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top 200 commentsshow all 207

[–]gurkensaft 166 points167 points ago

What about Fantasie?

[–]Freyniku 123 points124 points ago

German has Fantasie, Imagination and Vorstellungskraft :)

[–]Duis_ 61 points62 points ago

There's also "Einbildungsvermögen", "Vorstellungsvermögen"

[–]co2gamer 97 points98 points ago

Einfallsreichtum, Erfindungsgabe, Ideenreichtum, Kreativität, Originalität, Schöpferkraft, Vorstellungsvermögen, Einbildungsvermögen, Imagination, Vorstellungskraft, Ingeniosität, Fantasie, Anschauungsvermögen, Eingebung, Erfindungsgabe, Inspiration, Einbildungskraft ... There is a shit lot of words

[–]Quasid 7 points8 points ago

and a majority of them are just as overpowering as Vorstellungskraft

[–]LukaCola 20 points21 points ago

It only comes across this way because you're not a native speaker.

German can be as musical a language as any other. But everyone always wants to emulate the angry German so they only know it one way.

[–]Experts-say 5 points6 points ago

"The angry german" ...

Now I know what I am enacting everytime someone says "Can you say something in german???"

"WAS DENN??? WAS ZUM TEUFEL SOLL ICH SAGEN??!"

[–]AidanReddit -1 points0 points ago

Dude, that just sounds like you're hard of hearing... .__.

Sent from Reditr

[–]orthag 1 point2 points ago

German uses a lot more k and g sounds, which sound angry.

[–]optimusxrae 1 point2 points ago

I am german. I can vouch for it.

But I'm also an angry german.

[–]UnreachablePaul -3 points-2 points ago

But not in the oven

[–]x-skeww 6 points7 points ago

Not really. Most are compound words. It's like "insofar" is actually just "in" + "so" + "far". If you know those words it's pretty easy to see. Furthermore, those words are actually very descriptive. E.g. "Vorstellungskraft" basically means "the power/ability (Kraft) to imagine things (sich etwas vorstellen)".

Things like that make German somewhat long-winded, but also very precise and unambiguous.

[–]vincent118 0 points1 point ago

Precise and unambiguous. German...sounds about right.

[–]Poofster 0 points1 point ago

"Anschauungsvermögen?" Never heard that before! Wouldn't that be something along the lines of ... the desire to watch?

[–]mitharas 3 points4 points ago

Vermögen in this case should be translated as the capacity to do something.
What you probably meant was Verlangen, which means desire.

Anschaungsvermögen could be translated as the ability to view something from a certain (artificial) viewpoint. I am not 100% sure how to best translate it though, maybe someone can do better.

[–]mitharas 2 points3 points ago

Someone used the thesaurus :)

[–]thatgy 0 points1 point ago

And Einbildung!

[–]cuspeve 41 points42 points ago

Spongebob even says 'Fantasie' in the german episode

[–]MobiusF117 6 points7 points ago

"Verbeelding" would be a better translation, i think. If you were going for Dutch anyway.

[–]Below-Sealevel 12 points13 points ago

Apparently Fantasie is a german word too. And I would translate imagination to 'voorstellingsvermogen'... No wonder people often don't hear the difference between Dutch and German.

[–]MobiusF117 5 points6 points ago

I think "voorstellingskracht" is a bit to much to translate "imagination". Same can be said for "Vorstellungskraft", as stated below. It is a literal translation of "voorstellingskracht" too.

[–]Below-Sealevel 4 points5 points ago

Yeah, that's true. Though I still don't know what Dutch word would exactly translate imagination. Fantasie would be fantasy. As you said, 'voorstellingsvermogen' would be to much. But 'verbeelding' would be something slightly different than imagination...

[–]scary_fish 5 points6 points ago

I think 'fantasie' is pretty much the Dutch translation of 'imagination' as well, we use it in a double meaning.

[–]Experts-say 0 points1 point ago

But imagination and fantasy usually differ in that fantasy has the connotation of being beyond realism, whereas imagination makes use of realistic means, no?

[–]IzzGuildmage 1 point2 points ago

Imagination = 'verbeelding'.

[–]sorry_WHAT 0 points1 point ago

I would use 'inbeeldingsvermogen'

[–]DarkStar5758 0 points1 point ago

Depends on where they are from. The farther north, the closer they get.

[–]InTheFury 1 point2 points ago

Vorstellungsvermögen would be the same word in German as the word in dutch, just written differently.

[–]ROELtja 1 point2 points ago

The actual dutch dubbed version of spongebob used fantasie though.

[–]Apecist -4 points-3 points ago

Funny, Dutch people generally don't like Germans.

