FluenC http://fluenc.net Mon, 06 May 2019 08:39:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.10 5 German Kids’ Videos Your Family Can Stream Anytime /5-german-kids-videos-your-family-can-stream-anytime/ /5-german-kids-videos-your-family-can-stream-anytime/#respond Wed, 19 Sep 2018 08:48:43 +0000 /?p=1420 What’s a lifelong gift you can give a kid that doesn’t cost a penny? Did you know that German knowledge opens doors in science, technology, and academia? […]

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What’s a lifelong gift you can give a kid that doesn’t cost a penny?

Did you know that German knowledge opens doors in science, technology, and academia? Or that it’s the most-spoken language in Europe after English, creating many opportunities for personal and professional enrichment?

While it’s true that you can shell out big bucks on German classes for kids—and those can be very valuable if you can swing it—there are plenty of free online German learning resources your family will love, too.

In this article, we’ll focus on German kids’ videos that teach the language through entertaining animated stories.

You’ll give the little ones in your life a running start on bilingualism—and you may even boost your own German while you’re at it!

German for Kids: 5 Fun Animated Videos to Teach Little One’s Language

Want to be sure that any video you click on is family friendly and great for German learning? FluenC is the go-to resource. FluenC provides authentic German videos, like cartoons, movie trailers, commercials and more, that’ve been transformed into personalized language lessons.

Each video comes with interactive captions—kids can click on any word for an instant definition, pronunciation, and picture. Then FluenC takes the vocabulary from the video and creates multimedia flashcards and exercises so that they won’t forget everything they’ve just learned!

The videos are organized by genre and learning level so it’s easy to find ones that work for your family. Kids will love this clip from “Sesamstraße,” the German version of “Sesame Street,” or this super silly music video promoting the 2014 World Cup. You can explore the full video library for free with a FluenC trial.

“Felix und Franzi” (“Felix and Franzi”)

This video is ideal for English-speaking kids who are starting German as complete beginners. It’s organized into neat chapters and was put together by GoetheUK, part of the Goethe Institut for German language and culture education.

The dialogue is a mixture of German and English, with important German phrases emphasized in speech bubbles. The main characters of the series are Felix, a frog, and Franzi, a duck. These two fun-loving animated figures drive German learning for children in an inspiring manner throughout the series.

There are more than 20 videos in this series, which you can explore in the righthand menu from the link above. The focus is on day-to-day communication such as basic greetings, shopping, getting to know neighbors and much more.

The series is also organized into different “bands” indicating levels—Band 1 is the beginner level, Band 2 is upper-beginner, etc.

“Der erste Brunnen” (“The First Well”)

This is a wonderful story on faith, will, and determination. It’s great for kids who are at an upper-beginner German proficiency level.

Four generals are sent in search of water sources, as their village is suffering from severe drought. One of the generals returns with a “water seed,” which is a chip off an icicle (a long piece of ice formed by water dripping and freezing).

Planting this “water seed” with full faith and patience, the villagers eventually find a pool of water in its place.

This story is apt to instill values of perseverance and determination in children. They’ll also get lots of practice with important German language concepts.

For example, this story is told in the past tense so kids will hear how several common German words are used in the past tense. Some of the past tense verbs in this story include eilte (hurried), regnete(rained), sagten (said) and fragten (asked).

There are also some very helpful directional words in this story, such as:

in der mitte (in the middle)

in allen Richtungen (in all directions)

nach Osten, nach Westen, nach Süden, nach Norden (to the east, to the west, to the south, to the north)

dem Sonnenaufgang entgegen (towards the sunrise)

If you enjoy this story, there are many other German kids’ videos at the BookBox YouTube channel.

“Rotkäppchen” (“Little Red Riding Hood”)

This classic fairy tale is about a little girl who wears a red hood, who goes to deliver some food to her ailing grandmother. She encounters a big bad wolf along the way who wants to make her his next meal.

How Little Red Riding Hood deals with the wolf forms the rest of the story. This story is apt for drama and emotions. Kids will be all ears when they follow along with the video.

