One of the coolest parts of being on vacay was listening to everyone speak German. I began noticing all the English/German cognates – words that sound similar in both languages. For example, the English words “end” and “market” correspond with the German words “ende” and “markt.” Neat, huh?
I ran into a little bit of a problem when I jumped to conclusions, though. For example, when people kept asking me, “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” I incorrectly thought people were asking me if I spoke Dutch.
“WTF? Why does everyone keep asking me if I speak Dutch? Do I look Dutch? Is it my shoes?”
This was a question I should have kept to myself. People who aren’t complete morons will recognize that “Deutsch” translates to “German” in English, not “Dutch.”
However, I think it will be helpful for everyone if I point out that the German word for “bike” is “rad.”
That one is easy to remember.
NOTE: someone is probably going to argue that “rad” more correctly translates as “wheel,” not “bike.” Quit ruining my fun. Go find somebody else’s bubble to burst.