[–]CMETRIQ0 -2 points-1 points ago

Same way Canadians don't like USA. It's not that serious.

[–]misho88 0 points1 point ago

Whoever made this failed to do enough research to spell all three English words correctly. Expecting them to look up synonyms of "Vorstellungskraft" may be a bit much.

[–]Experts-say 0 points1 point ago

Get used to it... Google translates dictates our language now...

[–]notyetusedname 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, even in the german version of that spongebob episode he says "Fantasie"

[–]DisturbedDizzy 98 points99 points ago

Well..actually...we have a word for it: Fantasie.

[–]cookehlicious 9 points10 points ago

Exactly what I thought when I saw that.

[–]Dracomantis 3 points4 points ago

Am I the only person on Reddit who can't speak German?

[–]Swissmilkhotel 2 points3 points ago

Ja.

[–]Dracomantis 0 points1 point ago

Auch ficken!!

I'd like to thank Google translate.

[–]piss_in_a_bottle 0 points1 point ago

yes.

[–]Pianopatte 1 point2 points ago

si

[–]fushi-tarazu 0 points1 point ago

Ja.

[–]whitewateractual 1 point2 points ago

Hey, you there. Stop. You're not being excessively funny. Calm the fuck down.

[–]RX_AssocResp 0 points1 point ago

Phantasie.

And Delphin, for that matter.

[–]tittyfister69 2 points3 points ago

I don't know what it is, maybe it's the voice, but that shit was fucking hilarious.

[–]mnemonic945 2 points3 points ago

yeah, the german voice of spongebob is amazing..
fun fact: vegeta has the same voice in the first episodes of german dragonball z which makes him just hilarious

[–]t55 0 points1 point ago

It's also the voice of Steve Urkel from Family Matters

[–]NyxsnOMFG 15 points16 points ago

it would be " fantasie" in german ... jesus christ people do some research

[–]sorry_WHAT -1 points0 points ago

Vorstellungskraft is fine too.

[–]fushi-tarazu 0 points1 point ago

You spelled that wrong, it's

!!!VORRSTELLUNGSKRRRAFT!!! òÓ

[–]sorry_WHAT 0 points1 point ago

I can't for the life of me imagine how vorstellungskraft could sound threatening or angry. Maybe if you pronounce it with an American accent...

[–]fushi-tarazu 0 points1 point ago

You just gotta "roll" the "Rs".. instant-hitler

[–]sorry_WHAT 0 points1 point ago

That just makes it sound like something the German counterpart to Blackadder would say...

[–]fushi-tarazu 0 points1 point ago

Then raise your voice and put an angry face on, while you jump out your seat. jeez you are making this way too complicated.

[–]shark_claws 13 points14 points ago

Thanks for the rage faces. I didn't know when to laugh.

[–]They_Know 28 points29 points ago

Oh, you put the punch line in the title.

[–]waynehell 42 points43 points ago

i'm really upset about the depiction of the german language in american television. i get, that we sound a bit rough to your ears, that's mostly because of the usage of other syllable, like the "ch...", "kr..." and "tr...", but the way that supposedly german crops up in shows like "how i met yout mother", "breaking bad" and "conan o'brien" is just wrong. it's exaggerated to be funny and frightening for your ears and i don't think that's a good thing.

boring German signing out.

[–]highcaffeinecode 14 points15 points ago

While snowboarding in Austria, the lodge we stayed in had no English channels. Watching Spongebob in German is one of the funniest things I can remember from that trip.

That, and sticking a penis sticker on the back of my friends helmet, which he wore for 2 days without noticing...

[–]slash196 6 points7 points ago

I think it's the length that's the most intimidating. Before I learned German even the most elementary kompositum looked like a giant pile of fuck. After I learned German, though, everything makes perfect sense. It's really a beautiful language once you get a few of the tricks.

[–]awe300 13 points14 points ago

I think it's the length that's the most intimidating.

I hear that often

[–]slash196 3 points4 points ago

rimshot

[–]DUKEOFEVERYTHING 0 points1 point ago

That, and sticking a penis sticker on the back of my friends helmet, which he wore for 2 days without noticing...

I think it's the length that's the most intimidating. Before I learned German...

I thought it was a response to the penis sticker at first.

[–]fforw 9 points10 points ago

That's just a common Kombinationswortlängenpanikreaktion.

[–]skiron 2 points3 points ago

>> A panic reaction regarding the length of compound words.

[–]mitharas 0 points1 point ago

Well, our translated version of Song of Ice and Fire is split into two books per original book, supposedly because it was becoming too long...

