Let’s have some fun with this weird German language!
In this series of posts, I’ll show you how to make your German speaking colleagues laugh with ONE simple sentence.
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:
Then, tell me in the comments below how he reacted :-)