The above link is just a teaser, but you can get the full video and interactive exercises available by emailing them—just click “Show More” in the video description for instructions.

For a short, funny and modern version of the full tale, there’s another video on YouTube in English but with German subtitles. Make sure to click the “CC” icon before playing the video to see the subtitles.

My personal favorite version is the illustrated German audiobook, which kids are bound to love, too. You can see the German text and listen to the audio in German along with colorful drawings.

One key grammar takeaway from this video is the use of past tense irregular verbs. Remembering the irregular German verbs in the past tense can be quite a herculean task, but it gets a tad easier with this story. A few that we encounter are sprach (spoke), gab (gave), dachte (thought), ging (went), kam (came) and sprang (jumped).

Dino Lingo

Dino Lingo is a fun and interactive video series that helps kids begin with German. This is a project specifically dedicated to kids and helping them learn different foreign languages, German being one of them.

The videos focus on specific topics, like German numbers or the 200 most common German words and phrases.

Kids are taught concepts in a fun and interactive manner through songs, games and many other methods. They also have a useful website with lots of kid-friendly German learning material including songs, videos, resource sheets, cultural information and books.

The only glitch is that it’s a paid model but you can try a free lesson first to see how you and your kids like it.

“Heidi” on DEUTOON

Are you kids ready for some real-world German videos?

DEUTOON offers two German cartoons with subtitles. My personal favorite is “Heidi: Girl of the Alps,” as I grew up watching it! It’s actually originally a Japanese show, but it takes place in Switzerland and was translated into many languages including German.

Don’t forget to click on the CC button for the subtitles to be visible before playing the video.

Kids will probably require a basic level of German to understand what’s going on, but it’s nevertheless fun and entertaining! Since it’s a channel specifically dedicated to cartoons in German for children, it’s a prize catch and a treat to continuously watch.

 

As you can see, watching German kids’ videos can be a wonderful way for everyone in your family to boost their German skills. Are you ready to turn family fun time into fluency time, too?

Other Related Articles:

Top 10 German Slang phrases that are really popular

Top 5 Etiquette rules to follow in Germany

Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing

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Top 5 German Idioms with body parts /top-5-german-idioms-body-parts/ /top-5-german-idioms-body-parts/#respond Mon, 26 Mar 2018 13:26:17 +0000 /?p=1385 German idioms with body parts account for the biggest group of German Idioms. The body parts idioms in German contains at least a body part related […]

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German idioms with body parts account for the biggest group of German Idioms. The body parts idioms in German contains at least a body part related noun or a verb. In this article, we will demonstrate you Top 5 German Idioms with body parts.
Idioms are the expressions that must be understood in a figurative sense rather than their literal meaning. They are frequently used by the native speaker in their daily conversations. Idioms helps you to convey a specific message with a peculiar combination of the words. Learning German idioms helps you to express yourself in the same way as the German native speakers do. Idioms are very commonly used in the German language, both in speech and in writing.

Top 5 German Idioms with body parts

Idiom: ins Auge fallen

to catch someone's eye
Explanation: to catch someone’s eye
Example: Die zwei 150 Jahre alten Birnbäume werden jedem aufmerksamen Besucher sofort ins Auge fallen, doch darüber hinaus finden sich auf dem Plattner Bienenhof noch viele weitere alte Kulturpflanzen, die den Bienen als Nahrungsquelle (Bienenweide) dienen.

 

Idiom: seine Ellbogen gebrauchen

to elbow one's way
Explanation: to elbow one’s way
Example: Er hat sogar seinen Ellbogen verletzt, um mich aufzuhalten.

 

Idiom: die Finger lassen

to keep one's hands off
Explanation: to keep one’s hands off
Example: Solange alle die Finger von meinem Rechner lassen.

 

Idiom: ganz Ohr sein

to be all ears
Explanation: to be all ears
Example: Er ist ganz Ohr, lauscht auf ihre Schritte.