[–]inormallyjustlurkbut 3 points4 points ago

What's funny is that English itself is a Germanic language. Many of the examples people use just cherry pick words from German that sound harsh, even though there may be synonyms that are cognates with English.

[–]duty_of_brilliancy 7 points8 points ago

I completely agree with your post.

Clips like this one make the show and the actress look so damn stupid.

Don't get me wrong:

Sarah Chalke is a great actress.

Conan is hilarious.

Maybe she was acting at Conan as well, whatever, I don't care.Wayne interessiert's.

Or the recent character 'Klaus' at HIMYM. Damn, that's bad. All these 'Germans' they depict are so not funny. Seriously... do people like that? Is the concept of the blabbering German with the strange accent still funny enough in recent comedy?

[–]DrMonocle 4 points5 points ago

I believe that, unfortunately, the American stereotype of German being an aggressive-sounding language is left over from World War II.

[–]funkbitch 0 points1 point ago

I picture Germans are all like the one in IT Crowd: cannibals.

[–]UnreachablePaul -1 points0 points ago

Well, you have earned it.

[–]GreedDisaster 0 points1 point ago

In german television on the other hand an american accent is often used to depict a very simple-minded and arrogant person.

You know, every story has two different sides. Every guy from texas in dubbed movies or even cartoons for instance speaks german with an american accent. It actually sounds pretty hilarious. Well.... I guess we don't really have a fitting equivalent for rednecks.

[–]I_PACE_RATS 0 points1 point ago

Bavarians.

[–]CassandraVindicated 0 points1 point ago

If you would like to counter that, I suggest that you provide video evidence of a woman speaking something naughty in German that doesn't sound more dangerous than fun.

Even the interrogation scene in The Thomas Crown Affair by Rene Russo, while sexy, makes my man parts turtle up.

[–]maz-o -2 points-1 points ago

conan o'brien

STACKEN BLACKEN

[–]B_E 8 points9 points ago

We actually do have "Imagination" in german. One just pronounces it weirdly: "Im-mah-gee-nah-teon".

[–]Ubaralook -1 points0 points ago

Imagi-naaaaAAAAAAaaaaAAAaaaaAaaa-tion! Iiiiiimagin-aaaaaaaaaaaaaa-tion!

[–]Shamwow22 -1 points0 points ago

Jorr-eee-arrrbbb

[–]ExAmerican 21 points22 points ago

TIL other languages have different words for things.

[–]Damnyoureyes 7 points8 points ago

That's literally "Idea Power." or "Idea Force". Nothing wrong with that from my angle.

[–]laluna130 4 points5 points ago

ANTIBABYPILLE!

[–]shutupandsitdown 2 points3 points ago

this straight up proves the bluntness of german culture. Probably, my favorite german word...

[–]CassandraVindicated 0 points1 point ago

I missed the second 'l' and thought it read anti-babypile and that also made sense to me.

[–]Moonhowler22 8 points9 points ago

Look up "Pineapple" in most languages. Then remember that English says "Pineapple."

[–]bsglassey 3 points4 points ago

[–]shizzler 0 points1 point ago

and the interesting thing is that Pineapple in French is Ananas, but the literal translation of pineapple (as in the apple of the pine) is pomme de pin, which actually means pine corn.

[–]CassandraVindicated 0 points1 point ago

We'd fuck that up and confuse them for bananas. Pineapple and ham pizza is popular in the US. Every night hundreds of households across America would accidentally have banana and ham on them. People would start to think it was a 'thing' and before you know it, douchebags would be ordering peanut butter and banana pizza. Soon, half the pizza in America would have banana on it.

[–]TrueGrey 1 point2 points ago

Lazy. How do you say pineapple in most languages?

[–]Joe-ologist 4 points5 points ago

Ananas

[–]0six0four 0 points1 point ago

Pinas

[–]ecg96 4 points5 points ago

[–]TrueGrey 7 points8 points ago

Repost + Unnecessary Spongebob = Sadness

[–]Roalviro 15 points16 points ago

There shouldn't be two flags for English.

[–]fastdub 12 points13 points ago

"hey we speak the same language too. put my flag on there"*

*every other English fucking speaking country

[–]hamprecht 0 points1 point ago

Insert commonwealth

[–]djordj1 0 points1 point ago

It could be that they wanted to point out it's spelled the same in both written standards, as opposed to words like <center/centre> and <color/colour>.

[–]I_PACE_RATS 0 points1 point ago

American English and British English just have too many differences in spelling, word usage, and occasionally punctuation (the Oxford Comma comes to mind). The two different flags for English make sense to me. Think of it as a sign of respect for the span of English.

[–]dunstbin 3 points4 points ago

Wunderbar!

