Ever since I was a small child, probably my earliest memory being either at age 2 or 3, I have been interested in foreign languages.
I would go about the house, saying "Ja, ja Gutentag, Gutentag, ja!" They were words no one had taught me, yet they were swimming around in my brain & I absolutely adored how they sounded. So I would just walk around repeating them in various ways until my entire family one day told me to shut it. I was three years old. My father wouldn't relay his German phrases to me until I was eight, & even then those were only, "Kommen Sie heir!", "Halt!" & the numbers 1 - 10. He never once uttered 'yes' or 'good day', which is what I was constantly repeating as a child.
Also, in my baby time, my mother hired a university student to watch my sister & I. She was from Scotland, but was learning Russian. I am told that when not speaking normally (which would have sounded fantastical & wonderful to our ears; her Scottish accent), she was singing me to sleep in Russian, and telling us stories in Russian. So, I understand my life long love affair with the Russian language. It was one of the first languages I'd ever heard. But, German? As, I said, it wasn't spoken in my house until I was eight. And only randomly.
We are not even German. My grandparents (who adopted my mother) were German & Swiss, but they never spoke German. My dad's father fought in WWII, so the phrases my dad knew, are from the war stories my grandfather had told him.
German is a language I have always been drawn to & have wanted to learn. I took French in high school, & while German was offered, it was sporadically & never fit into my schedule. Russian was offered in middle school, only the year after I left.
A few years ago, I decided on my own to learn languages. I started with Hindi, then tacked on German, & last year I added Russian. I am, by no means, proficient, but I am doing something I have always wanted to do. I am learning. I am gaining the languages, even if it slowly. But most importantly, I'm having fun.
Keep in mind, that I'm teaching myself the language. I have a few books that I've picked up second hand, & one lesson I found free online. I was told, though, that my pronunciation & sentence structure was excellent. They were from Germany & Austria, so I took their word for it, ya know, because why wouldn't I? I don't know if they meant it was excellent or just for learning it myself. Does it really matter? I suppose not, though it did make me beam with happiness & pride to have them say it.
So, since German is the easiest for me to type up, I am supplying descriptive sentences to tell you who I am, but also words & phrases I just really like. Some I made up (as in they weren't in a book, I just threw the words together to make the sentence) & I added the exclamations, because I say those phrases excitedly. I have recorded myself speaking both sections.
Online recording software >>
Ich bin eine Nativ Amerikanerin, Schotten und Walisischen.
(ish bin eyenuh nahteef ahmairicanahrin shottin oont valisishin)
I am a Native American, Scottish & Welsh (female).
Ich wohne in Mississippi.
(ish vohnuh in Mississippi)
I live in Mississippi.
Ich bin eine Frau von reichliche Anteile.
(ish bin eyenuh frow fahn righsh lishuh ahntighluh)
I am a woman of ample proportions.
Ich nehme meine starken Kaffee mit Haselnussrahm.
(ish naymuh mynuh shtarkin kahfee mit hahselnoosrahm)
I take my strong coffee with hazelnut creamer.
Wenn ich ein Mann war, ich würde haben ein herrlich und wunderbar Schnurrbart und Bart!
(vin ish eyen mahn var ish vurrduh hahbin eyen hairlish oont voonduhbahr schnurrbahrt oont bahrt)
If I were a man, I would have glorious and wonderful facial hair (moustache & beard)!
Meine Lieblingsjahreszeit ist Winter!
(mineuh leeblingsyaresstzite ist vintuh)
My favourite season is winter.
Ich liebe Berge.
(ish leebuh burrguh)
I love mountains.
UND! (and)
-Katzen (kaht tsin) cats
-Shnee (shnee) - snow
-Regen (hreghen) - rain
-spätzle (schpaytsle) - noodle dumpling things
-flammkuchen (flahmkoohin) - a pizza like thing with bacon, red onions & crème fraîche
Record and upload voice >>
Der Wolfsschanze ist unter dem Haus.
(dair vulfs schantsuh ist oontuh dim howse)
The Wolf's lair is under the house.
Ich möchte hier aussteigen.
(ish mairktuh here owss tigh ghin)
I want to get off here.
Das blaue von Himmel versprechen.
(dahss blaowuh fahn himmle furrspreshin)
To promise the moon.
Ich brauche einen Mechaniker!
(ish browhuh eyenin mehshahnikuh)
I need a mechanic!
Ausgezeichnet!
(owsgehtsighchnet)
Excellent!
Wohin gehst du, wohin?
(voe in gayst do voe in)
Where are you going? Where?
Das ist nicht meins!
(dass ist nisht mighns)
That is not mine!
Ich reise jetzt ab.
(ish righsuh yetst ahp)
I'm leaving now.
Süßigkeiten!
(zoosigkiten)
Sweets (candy)!
Vielen Dank für deine Gastfreundschaft.
(feelin dahnk furr die nuh gahst froind schahft)
Thank you for your hospitality.
Lassen Sie nie einen Mann hinter!
(layssin zee nee eyenin mahn hintuh)
Never leave a man behind!
Ich wünsche eine Zigarette, jetzt!
(ish voonshuh eyenuh tsigahrhettuh, yetst!)
I require a cigarette, now!
