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February 7, 2010
German pick up phrase a day?
I keep improving shining hours (which if you live in a place as gray as I do is important) - I bought a German-phrase-a-day calendar. Lately it seems to be stuck in a singles bar. Sind Sie verheiratet? Then earlier this week "Sind Sie single?" Yesterday, "Sind Sie in einer Beziehung?"
Today we've broken away from all that and I keep saying to myself (whenever I walk past the end of the kitchen counter, "Keine Sorge, mein Hund beißt nicht."
Posted by CrankyProfessor at February 7, 2010 11:44 AM
Comments
Wait -- it's not mein Hund bißt nicht? And seriously -- has anyone trying to pick you up in a bar EVAR used "Sie"? I mean, I know it's voulez-Vous couchez avec moi, but I think Lady Marmalade had to use the formal 'you'!
.....Just typin' what I see - "beißt," not "bißt." And the French are, perhaps, more polite. Which may be why they have a better reputation ;) --MCT
Posted by: Another Damned Medievalist at February 7, 2010 6:44 PM
This is the verb beißen, to bite. It has nothing to do with Du bißt from the verb to be (ich bin, du bißt, er ist) so no question of politeness is involved.
The 3rd singular present of beißen is beißt: Ich beiße, du beißt, er beißt. It's true a bite is ein Biß, and that a dog that likes to bite is ein bissiger Hund, aber ein bissiger Hund ist einer der beißt.
Posted by: Gary at February 7, 2010 9:34 PM