[–]Beredo 3 points4 points ago

Phantastisch!

[–]stackbab 3 points4 points ago

Großartig!

[–]DeutschLeerer 2 points3 points ago

KLASSE!

[–]Apecist 3 points4 points ago

geil, Alter!

[–]Idontevenwat 2 points3 points ago

Toll ;)

[–]fforw 2 points3 points ago

Erste Sahne!

[–]Borsigplatz 3 points4 points ago

Vom Feinsten!

[–]fforw 0 points1 point ago

Das top-knallgelbe vom Super-Ei!

[–]BlueberrySympathizer 1 point2 points ago

Wahnsinn!

[–]Parnass 2 points3 points ago

Dufte!

[–]okeren 1 point2 points ago

ermahgerd, versterlerngskrft

[–]fpoesc 2 points3 points ago

The other languages just all lack imagination...

[–]DatBanana1 13 points14 points ago

or VORSTELLUNGSKRAFT!!!!

[–]findergrrr 0 points1 point ago

oh banana, you're funny.

[–]joebloggs117 2 points3 points ago

Oh we're American and don't understand your language? it must be angry!fucking yanks

[–]BatTitties 3 points4 points ago

Oh god, not this again please!

[–]smartphone-redditor 3 points4 points ago

Is this from 9gag? Holy shit..

[–]Stone2Rock 2 points3 points ago

Hey, look. It's a dead horse.

[–]basic_channel 2 points3 points ago

why did you put the u.s flag next to the english language....

[–]Phwooar 1 point2 points ago

That's an awkward looking forward slash.

[–]horroricane 0 points1 point ago

watch out for all those differencies

[–]Hvati -1 points0 points ago

The Icelandic translation is Ímyndunarafl.

[–]TrueMilli -1 points0 points ago

[–]Peachfuzz207 0 points1 point ago

What about sign language?

[–]liveryowl -1 points0 points ago

Klingon is a language for pussies - Germans.

[–]nowazkhan 0 points1 point ago

In Pashto imagination is Surpalau, meaning, basically, rice-brain.

[–]Verburner 1 point2 points ago

He says "Fantasie" in the german version of the show.

[–]AustrianReaper 1 point2 points ago

"Fantasie"

These jokes aren't funny to begin with, when you're not even trying to get the right word they're just downright terrible.

[–]fforw 0 points1 point ago

Vorstellungskraft is closer to "power of imagination".

[–]Asophis 1 point2 points ago

Not near enough rage faces.

[–]HankSpank 0 points1 point ago

Without them I don't know when to laugh.

[–]Chachoregard -1 points0 points ago

SCHMETTERLING!

[–]LikeGoldAndFaceted 1 point2 points ago

Every one of those languages except german is a latin based language, with English being a mix of germanic and latin. German is germanic, thus, different sounding words.

[–]blue_strat 0 points1 point ago

If you're ever around Köln, go to Phantasialand!

[–]Rarehero 1 point2 points ago

Relevant: A lovesong in ~85 languagages - including various dialects (and "Shakespare-English"), dead languages and languages like Sindarin or Klingon. You can switch to English and choose the language you want to hear.

It's by a German cabaret artist by the way, and here's one of his performances held in English, including the Klingon verse (at 9:15).

[–]TerryArchi 1 point2 points ago

Fantasy sounds nothing like imagination.

[–]7i2i4n 0 points1 point ago

Since when does reddit have 9gag posts....

[–]Turkeyplatter 0 points1 point ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTn7xtVsE6U a testament to how beautiful a word can be.

[–]Creativation 0 points1 point ago

Or the opposite, the French word for 'trash' is poubelle.

[–]axehomeless 0 points1 point ago

reading the comments as a german, Holy shit we have a lot of words I didnt know about!

[–]Verloc 0 points1 point ago

I lament that the English language has to be shared between the Union Flag and the Stars and Stripes.

[–]Gambiar 0 points1 point ago

I love how the insecure Americans need to have their flag shown too.

[–]peacelise 0 points1 point ago

I don't care if there are other words for it. This is damn funny.

[–]harry_dean_stanton 0 points1 point ago

it looks like the german rage face is giving a sieg heil.

[–]tstinson29[S] 0 points1 point ago

This was at 14 and moving up /r/funny "HOT" and then it was quickly removed from the page entirely. Why?

[–]jaws918 0 points1 point ago

I can't help but think that this would have been better if you had followed the rules and not put the freaking punchline in the freaking title.

[–]bumblebeesscareme -2 points-1 points ago

Vor-stell-ungs-kraft. Im-ag-in-a-tion.

It's actually a shorter word to pronounce, assuming I'm reading it correctly.