 

Idiom: den Nacken steif halten

to keep one's chin up
Explanation: to keep one’s chin up
Example: Einfach mir vertrauen und die Ohren steif halten.

 

Other related Articles:

Top 10 German Slang phrases that are really popular

Top 5 Etiquette rules to follow in Germany

Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing

 

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Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing /top-10-words-different-american-british-english-mean-thing/ /top-10-words-different-american-british-english-mean-thing/#respond Mon, 19 Mar 2018 07:34:28 +0000 /?p=1357   There is an old saying that America and Britain are “two nations divided by a common language”. There are more of similarities than differences in […]

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There is an old saying that America and Britain are “two nations divided by a common language”.

There are more of similarities than differences in British and American English. This article will tell you about the grammatical differences between the two and will also showcase top 10 words that are different in American and British English but means the same thing.

It is very difficult to make clear distinctions between American English and British English though they may seem similar on the surface but have very different accents, punctuations, grammar, and vocabulary. This is the most common difficulty faced by the English language learners.

 

Vocabulary

This is the most noticeable difference between British and American English. There are hundreds of word used on a daily basis having the same meaning but their spelling is entirely different.

For example- Americans go on vacations, while Britishers go on holidays.

 

Collective Nouns

The grammatical difference between the two varieties of English is very few. As we know collective nouns are referred to a group of individuals.

In American English, collective nouns are singular.

For example- In American English band is referred to a group of musicians whereas in British English band means a thin, flat piece of cloth or metal or other material put around something.

 

Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb is another grammatical difference between American English and British English. They are helping verbs and forms grammatical functions. They generally give information about the time.

For example- Britishers use shall to express future. “I shall go home now”. Americans rarely use auxiliary verb during their conversation. They probably use “I will go home now”.

 

Past Tense

There is a very small difference in the past tense between American English and British English. In American English, the past tense of learn is learned. Whereas British English has the option of learned or learnt.

 

Spelling

If you compare British English with American English, you will notice an extra ‘U’ in British English words like armour, colour, humour etc. In American English words tends to end with –ize rather than British English which ends with –ise. Words ending with –er like theater, center etc. are reversed in British English words like theatre, centre.

Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing

British English American English
biscuit cookie, cracker
booking reservation
cinema movie theater
engine motor
film movie
football soccer
handbag purse
jumper sweater
maize corn
sweets candy

 

Other related articles:

Top 10 German Slang phrases that are really popular

Top 10 Delicious English Expressions

Top 10 Spanish Native Idioms | Learn Spanish Like a Native Speaker

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TOP 5 Cultural Etiquette tips to be followed in Spain /top-5-cultural-etiquette-tips-followed-spain/ /top-5-cultural-etiquette-tips-followed-spain/#respond Mon, 12 Mar 2018 12:04:00 +0000 /?p=1342     Spain is known for its most distinctive culture in Europe. It is a vibrant and welcoming country distinguished by its love and life. Spain […]

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Spain is known for its most distinctive culture in Europe. It is a vibrant and welcoming country distinguished by its love and life. Spain is also well known for its regional identities and lively festivals. Spain is culturally and geographically rich is a favorite holiday destination because of its colorful culture, excellent weather, and climate. These top 5 cultural etiquette tips to be followed in Spain will help you interact well with the natives of Spain when you visit there.

TOP 5 Cultural Etiquette tips to be followed in Spain

Greetings Etiquette

Greetings Etiquette

If you are meeting someone for the first time since then you must shake their hands. For Spaniards of opposite sex, it’s very common to greet each other with a kiss on both the cheeks starting from the left. But this is not preferred during business meetings unless you know each other very well.

Use Buenos días before lunch and Buenas tardes post lunch to say hello to someone.

In Spain, the sense of time is somewhat elastic unless it’s a business meeting. So you shouldn’t mind if you have been kept waiting for some time.

 

Dressing Etiquette

Dressing Etiquette

Dressing culture is extremely important among Spaniards. They dress very conservatively and avoid the use bright and flashy colors. Generally, for casual occasions, they dress very elegantly. Shoes are considered to be a very important part of dressing and a shabby one may ruin a very nice outfit.

