Lend & Borrow --- Ausleihen

Germlish = Can you borrow me a pen?

to lend = to give You lend something to someone.
lend, lent, lent

to borrow = to receive You borrow something from someone
borrow, borrowed, borrowed

What you want to say: Can you lend me a pen? or Can I borrow a pen (from you)?

By & Until

Germlish = We have to finish the project until Friday.

by + a time means "no/not later than" Tip: think deadline (die Frist)
e. g. The ABC project has to be finished by (no later than) Dec. 15.

until + a time means “up to a time”

You cannot use until with this meaning.
NOT The report has to be finished until 3 o'clock.

Something continues until a time in the future.
e. g. Many grocery stores stay open until 8 pm. = I can go shopping up to 8 p.m.

What you want to say: We have to finish the project by Friday.

In Former Times - Not in English

Germlish = In former times I worked for Siemens.

It may be hard to believe, but this phrase isn't used in English. It's very unusual and sounds strange to native English speakers.


You can use:

1. used to

2. in the past



What you want to say: I used to work for Siemens.

False friend --- Rezept

Germlish = The doctor gave me a recipe for medication.


Recipe = instructions and ingredients needed for cooking something.

Prescription = a written note a doctor writes that you take to the pharmacist to get
medicine ( prescription medicine/medication).

Verb - to prescribe



What you want to say: The doctor gave me a prescription for medication.

Study or Learn?

Germlish = I didn't learn for the test.

studieren / lernen

In English, "to study" means to learn, read, memorize, practice, and reflect on a subject. In German, the verb lernen is used to.

The German verb studieren means "to be a university student" or "to major in" a particular subject.

Ich lerne Deutsch.	I am learning German. I am studying German (e.g. for a test).
Ich studiere Deutsch.	I am majoring in German.
Ich studiere Biologie, aber ich lerne auch Englisch.	I am majoring in biology, but I am learning English, too.
Ich studiere in Stuttgart.	I am studying (I am a student) in Stuttgart.
Ich arbeite nicht, ich studiere. What you want to say: I didn't study for the test.	I don't work, I am a student.

If clause types - rules

If clauses/Conditionals

0 Conditional = general truths, scientific facts

Buy two, get one free.

When/If you freeze water, it becomes ice.

If/When + simple present, simple present

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If clause/Conditional 1 = very likely or possible to do/happen

If it rains, I’ll go to the movies. (likely)

When I get home, I think I’ll order a pizza.

If + simple present, will + simple present

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If clause/Conditional 2 = possible, but not very likely to do/happen or unreal

If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world. (possible, but not likely)

If I were you, I would take the day off. (unreal)

If + simple past, would + simple present

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If clause/Conditional 3 = not possible to do i.e. impossible to change

If I had studied, I would have passed the test. (impossible to change)

If we had played better, we could/would have won the game.

If + past perfect, would + present perfect

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If = not sure it will happen i.e. possibly

When = it will happen

Some and Any: When do I use it?

Germlish = I don't have some.


The basics:

Use "some" in positive sentences. Ex: I have some friends in Berlin.

Use "any" in negative sentences and questions. Ex: I don't have any money.

Use "some" when offering or asking for something. Ex: Can I have some coffee?

What you want to say: I don't have any.

Some & Any - more plus an exercise.

A false friend

Germlish = This is the actual price list.


Hmm, Although aktuell looks similar to "actual" or "actually," the German word actually means "current, topical, up-to-date, (the) latest.

aktuell = wirklich, tatsächlich, eigentlich

actual = topical, current, (the) latest, up-to-date

So, what you want to say is: This is the current price list.


More? Click here: false friends

Chief, Chef and Boss

Germlish = My chef/chief is on vacation.

When talking about your supervisor or manager, only one of the words in the following sentence is correct. Which one is it?

My chief / chef / boss works a lot.

All three words exist in English, but have very different meanings. Do you know what each means?

Chief = leader of an Indian tribe/ job title

Chef = professional cook

Boss = manager or supervisor

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Chief: if you are talking about the leader of a Native American tribe, you use this word. It can also be used in job titles to describe the head of a company or organization. (Chief of Police, Fire Chief and Chief Executive Officer are the most common examples.) You CANNOT say "My chief. . . "

Chef: is a cook, usually one whose profession is cooking in a restaurant. You CANNOT say "My chef. . . "

Boss: someone who supervises workers in a company or organization. You CAN say "My boss. . ."

Do and Make

Germlish = We make business in the UK.



Do and Make


Do is a general word used for actions:

Expressions with DO:

homework
business
test
work
housework
exercises


I do a lot of different things at work. We do business in many countries.

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Make means produce/manufacture/create

Expressions with Make:

a mistake
an appointment
a phone call
a list
a bed


Our company makes car parts. Every morning I make the bed.

Berlitz Commercial - Pronunciation: Important or Not?

By or Until

Germlish = Please send us your reply until Friday.


By and Until

by + a time means "no/not later than" (bis spaetestens) Tip: connect it to a deadline

e. g. The ABC project has to be finished by (no later than) Dec. 15.


until + a time means “up to a time”

You cannot use until with this meaning.
NOT The report has to be finished until 3 o'clock.

Something continues until (up to) a time in the future.

e. g. Many grocery stores stay open until 8 pm. = I can go shopping up to 8 p.m.


Note: You can write am/a.m. = ante meridiem or pm/p.m. = post meridiem