German or French?

[Vladik]

What the language do you prefer and why?

[WeldeMikael]

At the risk of being considered as overproud, arrogant,


I say french 

[Alpo]

German. French is a beautiful language and I'd like to learn it some day but for some reason I prefer German. I don't know exactly why. It could be due to Finland having historically fairly amicable relations with Germany or something.

[Vladik]

I also prefer German. Not only because I love German people and culture, but also because it's more easy to comprehend the German speech/phonetics for a Slavic speaking person than the French one (IMO).  
But no doubt French is a very beautiful.

[Punch]

German, since it is the language that I spoke as a child.  I have noticed that many Russian words sound very similar to the German equivalent.  I like hearing French spoken, however.

[Ansgar]

I hate german, but it's still easier than french.

[Orthodox11]

I'm not a fan of either, but French is easier on the ear, though I find German comes more naturally to me since my mother tongue is also a Germanic language.

[ialmisry]

Arabic.

[Orthodox11]

Arabic.

That would also be my answer were it one of the options.

[Vladik]

I have noticed that many Russian words sound very similar to the German equivalent. 

Yes, for example Grab - Гроб or Douche - Душ

[augustin717]

French, because it was taught to us ever since the fifth grade all the way through the 12th. And I can speak and read it.

[Aindriú]

Deutsch

[Arnaud]

At the risk of being considered as overproud, arrogant,


I say french 

I would say like you said French being one of my two native tongues with Reunionese Creole.

I do not find German melodious to the ear. Looks like they chop onions when they speak, you know what I mean. Looks like there is a lot of "tsh" in their language; but I may be mistaken. Maybe it comes from their Viking ancestors who were passing their time to "tsh-op" the heads of their enemies lol. I don't know. Anyway they would have certainly chopped mine for saying all this.

I personally like Portuguese a lot, also Spanish. English.. well, not bad.

[sheenj]

I dunno, I like both. However it's so much more fun to scream in German so I guess Deutsch gets the nod.

[Ortho_cat]

french sounds better and chicks dig it 

[WeldeMikael]

french sounds better and chicks dig it 

I agree.

[Orthodox11]

To see one benefit of German, type the following into google translate set to 'from German' 'to French'

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk

[Gamliel]

Depends what you are going to do with it.

[Rufus]

To see one benefit of German, type the following into google translate set to 'from German' 'to French'

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk

Yeah, that's basically what German sounds like. But, it's still my favorite over French.

I put many years into trying to learn French, and even spent a good chunk of time in the country, but listening comprehension never came to me...very frustrating. Then in college, I did an exchange program in Deutschland and came back fluent. Apparently, some languages are just easier for certain people than others.

I find both languages ugly, but German moreso. However, German is clearer, more succinct, and more fun. France is a much more beautiful country, but the Germans have a better sense of humor. And, to my taste, better food.

[Punch]

To see one benefit of German, type the following into google translate set to 'from German' 'to French'

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk

Looks like the name of a new German armored vehicle.

[scamandrius]

German, just because so much of the scholarship in my field has been done in German much of which is not translated into English. 

There's plenty of stuff in French too, but it is, frankly (pun intended), of much poorer quality than the German materials.

[Ortho_cat]

To see one benefit of German, type the following into google translate set to 'from German' 'to French'

pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk pv zk bschk pv zk pv bschk zk bschk pv bschk bschk pv kkkkkkkkkk bschk bschk bschk

Yeah, that's basically what German sounds like. But, it's still my favorite over French.

I put many years into trying to learn French, and even spent a good chunk of time in the country, but listening comprehension never came to me...very frustrating. Then in college, I did an exchange program in Deutschland and came back fluent. Apparently, some languages are just easier for certain people than others.

I find both languages ugly, but German moreso. However, German is clearer, more succinct, and more fun. France is a much more beautiful country, but the Germans have a better sense of humor. And, to my taste, better food.

I agree that french is much more difficult to acquire listening comprehension.

[dzheremi]

I wouldn't mind learning Kalaallisut (W. Greenlandic), the official language of Greenland. Chances are at some of my distant relatives probably spoke it at some time, as my grandmother's family on my mom's side dates back to the European "discovery" of Greenland, and only came to America about a hundred years ago. No luck getting away with checking "Eskimo/Inuit/Native Arctic" on my college admissions forms, though.

(By which I mean French, I guess. There is an awful lot of Semitic linguistics and Oriental Christian material available only in French.)

[Ansgar]

I wouldn't mind learning Kalaallisut (W. Greenlandic), the official language of Greenland. Chances are at some of my distant relatives probably spoke it at some time, as my grandmother's family on my mom's side dates back to the European "discovery" of Greenland, and only came to America about a hundred years ago. No luck getting away with checking "Eskimo/Inuit/Native Arctic" on my college admissions forms, though.