Dining Etiquette

Dining Etiquette

To check whether the chemistry is good or not and to build trust, Lunch/ Dinners are considered to be a vital part especially to establish business relationships. You should always try to give a brief toast in Spanish. You can be late for 15 or 30 minutes for social meetings but never be late for a bullfight in Spain.

 

Corporate culture

Corporate culture

Spaniards generally spend time in getting to know people and establishing trust before doing business. They prefer more of personal qualities than technical qualities or professionalism. They like to take decisions of their own and did not directly impose it in a direct language which sometimes seems to be humiliating to other associates. Spaniards do not have meeting culture and so they do not take punctuality in meeting culture seriously.

 

Gift giving etiquette

Gift giving etiquette

You should bring a small wrapped gift along with you for the hostess if invited to someone’s house. At business meetings, gifts are generally not exchanged, but a small gift can be appropriate at the successful conclusions of the negotiations. Gifts should not imply bribe and must be given at the end of the meetings. Spaniards consider 13 as an unlucky number and one must keep it in mind while giving flowers.

 

Other related articles:

Top 5 Etiquette rules to follow in Germany

Top 8 Spanish Proverbs

Top 10 Spanish Native Idioms

 

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Top 10 Mandarin proverbs /top-10-mandarin-proverbs/ /top-10-mandarin-proverbs/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:33:06 +0000 /?p=1316   Every culture has their own proverbs and wise sayings which not only reflect their cultural values but also are a source of their people’s collective […]

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Every culture has their own proverbs and wise sayings which not only reflect their cultural values but also are a source of their people’s collective wisdom and understanding of life.This article will provide you experience about the top 10 Mandarin proverbs which can be easily peppered into daily conversations in the Chinese language.

Chinese civilization is the longest civilization which has grown and expanded for thousands of years.

People have gained a lot of experience by working from generations and all these experiences regarding all the aspects of life have been summarized in Chinese proverbs.

These proverbs have been widely used by the people for a long time and sometimes acts as a guide to draw inspirations from the proverbs in real life.

Top 10 Mandarin proverbs

 

Mandarin proverbs about Life:

 

  • 一分耕耘,一分收 (Yī fēn gēngyún, yī fēn shōuhuò)

Meaning: No pain, no gain.

No pain, no gain

This proverb means that until and unless you put an effort to perform any task, you will not get the desired result. “As a man sows, and shall he reap.” You will get what you have planted. The harder you work the more you will get.

 

  • 己所不欲,勿施于人 (jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén)

Meaning: Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

To earn respect from others you must also give respect to them. It’s an important value that in order to gain something you must do the same to others. Don’t give others something that you don’t want to own.

 

Mandarin proverbs about Success:

 

  • 败为成功之母 (Shībài wéi chénggōng zhī mǔ)

Meaning: Failure is the mother of success.

Failure is the mother of success

The proverb usually encourages the people who failed to achieve something in their life. It encourages them to keep moving. Despite the failure, you must try again and put your best effort.

 

  • 一寸光阴一寸金,寸金难买寸光阴 (Yīcùn guāngyīn yīcùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn)

Meaning:  Time is money, but it’s difficult to buy the time with money.

Time is money, but it’s difficult to buy the time with money

If you want to be successful you must make a good use of the time available to you. We have always been taught about the importance of time. If you want to succeed in life then you must seize every minute and make a good use of time.

Mandarin proverbs about Love:

  • 情人眼里出西施 (qíngrén yǎn lǐ chū xīshī)

Meaning: Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes.

Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes.

This Chinese proverb represents beauty. It says that a person should look at the inner beauty of other people rather than his/her physical appearance. An inner beauty here refers to the attitude, thinking and nature of that person. So, if a person loves you truly he will consider your inner qualities rather than your other physical qualities.

 

  • 缘巧合 (Tiānyuán qiǎohé)

Meaning: A coincidence destined by heaven.

