"Ick sprecken deutsch" or the ... interesting use of foreign languages in Grimm

[Hyndara71]

Okay, new season and finally new German words. So, again, time for me to correct or, in this case, to explain:

Hank is called a "Kehrseite". Well, I'm really sorry for Hank in this case . A Kehrseite could mean two things:
1. (what I hope it means) Simply ... the back of something or someone. You have a frontside and a backside to everything, it's like (what a coincedence again) a coin.
2. (what I fear it means) An ... another kind of badass. A fool, idiot, or simply a bad person (Ein A...h). Someone mean. (very old-school here, I really had to dig deep to find out)

Monroe also explains, that Hank's not only a Kehrseite but also a "Schlichtkennen".
Well, Schlichtkennen as a word doesn't exist within the German language. But there are the two words "schlicht" and "kennen". Schlicht means simple pure and simple . Kennen means knowledge or knowing.
So ... that's why I fear it's the second explanation about Kehrseite because it's about this two words. Simple and knowledge together in one sentence usually means in German a mentally retarded person and also usually those two words together don't mean that in a friendly way.

I think the way it could be meant on Grimm to be a human WITH the knowledge about Wesen but WITHOUT getting really into it. Could explain the "simple", don't know.

[Klenotka]

I think Nick needs to start learning German. Seriously. If he wants to study the books properly, he has to know the language in which they are written. Monroe won´t be always around.

As for German - I speak and understand it but it´s not as it used to be. I used to know more German than English at school and now I can barely ask for travel instructions

At least they haven´t tried Czech...yet (I am sure it will come up at some point). I am sure for most non-slavic people sound all the slavic languages as a weird noise and they can´t tell the difference so when I hear an attempt on TV (unless it is a real Czech speaking Czech like Zelenka on SGA), it is painful (however I understand it is difficult to learn how to pronounce it properly )

[Hyndara71]

Mh, could be with Czech ... also Russian or Polish. That would be pretty cool !
I have to say I don't understand those languages but I like to listen to ... well, at least Polish (one of my sisters in law is from Poland and both my parents came originally from there, as Germans after WWII).

About re-learning another language ... I have to say I only barely could write or read English seven years ago when I joined the (German) SG-fandom. But after I was chased away from the German part but didn't want give the show(s) up and wanted to talk about what I love I started really hard re-learning English. And I have to say, I think this time it was easier to learn as I did back in schooltimes because ... well, I already knew about some specials.
About my spelling ... depends on my personal mood. When I'm on the phone with friends from the US or Australia (yes, I have a friend there who's calling me from time to time - that's always a big deal for me ) with the time I lose my German accent (as they always tell me) and begin to talk more freely without too much thinking about the spelling. At FedCon I've learned that when I'm nervous I'm using such a typical German accent that others can only barely understand what I mean *iz still ashamed*. But I definetely need more speaking-practice, this way or another.

What I wanted to say is, if you really want to re-learn and need some help, I'm there. I've already some experience with teaching and exercising . Let me know

[Klenotka]

I am actually pretty good with languages (no, I am not humble at all ) I started to learn Dutch a few months ago (but it is not enough to just learn so I can barely use it) and I am thinking about Russian or Spanish now.
For German, I found out that it is enough to stay in Germany for a few days and just listen. Like in FedCon. When I get to some presentation in German, it takes me a while but with time, I understand more and more I even dare to have longer conversations with people around me in queues (but mostly, I just nod and smile )

It is possible to learn language at any age if you have talent for it. I have a friend who is 35 and speaks about 5 languages, and started to learn japanese recently.
I think Nick could handle it. He is a smart guy

[Hyndara71]