I would go about the house, saying "Ja, ja Gutentag, Gutentag, ja!" They were words no one had taught me, yet they were swimming around in my brain & I absolutely adored how they sounded. So I would just walk around repeating them in various ways until my entire family one day told me to shut it. I was three years old. My father wouldn't relay his German phrases to me until I was eight, & even then those were only, "Kommen Sie heir!", "Halt!" & the numbers 1 - 10. He never once uttered 'yes' or 'good day', which is what I was constantly repeating as a child.
Also, in my baby time, my mother hired a university student to watch my sister & I. She was from Scotland, but was learning Russian. I am told that when not speaking normally (which would have sounded fantastical & wonderful to our ears; her Scottish accent), she was singing me to sleep in Russian, and telling us stories in Russian. So, I understand my life long love affair with the Russian language. It was one of the first languages I'd ever heard. But, German? As, I said, it wasn't spoken in my house until I was eight. And only randomly.
We are not even German. My grandparents (who adopted my mother) were German & Swiss, but they never spoke German. My dad's father fought in WWII, so the phrases my dad knew, are from the war stories my grandfather had told him.
German is a language I have always been drawn to & have wanted to learn. I took French in high school, & while German was offered, it was sporadically & never fit into my schedule. Russian was offered in middle school, only the year after I left.
A few years ago, I decided on my own to learn languages. I started with Hindi, then tacked on German, & last year I added Russian. I am, by no means, proficient, but I am doing something I have always wanted to do. I am learning. I am gaining the languages, even if it slowly. But most importantly, I'm having fun.
Keep in mind, that I'm teaching myself the language. I have a few books that I've picked up second hand, & one lesson I found free online. I was told, though, that my pronunciation & sentence structure was excellent. They were from Germany & Austria, so I took their word for it, ya know, because why wouldn't I? I don't know if they meant it was excellent or just for learning it myself. Does it really matter? I suppose not, though it did make me beam with happiness & pride to have them say it.
So, since German is the easiest for me to type up, I am supplying descriptive sentences to tell you who I am, but also words & phrases I just really like. Some I made up (as in they weren't in a book, I just threw the words together to make the sentence) & I added the exclamations, because I say those phrases excitedly. I have recorded myself speaking both sections.
Online recording software >>
Ich bin eine Nativ Amerikanerin, Schotten und Walisischen.
(ish bin eyenuh nahteef ahmairicanahrin shottin oont valisishin)
I am a Native American, Scottish & Welsh (female).
Ich war am 18. (achtzehnte) Tag von September geboren. Ich bin 32 (zweiundreißig) Jahre alt.
(ish vahr ahm ahkt tsaintuh tahk fahn zeptimbug gehbore in. ish bin tsvigh oont dry sish yaruh ahlt)
I was born on the 18th of September. I am 32 years old.
Ich wohne in Mississippi.
(ish vohnuh in Mississippi)
I live in Mississippi.
Ich bin eine Frau von reichliche Anteile.
(ish bin eyenuh frow fahn righsh lishuh ahntighluh)
I am a woman of ample proportions.
Ich habe glatte lange braune haare mit grauen Strähnchen.
(ich hahbuh glahttuh lahnguh brownuh hahruh mit growin straynshin)
I have straight, long, brown hair with grey streaks (highlights).
Ich nehme meine starken Kaffee mit Haselnussrahm.
(ish naymuh mynuh shtarkin kahfee mit hahselnoosrahm)
I take my strong coffee with hazelnut creamer.
Wenn ich ein Mann war, ich würde haben ein herrlich und wunderbar Schnurrbart und Bart!
(vin ish eyen mahn var ish vurrduh hahbin eyen hairlish oont voonduhbahr schnurrbahrt oont bahrt)
If I were a man, I would have glorious and wonderful facial hair (moustache & beard)!
Meine Lieblingsjahreszeit ist Winter!
(mineuh leeblingsyaresstzite ist vintuh)
My favourite season is winter.
Ich liebe Berge.
(ish leebuh burrguh)
I love mountains.
UND! (and)
-Katzen (kaht tsin) cats
-Shnee (shnee) - snow
-Regen (hreghen) - rain
-spätzle (schpaytsle) - noodle dumpling things
-flammkuchen (flahmkoohin) - a pizza like thing with bacon, red onions & crème fraîche
Record and upload voice >>
Der Wolfsschanze ist unter dem Haus.
(dair vulfs schantsuh ist oontuh dim howse)
The Wolf's lair is under the house.
Ich möchte hier aussteigen.
(ish mairktuh here owss tigh ghin)
I want to get off here.
Das blaue von Himmel versprechen.
(dahss blaowuh fahn himmle furrspreshin)
To promise the moon.
Ich brauche einen Mechaniker!
(ish browhuh eyenin mehshahnikuh)
I need a mechanic!
Ausgezeichnet!
(owsgehtsighchnet)
Excellent!
Wohin gehst du, wohin?
(voe in gayst do voe in)
Where are you going? Where?
Das ist nicht meins!
(dass ist nisht mighns)
That is not mine!
Ich reise jetzt ab.
(ish righsuh yetst ahp)
I'm leaving now.
Süßigkeiten!
(zoosigkiten)
Sweets (candy)!
Vielen Dank für deine Gastfreundschaft.
(feelin dahnk furr die nuh gahst froind schahft)
Thank you for your hospitality.
Lassen Sie nie einen Mann hinter!
(layssin zee nee eyenin mahn hintuh)
Never leave a man behind!
Ich wünsche eine Zigarette, jetzt!
(ish voonshuh eyenuh tsigahrhettuh, yetst!)
I require a cigarette, now!
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