(By which I mean French, I guess. There is an awful lot of Semitic linguistics and Oriental Christian material available only in French.)

Good luck. Kalaallisut is the hardest language in the world(officially). Every third year or so, our village is visited by a guy who grew up here but later moved to Greenland to work as a teacher. He always brings his pupils with him. It sounds so funny when they speak.   

[Orthodox11]

Yeah, that's basically what German sounds like.

I forgot to add "and click 'listen'" - only works with German.

[Rufus]

Yeah, that's basically what German sounds like.

I forgot to add "and click 'listen'" - only works with German.

Very funny.

[Jetavan]

German. It's like really, really old English.

[TheMathematician]

Without a doubt, french. It is a much simpler language to learn, and it just makes sense. german, on the otherhand, good luck in trying to understand it.

[lubeltri]

French, since I speak it, but I'm honestly dying to learn German once I find the time.

[jmbejdl]

I absolutely despise the sound of French (which seems to put me in a vanishingly small minority) so I'd have to say German, though as I grew up with it it doesn't actually sound like a foreign language to me. I would have to say that I actually greatly prefer Platt- to 'proper' Hochdeutsch (where my family are from the latter is effectively a foreign language - kind of like English is in Wales, though of course much more closely related) but unfortunately Hochdeutsch is much more useful.

James

[akimori makoto]

I absolutely despise the sound of French (which seems to put me in a vanishingly small minority) so I'd have to say German, though as I grew up with it it doesn't actually sound like a foreign language to me. I would have to say that I actually greatly prefer Platt- to 'proper' Hochdeutsch (where my family are from the latter is effectively a foreign language - kind of like English is in Wales, though of course much more closely related) but unfortunately Hochdeutsch is much more useful.

James

I can't stand it either, don't worry.

[dzheremi]

I also do not care for it. Thankfully I would only ever have to learn it to read background material in my field, not actually speak. Ugh.

[augustin717]

It's funny, because French is the most Germanic sounding of all Romance languages. Anyways I love it but do not care much for any Germanic language. It has more prestige than German (although German beats French when it comes to philosophy (and other narrow fields like classical philology, probably), it is spoken more extensively.

[Justin Kissel]

French!

[Jetavan]

French!

Toast.

[Justin Kissel]

French!

Toast.

Only if it's like my gram used to make. With sugar sprinkled on it. And syrup in a separate dipping bowl.

[jmbejdl]

It's funny, because French is the most Germanic sounding of all Romance languages. Anyways I love it but do not care much for any Germanic language. It has more prestige than German (although German beats French when it comes to philosophy (and other narrow fields like classical philology, probably), it is spoken more extensively.

You think French sounds Germanic? Why? Not that I think any Romance languages sound Germanic, but if I had to pick a 'closest sounding' one, as a German speaker it would have to be Italian - phonetically speaking, the vowel sounds are pure, and a number of the peculiar pronunciations of letters (z for instance) are shared. Of course the tones and rhythms of the languages are totally different (but they are with French too). The thing that totally excludes French from sounding Germanic to me (and, I think, the thing that most upsets my ear) is all the excessive nasalisation - you get any of that in German (Hoch- or Platt-). Honestly, French is the only Romance language that truly upsets my ear (Portuguese and Castillian Spanish have their peculiarities but are much, much preferrable) although the only one I actually speak well is Romanian.

James

[Tikhon29605]

I speak both French and German, and I have to say that I cannot choose one as "better" than the other.  They both have their pluses and their minuses.

Positives for French would be: very international, used in about half of Africa as well as France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, New Brunswick and Haiti.  Used the world over by hotel staffs (English is first, French is second), great for ordering in restaurants and for pronouncing the names of gourmet dishes correctly.  Lots of terminology in the fashion industry and interior decorating industry comes from French as well.  Because of the Norman invasion of England back in 1066, there is a plethora of French vocabulary in modern English. The National Motto of England is still in French "Dieu et mon droit" (God and my rights) and the state motto of Minnesota is still in French L'Etoile du Nord (Star of the North).  Also, lest we forget Francophone Louisiana where a lot of French is spoken even today. When you cross the border into Louisiana, the sign says "Bienvenue a La Louisiane! Welcome to Louisiana!  So there are lots of historical reasons to study French.  In addition, when you consider that the French helped the United States during the American Revolution (Battle of Yorktown) and that the French gave the United States the Statue of Liberty, and that almost half of the United States was purchased from France (thank Thomas Jefferson), there are a lot of reasons why an American might be motivated to study French.