A coincidence destined by heaven

 

This Mandarin proverb actually means that every circumstance we think of as a coincidence is actually planned by God in heaven. People in love generally say this when they meet their partners coincidently in an unplanned way, but as said they were destined to meet each other.

 

Mandarin proverbs about Perseverance:

  • 學而不思則罔,思而不學則殆。(zǐ yuē: xué ér bù sī zé wǎng, sī ér bù xué zé dài.)

Meaning: Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous

There is no point in learning just by reading the texts, one also needs to think how does it makes sense and also consider how to apply it to our lives.

 

  • 不患人之不己知,患不知人也。((zǐ yuē: bù huàn rén zhī bù jǐ zhī, huàn bù zhī rén yě.)

Meaning: I will not be afflicted at men’s not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men.

I will not be afflicted at men’s not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men

If you know the people around yourself, you will able to improve yourself. Without knowing others you will not be able to know yourself. Knowing a person around you is very important because once you know about that person completely, you will come to know how that person is different from you and in what aspects.

 

Mandarin proverbs about Work:

  • 今日事,今日毕。(Jīnrì shìjīnrì bì.)

Meaning: Never put off what you can do today for tomorrow.

Never put off what you can do today for tomorrow

The above mandarin proverb states that whatever task given to you today must be completed today itself. You should never delay your work if it can be completed today. Leaving the task to be completed tomorrow will be an additional task or an extra liability which may put you into trouble.

 

  • 有志者,事竟成。(Yǒuzhìzhěshì jìnɡ chénɡ.)

Meaning: Where there is a will there’s a way.

Where there is a will there's a way

This means that if you are serious about getting something done, you will find a way. If a person is determined by his goals, he will definitely put his best effort to achieve it. Irrespective of all the difficulties comes his way, he will overcome all.

Other related articles:

Tips on Japenese Dining Etiquette

Top 10 German Slang phrases that are really popular

Top 8 Spanish proverbs

Top 10 Spanish native idioms

Top 10 French idioms and proverbs associated with food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Top 5 Etiquette rules to follow in Germany /top-5-etiquette-rules-follow-germany/ /top-5-etiquette-rules-follow-germany/#respond Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:31:53 +0000 /?p=1296 “Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.” The word […]

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“Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.”

The word etiquette has derived from the French word ‘estique’ which means to attach or to stick. It is a noun which describes the behaviour requirements for various occasions like ceremonies, formal event and everyday life. In short ‘etiquette’ can be defined as “the rules indicating the proper and polite way to behave’. People argue that etiquette no longer matters and the good behaviour are old fashioned and outdated. But the reality is good behaviours are never outdated. Etiquette begins by showing respect to others, being honest and trustworthy.

Top 5 Etiquette rules in Germany

Meeting Etiquettes:

Meeting Etiquettes

  • German people greet each other with a firm handshake by looking straight into their eyes with the other hand out of the pocket.
  • While meeting a woman a man should wait until she offers her hand first.
  • Recomposing a handshake with a slight bow or nod is a good way to make a mark an impression.
  • You must wait to get introduced to the group by your host or hostess.
  • A handshake with everyone individually including children is must while entering a room.
  • Handshakes sends a message of trust, sincerity, and honesty. So one must shake hands firmly without squeezing and holding others hand for too long or too short period of time. A weak handshake is an impression of insecurity and unconvincing nature.

Dining Etiquettes:

Dining Etiquettes

If invited to a German’s house –

  • You must be punctual and arrive on time. One should avoid arriving early.
  • If you are more than 15 minutes late then you should never arrive without telephoning the host and explaining him/ her the reason for your delay.
  • A short phone call or a thank you note on the following day to your host for his/her hospitality is considered as a good gesture.
  • Phone must be kept into silent mode or switched off.

Communication Etiquettes:

Communication Etiquettes

  • Germans prefer to communicate in a direct, short and to the point. Dictating emotions and unnecessary contents do not have a place in a conversation.
  • While arriving in a new environment be prepared to introduce yourself to an established group, a first step as a newcomer.
  • Compliments from strangers or very close acquaintance can be taken with suspicion (“What does he/she really meant to say or want”), as giving compliments is not a part of German customs.
  • You are free to have serious discussions in social meetings. Germans love to talk about politics and philosophy.

