You know that moment when someone’s really proud of their totally absurd idea?
Like using duct tape to fix a server.
Or wearing sunglasses to stay focused at their desk.
You don’t want to be mean — but you’ve got to say something.
Luckily, German has a delicious way to call out nonsense (and make people laugh while you do it):
Das ist doch Käse
(That is cheese)
der Käse is the cheese.
And if you see cheese on the table (auf dem Tisch) you can actually say:
- Das ist Käse. (That’s cheese.)
But we use this expression also in a totally different context (in einem ganz anderen Kontext).
Back in the days, cheese was not very valued as a food because it was easy to elaborate and also not that expensive (und auch nicht so teuer).
So it was associated with low value (mit geringem Wert).
So when we refer in German for example to an idea that we find is not good at all, nonsense or even absurd, we say:
- Das ist doch Käse!
meaning:
- That’s crap!
- That’s nonsense!
Got it?
So here’s your action step:
Imagine your German-speaking colleague Karl-Emil calling you into his office (in sein Büro).
He wants to show you his new great idea on how to stay laser-focused when working on the computer for long hours (stundenlang).
Once you enter Karl-Emil’s office and see him on his desk with his “great” idea, tell him:
- Komm, das ist doch totaler Käse! (Common, that’s total nonsense!)
And this is what it sounds like:
Want To Kickstart Your German And Grow Your Confidence in Speaking in Less Than 3 Months Starting TODAY, Spending Just 10 Minutes A Day On Your Commute To Work?
Imagine having a personal language coach that takes care of your busy working schedule and accompanies you every day on your commute to work so you won’t need to waste one extra minute of your valuable time and he’ll help you gain each day more and more fluency and confidence in expressing yourself in German.
I want to be that coach for you! :-)
Join my FREE, popular newsletter and get short, daily, interactive podcast lessons based on my 1-on-1 coaching sessions with my students right into your inbox.
Just push the play button on your way to work and be part of the conversation!
Want some FREE mini-courses to boost your German TODAY?
Get my FREE exclusive mini-courses that will help you:
- Start speaking German from DAY 1 if you’re starting from scratch
Imagine starting with German TODAY and having your first confident conversation on DAY 1. Without struggling about what to say or how to say.
Go from zero to having your first confident conversation TODAY.
- Save more than 50% of your time learning der, die, das with these 2 powerful mnemonics
The German gender seems tricky at the beginning right? “Der” means the, “die” means the and “das” means also the. Wow, 3 times the work for the same result. “And now I have to learn every new German noun with its gender?”
NOT with these two powerful tricks.
- Understand once and for all when and how to use the adjective endings
The German adjective declension is weird? Imagine knowing exactly when to say “groß, große, großen, großem, or großer “. To completely understand these endings after just one lesson. Without scrolling through weird grammar books.
Without memorizing tons of tables.