Negatives for French: spelling and pronunciation can be difficult at times because of all the silent letters. French grammar can be complicated at times because you learn the rule, then there are at least 50 to 75 verbs that are the exception to it. French sounds beautiful to a point, but it can get rather nasal at times and if you have ever been to France, some French can sound almost as guttural as German, esp. Parisian French.  (I find the French spoken around Lyons to be smoother and more melodious to the ear).

German can be a fun language to learn, if one approaches it objectively and without prejudice, and without filtering everything through the filter of National Socialism and American movies about the Second World War.  So many people say German is an "ugly" language, but many of the people that say that have only heard little bits of German here and there in American WWII movies where people were screaming "Mach schnell!" or" Ja, mein Fuehrer!"

German is such an ancient language.  You can hear the Vikings and Beowulf in it.  If you've ever read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales you can see a lot of the German word order and verb forms that were preserved even into Middle English. Dutch and Flemish are very closely related to German. In fact, a knowledge of German even makes learning the Scandinavian languages of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian easier, since the basic vocabulary is very similar in many instances.

There is no getting around the "ugliness" of German if by "ugliness" one means guttural sounds.  German will never have the smoothness of French. Secondly because German is a "constant heavy" language, it will never have the "bounce" to it that Italian, Spanish or Greek have because it doesn't have the pattern of constant-vowel-constant-vowel. 

There is a wonderful concreteness to German, especially in the way that it creates new words. For example, hand in German is Hand. Shoes in German are Schuhe.  Gloves, therefore, in German are Handschuhe, literally "handshoes."  Other examples of concrete German words are:

Dictionary = Wortbuch  (literally, word book)
Philosopher = Denker (literally, thinker)
Television = Fernsehenapparat (literally, far-seeing apparatus)
Suicide = Selbstmord (literally, self-murder)
Carpenter = Zimmermann (literally, room man, or man who builds rooms)

And when German is sung, much of the strong gutteralness is toned down and softened.

That's about it.

[Vladik]

Tikhon29605

Wow, thank you 
 

So many people say German is an "ugly" language

German is like a rough French. At the same time it is very musculine and a bit agressive.That's why I adore it 
Thus, Rammstein is an ideal German speaking band 

Philosopher = Denker (literally, thinker)
Suicide = Selbstmord (literally, self-murder)

The same there is in Russian:
thinker - Мыслитель
suicide- самоубийство

[Punch]

German is like a rough French. At the same time it is very musculine and a bit agressive.That's why I adore it 
Thus, Rammstein is an ideal German speaking band 
 

Ah, we agree again.

[Tikhon29605]

Tikhon29605

Wow, thank you 
 

So many people say German is an "ugly" language

German is like a rough French. At the same time it is very musculine and a bit agressive.That's why I adore it 
Thus, Rammstein is an ideal German speaking band 

Philosopher = Denker (literally, thinker)
Suicide = Selbstmord (literally, self-murder)

The same there is in Russian:
thinker - Мыслитель
suicide- самоубийство

Thank you, Vladik.

I would love to try to learn Russian. However, when I mentioned that to a fellow American who speaks Russian he told me, "Well, you better get started now.  It takes a good ten years to learn Russian."  Is that accurate?  Especially for someone who has an aptitude for learning new languages?

I would like to learn a Slavic language and Russian just seems to make the most sense because it is the most widely spoken Slavic language.

[dzheremi]

Russian is very difficult if you have no background in any Slavic language. I came to study it starting age 19 with only my two native (or near native) languages, English and Spanish, under my belt. I studied for a good six or seven years in classrooms with native speakers, and outside (working alongside Russians, and going to Russian cultural and other events). I would say I achieved a "high-intermediate" level of fluency, though it is impossible to truly judge these things yourself. I could talk on pretty much any topic but the incredibly technical, watch Russian language movies without subtitles, and read Akhmatova, Pushkin, etc. in the original with few problems. Of course this was years ago now, and in the intervening years not only have I been completely outside of a Russian-speaking environment, but I now have more use for Arabic (which I took for only a year, so I can't say I'm anywhere near fluent), so I've lost it...but my case would be something of a "best case scenario", if you would be planning to go about it in a structured academic setting (not the best way, in my opinion, but it worked for me while it was still available; the Russian program at the school I was going to shut down after the instructor left to become the Russian chair at Stanford -- a good move on her part, I'd say!).

[Vladik]

Is that accurate?  Especially for someone who has an aptitude for learning new languages?

Russian is my mother tounge, so I don't know how it's difficult to learn it as a second language.
Ask Νεκτάριος, he speaks good Russian.

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