Public Behaviour :

Public Behaviour

  • Chewing gum while talking to someone is considered rude.
  • When a person is addressing you, maintaining an eye contact during the introduction is a serious, direct, and should be maintained as long as he/she is addressing you.
  • Immediately excuse yourself, with “Entschuldigung, das war nicht meine Absicht.” ( “Excuse me, that wasn’t my intention”) if you accidentally bump into someone or kick him/her under the table.
  • Germans value their time & privacy. They divide their time mentally between public and private. So you should not expect from your German colleagues to take you out much for meals and evening programs, as they assume the same that you will want to have time for yourself after work since this has the high priority for them in their culture.

Work Etiquette:

Work Etiquette

 

  • Germans avoid personal relationships in order to work together.
  • One should knock and wait to be invited in before entering into a room, as people often work with their door closed.
  • You can expect a great deal of written communications both to back-up decisions and to maintain a record of decisions & discussions.
  • Germans follow a strict protocol when entering a room or passing a threshold- The eldest or the highest ranking person enters first.
  • Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the table top.

Related Articles:

Tips on Japenese Dining Etiquette

Top 10 German Slang phrases that are really popular

Top 8 Spanish proverbs

 

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Top 10 Delicious English Expressions /top-10-delicious-english-expressions/ /top-10-delicious-english-expressions/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:05:28 +0000 /?p=1263 Idioms are languages which have expressions, they are the sayings which actually don’t mean what they appear to mean. These expressions are very commonly used but […]

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Idioms are languages which have expressions, they are the sayings which actually don’t mean what they appear to mean. These expressions are very commonly used but their meaning is different from the individual meaning of each word put together. This blog tells you about the Top 10 Delicious English Expressions which are related to food. These idiomatic expressions have two meanings, one is literal and the other is figurative. The literal meaning is what we understand from the words and the figurative meaning goes much deeper than the words used.

Idioms help you to amplify your message an draws the attention of the readers or the listeners. It adds a sense of humour which is an effective way to make your work more creative and can make a dull writing impressive.

Why do people use English Food Idioms?

Delicious English Expressions

Food is an all time favourite part of everyone’s life. People love to eat or talk about the food. English speakers are food lovers. Their love for food is so much that they like to use food related expressions while communicating in their daily life.Though these idioms express about food but their literal meaning is not actually about food.

 Top 10 delicious English expressions:

  • Finger Licking Good:

Finger Licking Good

This phrase is an expression of good food. When people eat any delicious food and they like it so much that they feel like licking their fingers to get the full extravagance of the taste.

 

  • Apple of his eye:

Apple of his eye

Expression of this phrase refers to something or someone who is a favourite and is admired above all.

 

  • That’s the  way cookie crumbles:

That’s the  way cookie crumbles

Expression of this idiom is that certain situations must be accepted the way they are. People come across some unprevented situations where they can’t do anything except accepting it.

 

  • Spill the beans:

Spill the beans

Unexpectedly revealing secret information. People sometimes accidentally say such things which they are not supposed to.

 

  • Nutty as a fruitcake:

Nutty as a fruitcake

This expression means to be a very strange or crazy person.

 

  • Melt in one’s mouth-

 

Melt in one’s mouth

This phrase is also used as an expression of good food which is tender, soft and very delicious to eat.

 

  • Piece of a cake-

Piece of a cake

A task which is very easy to accomplish. People use this phrase when they complete a task easily without much effort.

 

  • Finger in the pie

Finger in the pie

To get involved in something where your involvement is not wanted. We use this phrase when we see anyone involving himself in any task where his presence is generally not required.

 

  • Full of beans-

Full of beans

Having lot of energy and enthusiasm. Speakers refer this to the people who have a lot of energy and they can’t sit still in one place.

 

  • Life is a bowl full of cherries-

Life is a bowl full of cherries

Life is wonderful. People generally use this when everything in their life is going well.

