Another 'German speakers' thread

Corry · Apr 5, 2009

How 'bout I just make one thread and update that same thread everytime I have a question?

I've run into a few occasoins today in which I can't find a translation on any of the sites I use or my dictionary for a certain word, or I can't find one that makes sense in the context of the sentence.

Here's one I just ran into: zusammen

Translators say "together," but the context of it is that it's in the greeting of a letter (ok, a post on a forum). "Hallo zusammen"

Is it just "Hello everyone?"

I've been trying to read German forums and news sites in order to practice and gain a better understanding of the language. If you have any suggestions I'm open.

Corry · Apr 6, 2009

'sowas.' I can't find a translation for that word, either.

Slaphead · Apr 6, 2009

Is it just "Hello everyone?"

Exactly.

'sowas.' I can't find a translation for that word, either.

Neither can I, but I understand as "Like this/that", "Something like this/that". I think it's a contraction of "so etwas" but we'll have to wait for LaFoto to clear this one up.

Corry · Apr 6, 2009

Danke!

Dmitri · Apr 6, 2009

Your best bet is to stop thinking word for word and start thinking in ideas.

spiffybeth · Apr 6, 2009

ich heisse Beth

hourglass · Apr 6, 2009

Slaphead said:
Neither can I, but I understand as "Like this/that", "Something like this/that". I think it's a contraction of "so etwas" but we'll have to wait for LaFoto to clear this one up.

I agree; "sowas"/"so was" is only used in informal contexts, though.

Corry · Apr 7, 2009

hourglass said:
I agree; "sowas"/"so was" is only used in informal contexts, though.

I came across it twice yesterday, and one of those times was in my German textbook, in a reading.

hourglass · Apr 7, 2009

I happen to be in the library at the moment, and I've just quickly looked it up in a few dictionaries - I tried to, at least: the only one I could find "so was" in was the Duden, 24th Ed., which indeed denotes it as a colloquial form of "so etwas" ("ugs. für so etwas"). According to the books I've consulted, "sowas" doesn't even exist as a proper expression, which I think is somewhat surprising, as it's really used widely in everyday speech.