gut erklärt 👍

[@jeffreyhamilton7061]

As a native English speaker I did not realize we have two L sounds. Neat.

[@gunkulator1]

There are two th sounds too. "This" is the voiced th while "thistle" is the non-voiced version. If you try saying only the first syllable of "thistle", you'll notice it is not the pronunciation of "this".

[@BETOETE]

the way you pronounce the vowels in german is the same in spanish, and the only difference would be the E that sometimes is pronounced as ee as in demon .

[@Pidalin]

@@gunkulator1 OMG, you should finally remove that crazy TH from English, just put D there and stop torturing people who are trying to learn English. :-D

[@SharkfightersSH]

@@Pidalin And the German language should finally apply a one-size-fits-all article. No more "Der/Die/Das", just "De"

[@holger_p]

@@SharkfightersSH Just do it. At least it is the least stupid solution. You change a language by speaking it in a new way. Just somebody has to start.

[@reginakeith8187]

I haven't heard anyone add 'or' to the end of their sentence but I remember all the old, German speaking quilting ladies that my grandma was friends with in Illinois would always end their statement/questions with 'No?' or, more commonly, "ain't so?" as in, seeing me walk into the room with wet hair on a hot summer afternoon, "You been swimming today, ain't so?" Now that they're all gone, I never hear anyone speak like that anymore.

[@LA-MJ]

Having learned German for a few years now, this is one of the ways it started affecting my (likewise non-native) English

[@aquilon8100]

In German there are many variation to that word. Instead of "oder" many people say "nicht" or "nicht wahr" (literally "not" or "isn't that true") which probably is why they said that. Other words are "nich", "ne", "no" (pronounced like "nau"), "gell", "gä", "woll", "wa" ...

[@proeuropa1783]

I'm pretty much near native in English nowadays, but when I'm very drunk or tired I will do the "or" thing for sure. Because adding "oder" is incredibly common in German. "No" is also a good one, but I guess that depends on where you specifically come from in Germany. But I don't really struggle with any pronunciation at all, but when it comes to grammar it does deteriorate after a long day for sure. Then again, sometimes I refuse, because the German way does make way more sense to me and I know the other person will understand me regardless. So, adding "or" is in my mind a hallmark of German grammer mistakes in English for sure. At least for me.

[@californiahiker9616]

When I was growing up in Germany “Oder” was used a lot. As in “Du gehst doch, oder?” (You’re going, aren’t you?) I took that as being “short speak” for “Du gehst doch, oder nicht? “ as “Du gehst doch, oder?” isn’t a fully formed sentence.

[@petereggers7603]

@@aquilon8100 And don't forget that for the most part german students are taught british english... so the typical brit. "...isn't it?" is very close to these forms used in german as well.

[@fraac]

this is amazing

[@MeinNameIstHase9]

I'm German and normally "allergic" against pretty extrem German accent, while speaking English. But I love the way you present/pronounce it here! It made my day!! 😂👍🏻

[@lenatraceroxton1363]

You're not "allergic against", you're "allergic to" :)

[@victord8175]

@@lenatraceroxton1363 Nice of you to point out the translational difference.. that reminds me of when Feli says "he's not a native speaker."

[@Schlafbaer007]

Amazing how fast you can switch between correct pronunciation and German accent! As a German I can confirm, what you said is absolutely true. Doing it all day long in office, haha! Really funny video!

[@joellongfellow3574]

Many years ago, I acted in a show called Hello Dolly! My character's name was Rudolph Reisenweber. I purposely used all the hard sounds you spoke of, during my scenes. I met a fellow a few years later, who thought my accent was so authentic, he thought I was a native German. Anyway, keep up the fantastic content. Tschüss!

[@hxr0x]

Make a video in which you pronounce your name with a German accent ;-)

[@peterhutwelker5002]

Awesome, thank you so much ❤

[@maartenbos8346]

My native language is Dutch. After 50 years of living in the US and teaching German for 25 years in the US public school system, I am jealous of your command of the English language. My German and English still leave a lot left to be desired. Last week I returned from a 5-week vacation in Germany and the Netherlands. I found myself watching your channel in Germany. Yes, I speak German but nowhere near as fluent as you. Congratulations, these videos are superb.

[@cheersnofears]

Ihre Bescheidenheit spricht Bände. Ihre Schüler können sich glücklich schätzen, einen Lehrer wie Sie zu haben.

[@Gartenlust]

She is from Germany and a native speaker. 😉

[@BI5HOP]

When orderng at a sandwich store in the US, my father once said: "... And can I please have some of that Mais?!" "Mais" meaning "Corn" in german. The man behind the counter surely heard "Mice" and had the most confused look on his face.

[@EagleScoutmano]

Maize is also an English word, albeit an extraordinarily uncommon one in most circumstances (used pretty much exclusively to differentiate 'Corn' of the 'on the cob' type from 'corn' of the 'grains of all types' type).

[@Cloud-kf2dp]

@@EagleScoutmano yeah in SPanIsH it’s pronounced quite differently; that distinction is also in Spanish with “maíz” meaning corn in general, while “elote” typically refers to a cob 🙃 languages are amazing lol

[@hughn1]

@@Cloud-kf2dp Elote is probably Mexican "cob". Otherwise it's "mazorca".

[@sachadee.6104]

@@EagleScoutmano the English pronunciation of maize (corn) is different than the German/Dutch/French way, which actually sounds like MICE. ;-)

[@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music]

"Sir, the mice are not for sale!"