Mh, don't know if or if not I have a talent. Fourteen years ago I was for some time in Asia (Nepal and Tibet - well, China), where my only chance to survive was to speak English or Nepali. So I've learned pretty fast Nepali but, just like you with German, forgot the most of it during the time.
About Dutch ... funny thing, my mother tended to speak to me in Low German but not the usual Low German for this area (which I still don't understand). I never spoke her Low, well, besides some single words. But on my old working place my boss was from Belgium and I was often alone with him. One day his wife came along just when he told me something. Suddenly she yelled: "German!" than came to me and said that she was sorry. I didn't get what she meant and told her so and said than that I wanted to do what he ordered me to do. Well, short end of that story, on one day he started to speak to me in his native language and I, never was in Belgium and barely in the Netherlands and had never learned that language, understood him pretty well. Why? Because the Low German my mother used when I was a child sounded very familiar to Dutch .
My, now I'm a little sad ... loved to work for him and loved that job ...

[Hyndara71]

Wow, long time no use of this thread, huh? Well, than it's about time I fear .

Okay, "Endezeichen" ... ähm ... okay ... seriously? An "Endezeichen" is a ... dot not a "G" . And "Endezeichen" is a little bit ... wrong. "Endzeichen" would do the job better .
But I think after HOW Monroe and Bud react (especially taking Bud's sentence about the end of the world into count) it's more about something else: End of Time aka apocalypse. That's what would make sense, especially when you think about WHEN this Grimm started over torturing and killing Wesen (fourth crusade, which would mean ... 1171 or very, very, very dark ages).

"Alpträume für Wesenkinder" - well, interesting title for a book for children ... Nightmares for Wesen-children translated. Weird but ... well, I know some of my nieces also had nightmares during their fairytales-time ...

The creature was a "Lebensauger" what makes perfectly sense (and again, what the heck is going on? Come one, TPTB who is sitting in whom's head? If you are in mine - out of it! Immediatly! ASAP!). Lebensauger, lifesucker, is another name for a succubus/incubus or a vampire. A creature who's sucking the life (or blood which would mean also the life) out of you.
The funny thing ... can't remember the title right now, but there are two or more Grimm-fairytales about those creatures for REAL! Have to spend a little research about that but I remember especially one of them (because I wanted to use it for one of my fanfics ...)

[peppersasen]

Well, 'Jager' does not exist in German, so they probably mean 'Jäger', i.e. 'hunter'. The word Bar does exist in German, but it means the same as in English, i.e. a bar where you can buy drinks. So also here the correct word would have been "Bär" (i.e. bear in English).

Gibt es hier Jägermeister? No, seriously, Monroe literally made me pull out all 4 of my teach-yourself-German books. i haven't even touched them since 2008.

i also remember having the impression that Sasha Roiz is a Francophonie (although they can teach you accents, and coach you to do just about anything: eliminate so-called "vocal viruses" to changing where/how you produce vocals, so you can never know).

was any Flemish spoken in the Antwerp scenes? can't remember any.

Also, Hank is muggle.

[Divinecoma]

i also remember having the impression that Sasha Roiz is a Francophonie (although they can teach you accents, and coach you to do just about anything: eliminate so-called "vocal viruses" to changing where/how you produce vocals, so you can never know).

Sasha Roiz lived in Montreal, Canada where the official language is French so I do think he knows the language somewhat.

was any Flemish spoken in the Antwerp scenes? can't remember any.

First of all I'm from Belgium and annoyingly I can't remember the Antwerp scenes, which episode(s) was this? I do remember Monroe mentioning the Krijgsbaan and Schoonselhof in Series 1, ep 14 (the Grimm that got decapitated). Which is sort of funny because Schoonselhof is a cemetary. Also he wasn't using their Dutch/Flemmish pronunciation, Krijg got turned into Krieg and Schoonsel sounded like Sinzel or something.


I was sort of wondering, I noticed that there are German fans here as well as that Grimm is going to air in Germany. I know that German TV likes to do voice-overs, how does that work in a show like Grimm where they actually use some of the language (be it faulty or not). You have Monroe speaking German and then explaining to Nick in German what the German word means.. It seems kind of odd to me.