 

Other related articles-

Top 10 French Idioms

Top 10 German Phrases

Rules for Sanskrit sentence structure

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Top 8 Spanish Proverbs /top-8-spanish-proverbs/ /top-8-spanish-proverbs/#respond Fri, 09 Feb 2018 06:21:06 +0000 /?p=1245  Proverbs are short and simple concrete saying which are popularly known and repeated. These sayings express the basic truth or consequences of situations which are based […]

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 Proverbs are short and simple concrete saying which are popularly known and repeated. These sayings express the basic truth or consequences of situations which are based on common sense and cultural experience. Proverbs become a shorthand way of conveying a thought or experiencing a judgement. These top 8 Spanish proverbs will help you to improve your vocabulary in Spanish.

 

Using Spanish proverb tends to be difficult but it will help you to learn Spanish words quickly. It’s a fun and a useful way of learning. Spanish proverbs will also help you to gain deep insights into the historical background and meanings of the language. Before using these proverbs you need to know some background information about these proverbs, otherwise, it will make it less understandable for the user. 

 

Top 8 Spanish proverbs

  • Todos los caminos llevan a Roma: “All roads lead to Rome”.

Todos los caminos llevan a Roma

    This proverb indicates that there are possibilities to achieve the same objectives through different paths.

  • Donde hay gana, hay maña: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.

Donde hay gana, hay maña

    This proverb means that if someone is determined to do something, they can overcome any obstacle.

  • Donde hay humo, hay calor: “There is no smoke without fire”.

Donde hay humo, hay calor

    It means that there must be a rumour if something is true or partially true. This can also be interpreted as, if something seems to be bad there might be a good reason for it.

  • No es tan bravo el león como lo pintan: “The lion is not as brave as they paint it”

No es tan bravo el león como lo pintan

    This means certain things are considered to be more difficult than actually, it is in reality.

  • A buenas horas mangas verdes: Too late for green sleeves”.

A buenas horas mangas verdes

   This expression is usually used when something which is expected happens when that is no longer useful. The story behind the green sleeves is that the first police force of Spain always wear a uniform with green sleeves but were always late whenever they were required.

  • No hay que ahogarse en un vaso de agua: To make a mountain out of a mole hill”.

No hay que ahogarse en un vaso de agua

   This proverb expresses that to complain about something as larger or greater than it really is.

  • No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo: “ Don’t count your chickens before they hatch”.

No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo

   This Spanish expression is used for the people who take for granted the things that have not been fulfilled yet.

  • Obras son amores y no buenas razones: “ Actions speak louder than words”.

Obras son amores y no buenas razones

This Spanish proverb explains that actions reveal more of one’s  character than their words. It is easy to make a     promise but it actually requires a lot of effort to do things.

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Tips on Japanese Dining Etiquette /tips-japanese-dining-etiquette/ /tips-japanese-dining-etiquette/#respond Tue, 30 Jan 2018 06:05:30 +0000 /?p=1232 Dining etiquette plays an important role in anyone’s personal and professional lives. ‘We live in a world where people are judged all the time’ ,and one […]

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Dining etiquette plays an important role in anyone’s personal and professional lives. ‘We live in a world where people are judged all the time’ ,and one always try to give the right impressions. Dining etiquette helps you to establish your reputation and self confidence. Here we are giving top 5 tips on Japanese Dining Etiquette.

Different cultures across all the countries have their own table manners and Japan  is no different. While attending a business lunch or eating with Japanese friends following these cultural knowledge can help you to shine when you go out with your Japanese colleagues.

Tips on Japanese Dining Etiquette

Japanese dining etiquette’s has varied considerably over the centuries. These top Japanese dining etiquettes will make it easy for  you and help you in a long way.