[@3.k]

It would be cool if some American actors would be able to improve their German accent skills by watching this video, and if we could enjoy the results in future movies. 😃👍

[@alestev24]

It would be even cooler, if American and British film producers decided to let Germans and Russians and Japanese characters speak their own language (with subtitles), when they only speak among themselves instead of having them speak English with ridiculous accents. The worst example of this strange phenomenon was a British documentary (!) I saw a while ago. A French woman was interviewed in French and overdubbed by somebody speaking English with a thick French accent.

[@3.k]

@@alestev24 You are so right! We all know were all waiting for Feli’s Hollywood career anyway. ^^

[@colder5465]

I got a really huuuuuuuge fun listening to this video! By the way, it's always great pleasure listening to a German speaking good English because they soeak it very clearly as a rule. Und das macht wrklich Spaß! Thanks, Feli! Always a pleasure listening to you!

[@mr.b1130]

Your description of the 'w' had me howling.

[@christopherdale1745]

You'd be an asset in Hollywood working with actors.

[@darthzayexeet3653]

Just do it like Arnold Schwarzenegger. His accent is literally perfect

[@kp__truckin]

“Get to za choppa” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣not quite 🤪🤪🤪

[@ninasmithers1016]

His accent is actually Austrian.

[@armoricain]

Even when he speaks German, he has an accent! EVEN in his native Austria! The poor guy can't win! 😂

[@nicholasmolitor178]

i think thats what gets people wrong though, is when they think of a german accent they think of arnold schwartzenegger. I know that different areas in germany the dialects vary. My cousin who native to Bonn Germany has a slightly different dialect than Felicia who's from munich does.

[@Rescue162]

Most Americans don't know the difference between Austrian and German accents "Awl be bock!"

[@the_nicolas_cage_pillow5807]

i have to learn a german accent for a play i’m doing next month so this is insanely helpful thank you so much!!

[@SteveBuy]

A really delightful video. How can you be so smart and perceptive? Thanks.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

The thing I like about German is that everything must exactly so be.

[@sebastiant4597]

WELL I, who really feast on the joys an pleasures of German grammar - and authors like Mann or Kafka, which really have bean great verbal acrobats - DON'T, please not to be taken offensive, I do respect your independence and freedom of opinion, THINK, or at least sense, SO. 🤣🤣🤣

[@DrCruel]

Ah. These must be examples of that famous German humor.

[@janalmwert2372]

@@DrCruel Yours ain't better

[@DrCruel]

@@janalmwert2372 Are you kidding? How can you possibly top "OW MY BALLS?"

[@MatthewMcVeagh]

The thing, that I about German like, is that everything exactly so be must.

[@fryloc359]

8:56 Dad joke time: Kid: "Did you get a haircut?" Me: "Yes, I got all of them cut."

[@alansheedy3956]

Incorrect, Grampa. It's " no, I got them all cut ". Don't quit your day job.

[@ninjireal]

@@alansheedy3956 it’s grandpa

[@MrGettinlate]

I usually specify that I got all of them cut; but only on one end. :)

[@stevenseufert2520]

I reply with "Yes, and I got the other ones cut, too."

[@soursnoball1497]

@@alansheedy3956 it's "grandpa"

[@Jiian]

I never planned on subscribing, but this video made it happen. I know this video is old and whatever, but this was well done even 2 years ago. Feli, you have done and still do good work.

[@ShirazPenangwala]

Wow! Thanks Feli! U r awesome!❤

[@mattesneumann4500]

Mein größter Flex ist, dass ich das kann, ohne jemals dafür geübt zu haben😏😂

[@FelifromGermany]

😂

[@vladirackpubama6785]

Same

[@SoulAcid1]

Zuhören reicht meistens :D

[@alfredstember5573]

Ich kann das sogar mit sächsischem Akzent😉😉

[@tuhmater2985]

I like that you guys use Flex in German

[@TeaquestSagas]

As a german myself I can 100% back this video.

[@JCtheMusicMan_]

Excellent lesson! I am an American who has learned many languages and I never realized or understood the meaning of diphthong until now! Your explanation makes sense 😅

[@MalvinaDeClares]

I'm doing skits on TikTok and wanted to be as respectful as possible and going to the best source. This has literally helped me SO MUCH

[@caricaro_]

Als Linguist kann ich sagen: sehr gut dargestellt und erklärt🥳 und wie immer ein wirklich unterhaltsames Video. Danke🙌

[@Poltergeist.Apollo]

yup yup

[@Valnotersc]

"We don't have a progressive form in German" Actually, we do. Just not everywhere and not in High German. The German Verlaufsform is built and used nearly exactly the same way as in English. I am reading (right now) = Ich bin (gerade) am Lesen.

[@Siures]

Well, I would say "isch", but in general, you`re right.

[@just_jana9959]

Yeah we do that a lot where I live

[@rhalleballe]

Thats the so called "Rheinische Verlaufsform" (Google!).

[@karlmuller4764]

Technically you could use the participle for a progressive form in German. "I am reading" would become "Ich bin lesend".

[@GeFlixes]

"Ist in der Mache, Chef!"

[@MADHIKER777]

As an American, I am amazed by your command of the American accent when speaking English. If I met you on the street, I assume you are native American. Plus, your technical knowledge of the English language is far better than mine and probably 90% of Americans. I would love to learn German, even though I'm old, because I love visiting Bravaria and Austria, including South Tyrol, which I consider Austria.

[@manuelrentz4728]

Es gibt auch eine deutsche Tirol Seite 😅

[@MrSepoy1857]

I liebe dis wideo. Thanks. It is informative and entertaining.