I am learning German ready for a trip to German speaking Switzerland next year. Their accent is different from German speaking Germany and Austria, but I hope to understand German speaking tourists in my group and to read signs. I should be able to understand local people speaking Swiss German by asking them to speak slowly, or by using my mobile phone to help out. Goodness, that's a modern change in the English language. When I was a child you helped. Nowadays you help out. What is the difference?
Never mind that. I must stick to the subject of how I am learning German effortlessly.
Every morning I take a pill. Thyroxine. I have to wait half an hour before eating breakfast. As a distraction, so that I am not tempted to shorten the time, I do a couple of Duolingo lessons in German. That reinforces what I have already learned, and keeps me either ahead or on par with others in my league who are getting points in the games of being paired, or competing in the 30 person weekly contest.
By the time I eat breakfast, I have already ticked one item off my to do list and feel in charge of my day. Duolingo done. And I have taken my pill at the right time. Two wins. Breakfast, number three.
How about some words for what I have done? Start translating my everyday thoughts. I shall type out my thoughts and translate them using Google translate. You can do the same. Next time I shall translate my blog into German. After reading it in English, you can read the translation and see how many words are the same.
I shall make a list of my thoughts, and conversations first thing in the morning. I shall translate them at odd moments through the day.
German
LEARNING GERMAN - ENGLISH THOUGHTS TO TRANLATE
I am learning German.
I am winning.
I am doing well.
You are winning.
You are doing well.
This is what I do.
Please speak slower.
I can help you.
Let's call it a day
German translation of everyday thoughts
Ich lerne Deutsch.
Ich bin auf der Gewinnerstraße.
Ich mache mich gut.
Du bist auf der Gewinnerstraße.
Du machst dich gut.
Das ist es, was ich tue.
Bitte sprich langsamer.
Ich kann dir helfen (My memory aid is, 'I can help you, dear')
für heute Schluss machen
However, Duolingo translates 'Were you able to call it a day, then,' as
Konntet ihr (can you plural) dann (then) Fierabend machen.
(I shall have difficulty saying this but might recognize it if somebody says it. I can now put the two phrases into AI and ask it to explain the difference. You could also ask QUORA, but I used QUORA a lot and then they started asking me for money, so I stopped. Maybe after a hiatus the system will let me join for free, or let me search for previous answers to similar questions.)
BREAKFAST
Have you had breakfast?
What time is breakfast?
I have had breakfast.
TO DO LIST
You can do the same.
I have a lot to do today.
I have started.
I have finished.
I have already started.
I have already done it.
THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES
What next?
Where shall we go?
What shall we do, today?
Have you any suggestions?
What are your thoughts?
EATING OUT
Let's go out.
Let's have lunch in a restaurant.
Can you suggest a restaurant?
Any preference?
That sounds good.
Tell them one o'clock.
I have already booked it.
GROUPS
Who else is going?
I don't know.
I don't have a list.
I have a list.
How do you know?
They told me.
Our friends.
Nobody we know.
Nobody you know.
Nobody I know.
I like meeting new poeple.
ALLERGIES
I am allergic to shellfish.
I forgot to tell them.
I'll tell them.
I'll phone them.
Thanks.
Looking forward to it.
See you later.
Goodbye.
-ends-
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