Top 5 tips on Japanese Dining Etiquette

  • Dining ExpressionsBefore the beginning of every meal Japanese people give thanks to the food they are about to eat by saying ‘itadakimasu’. They also use gochisousama’ at the end of the every meal to show their appreciation to the food they had just eaten. If you liked the food you had just eaten can compliment a dish by saying ‘oishii’ or ‘oishikatta’ (meaning: delicious food). If others had received food and you are waiting for your turn, you can simply say ‘osaki ni doozo’  (please go ahead).
  • Slurping– Slurping is acceptable in Japan while eating. It’s a Japanese belief. Inhaling the air while having soup or eating noodles makes the food taste nicer. It also shows that you enjoyed the food.
  • Drinking– Do not pour your drink yourself. You must wait for someone else to do that for you . It’s a Japanese dining etiquette where people pour drinks for other people and they get the same favour in return.
  • Oshibori (Wet towel)– You will be provided with a hot steamed towel called ‘oshibori’  to clean your hands whenever you will visit any bar or restaurant. You shouldn’t clean your face or neck with oshibori. It is considered to be impolite.
  • Chopstick etiquettes-  Using chopsticks properly is an essential etiquette. It is one of the most concerned table manners in Japan. Not only they should be held properly but also must be placed at a proper place ‘hashioki’ (a chopstick stand) after eating.

Following rules must be observed for using chopsticks properly:

  • While talking you should not point your chopsticks at someone.
  • You should not stab the food with your chopsticks. Instead pick up your food by sticking your chopstick into the  food.
  • Don’t play with your chopsticks or rub them together.
  • While taking food from the communal dishes you must use the other end of the chopsticks. The end which you don’t put in your mouth.

These japanese dining etiquettes will help you to set yourself  easily and comfortably among your japanese colleagues.

For other related articles:
Love French
Top 10 French Idioms
Top 10 German Slang
Top 10 Spanish Native Idioms
Rules for Sanskrit sentence structure

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Rules for Sanskrit sentence structure /rules-sanskrit-sentence-structure/ /rules-sanskrit-sentence-structure/#respond Wed, 24 Jan 2018 06:22:32 +0000 /?p=1214 If you want to learn Sanskrit then you must follow these top 5 rules for Sanskrit sentence structure which will help you to  frame  sentences in […]

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If you want to learn Sanskrit then you must follow these top 5 rules for Sanskrit sentence structure which will help you to  frame  sentences in Sanskrit easily.

Top 5 Rules for Sanskrit sentence structure

Rules for Sanskrit sentence structure

सरलं संस्कृतम् (Simple Sanskrit)

Sanskrit evolved from the word Samskritam (संस्कृतम्) is the oldest language known to a man, which also classifies the literary Indian language. It is the richest literature known to the mankind and also called ‘The Mother Language’ as all other languages have been arisen or evolved from it.
Sanskrit is considered as a ‘distinctive language’ because it is mainly used for religious and scientific verbalization and is also believed to be the language of the gods. Many universally accepted scriptures like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita and Vedas (scriptures on humanity) has been authored in Sanskrit.

Learning Sanskrit is proved to be very beneficial as its daily use provides a good brain exercise and helps in an increase count in the grey cells which improves brain power and also brings clarity in pronunciation.

Rules for framing Sanskrit structure sentence:-

Unlike English language pattern in which subject comes first, verb appears in the middle, and the object comes last (SVO in short), Sanskrit is an SOV grammatical structure.

For example:

Three boys are  playing  football
          Subject    Verb       Object

त्रयः बालकाः  पादकन्दुकं  क्रीडन्ति
       Subject  Object   Verb

The words in Sanskrit carries an extra information with them, this makes Sanskrit more flexible in placing the words than English. First word in any sentence has more emphasis and it should be focused more, but changing the word order in Sanskrit still the basic idea of the sentence remains the same.

In any sentence we frame the number and the person of the verb must match the number and person of the subject irrespective of the gender.

If the noun used is अस्मद् शब्द (asmad shabda) the verb form is always in second person.

If the noun used is युस्मद् शब्द (yusmad shabda) the verb form is always in first person.

For other related articles:

Love French

Top 10 French  Idioms

Top 10 German Phrases

Top 10 Spanish Native Idioms

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