[Hyndara71]

Welcome, Divinecoma!
Well, Grimm isn't on TV now, it will premiere in ... still 10 days over here. But as I'm not planing to torture myself - I had more then enough with the trailers *shivers* - I cannot give you an answer. For now only the guys on the network and also those doing the dubbing-work know how this problem will be solved.
(Actually I'm planing a little "dubbing" game with some of the famous quotes for those who are going to watch Grimm in German).

Thanks for your point about the Schoonselhof, this I didn't know . And you are right, there never was a scene in Antwerp. So far we saw a city that should be Mannheim (but it isn't!), Vienna (what, as far as I know, was Vienna) and that castle Eric is living and that, don't know why, looks a bit like the Ravensburg to me - beside the fact that the Ravensburg isn't this near to a river.

[Divinecoma]

Thank you!

I find any dubbing cringe worthy. I’m glad that they just use subtitles for series or films here. (Only cartoons/animated films get dubbed). Although some subtitles don’t make sense or are just way off.

It would be sort of funny if they switched it around. The German names etc becoming English but I’m sure that’s not going to happen.

I’m curious what the dubbing game will be like or how much I will be able to decipher.

I seem to recall a tweet from Roiz where he says Eric’s got a castle in the Alps and he he only had a flat somewhere in the US. I’m guessing it’s supposed to be the Ravensburg but they didn’t get their facts right with the lake.

[Hyndara71]

They seem to mostly stick to the names, as far as it is known. A Hexenbiest is still a Hexenbiest. So far they only "corrected" the personality for Blutbad - it's called over here "Blutbader" (and I suppose Angelina and Holly will both be a Blutbaderin). Bauerschwein also is a Bauerschwein. I'm not sure after a report mi_guard linked yesterday if a Ziegevolk will stay Ziegevolk, because it was mentioned as a Ziegendämon - but that also can be a misspelling by the writer of the article.

Dubbing ... not really. I mean, shows I followed during the years I mostly stick to the dubbed version I have to say, like Dexter. But the most other shows I watch I do in English but usually give them one shot in German (besides Haven which has a horrible dubbing!). But Grimm ... I only heard Nick's German voice and ... nope, not my cup of tea! And after I got last week the chance to hear Monroe's German voice there's no chance in making me watching the dubbed version.
About the "game", I'm planing a little guessing-quiz about some quotes, because I'm simply curious how they will solve this or that problem or bring the play of words into the other language. I have to admit, I'm doing those for a while now *innocent whistleing*

[Hyndara71]

Okay, now I'm on the fence! A friend told me last night and today I received a PM from a possible reader of my Grimm-Fics. This reader wanted to tell me, I would use "wrong names" for the Wesen. Heck, seems like now I have to put on an A/N for EVERY of my fanfics that I'm using US-Wesen-names, not the German ones.

But ... do you know what they did to the Reinigen? Over here they are called now Nagerstein (rodent-stone). Sorry, one thing to correct the personality, but this is insane! Reinigen did have a reason, Nagerstein has none!

[mi_guard]

wait there will be a better one: Siegbarste becomes "Granitbestie" (granite beast)

[Klenotka]

I am curious if they will ever use our most known legend - Golem. I don´t think they would force poor David or Silas talking Czech (no offense to my German friends here, but English and German are at least related ), but it is a very well known legend and something that could be used.

[Hyndara71]

@ mi_guard:
I saw that title - and I was pissed when I saw that. My only hope is that they don't call my beloved Oleg Stark a "Granitbestie" *wanna cuddle with Siegbarste now!*

@Klenotka:
Maybe I should advertise here ... I know that story about the Golem because I once used it for a novel I wrote (besides some other stuff). To be correct, an original novel not fanfic! And ... me proudly can say, this novel will be (self)published this year.

Spoiler:

I'd enough from this battle between two publishers that want it, me and the editor. I cancelled the contract and publish it myself.