[–]Tryler -3 points-2 points ago

American isnt a language....

[–]bigsol81 0 points1 point ago

Nobody said it was.

[–]JackalKing -5 points-4 points ago

I love German. No matter what you say you sound like you are either some kind of high-class movie villain or really angry. Sometimes both at the same time!

[–]Kasheido 4 points5 points ago

You do not even know what it sounds like spoken by a native speaker do you?

[–]Dr_Wreck -2 points-1 points ago

I'm going out on a limb here and saying that this word is something like: "Void" "Craft"

Something like, craft of the void.... I am probably way off.

[–]hamprecht 1 point2 points ago

indeed

[–]Furydwarf -3 points-2 points ago

Must of been awkward for people watching German dubbed Spongebob

[–]StopYouAnimal -2 points-1 points ago

Now I want to see some German memes..

[–]ajikeshi 3 points4 points ago

like this?

or this?

[–]TheADHDPenguin -5 points-4 points ago

Sorry, but where is Canada?

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]if-loop 3 points4 points ago

"ch" is not an aggressive/hard sound in this context.

[–]j0z 0 points1 point ago

I'm curious about this, I'm currently taking German class in college, and have heard ich pronounced as "ish" and "ick" (approximately). Is there a regional variation in the pronunciation, and/or which is the "correct" way to say it?

[–]nitwittery 1 point2 points ago

Neither. "Ick" or "Ish" are used by people who cannot pronounce the actual sound (which I have no idea how to articulate by typing it out). It's like a very soft K sound (its produced in the same part of the mouth), sort of between the two.

[–]fforw 0 points1 point ago

If it's anything like a "k", you're doing it wrong. The air never stops flowing, it's like a "sh" sound where you put your tongue closer to the roof of your mouth for a more closed sound.

[–]Parnass 0 points1 point ago

it's an aspirated k sound, just very heavily aspirated and soft. try it for yourself, if you pronounce a ch and slowly close the flow off you are almost in the same position with your tongue as with a k.

[–]Parnass 0 points1 point ago

it's an aspirated k sound, just very heavily aspirated and soft. try it for yourself, if you pronounce a ch and slowly close the flow off you are almost in the same position with your tongue as with a k.

[–]fforw 0 points1 point ago

Yeah.. ch is close to "k", but the constant air flow is exactly the difference between "k" and "ch". So in that regard it's totally different.

[–]SimQ 1 point2 points ago

Those two are regional pronunciations, the first "isch" is mostly used by young people trying to be cool or people from easter Germany. The second "ick" is used in Berlin and some other parts of Germany. The "correct" (Hochdeutsch) way is plain "ich". The ch is roughly the sound produced when the back of your tongue touches the back of your pallate and you exhale softly. It should sound a bit like a soft hissing. Not forceful!
"Ich liebe dich" actually sounds very smooth and sweet when you don't scream it like so many people putting on German accents for fun will.

[–]if-loop 0 points1 point ago

Neither is correct, but "ish" is a better approximation in my opinion. It is also used in several dialects throughout Germany.

"Ick" is only used in and close to Berlin and also the cliché American pronunciation, though.

You can listen to the correct pronunciation here (speaker icon): http://www.dict.cc/?s=ich You should be able to hear a dialect-related "sh" in two of the five pronunciation samples.

I don't know how hard it is to learn the two "funny" (of at least three) pronunciations of "ch" for an English speaker, but I recommend using "sh" for "ich" (and similar words).

[–]Idontevenwat 1 point2 points ago

I'm pretty sure ick is closer to correct, but really the word is ich -- when you hear a German say it, you can tell there's an h in it, if that makes sense heh. This summer I stayed in Germany for three weeks, and whenever I heard it it was somewhat like "Ickh" ahaha. Hope that helps!

[–]thequux 0 points1 point ago

Depends, actually. In post-HGCS areas, then yes, the 'ch' is a voiceless palatal fricative (/ç/). As you get towards the Netherlands or Luxembourg, it becomes a voiceless velar fricative (/x/), which is a much harder sound.

(For non-linguists, or if I got the terminology wrong, /ç/ is somewhere between the English 's' and 'sh', and /x/ is like the English 'k', but without stopping air flow)

[–]if-loop 0 points1 point ago

As you get towards ... it becomes a ...

Could you elaborate on that?

The pronunciation of "ich" and "dich" shouldn't depend on the region (excluding dialects). That's what I meant with context.

[–]SH36 2 points3 points ago

If you type stuff like this it does always look bad. One may also scream 'I LOVE YOU :@' or say a gentle 'Ich liebe dich :)' Just like couples do in germany