There Are Lots of Ways to Say I Love You in German

There Are Lots of Ways to Say I Love You in German A widespread clichà © of Americans among Germans is that they tend to love everybody and everything and do not shrink from telling everybody about it. And to be sure, Americans do tend to say â€Å"I love you† more often than their counterparts in German-speaking countries. Why Not UseIch Liebe Dich Liberally Sure, â€Å"I love you† translates literally as â€Å"Ich liebe dich† and vice versa. But you cant sprinkle this phrase quite so liberally throughout your conversation as you might in English.  There are many different ways to tell people that you like or even love them. You only say â€Å"Ich liebe dich† to somebody you really, really love- your long-term girlfriend/boyfriend, your wife/husband, or somebody you have very strong feelings for. Germans dont say it rashly. It is something they must feel sure about. So if youre in a relationship with a German-speaker and waiting to hear those three little words, dont despair. Many would rather avoid using such a strong expression until they are completely sure its true. Germans Use Lieben Less Frequently Than... In general, German speakers, particularly older ones, use the word â€Å"lieben† less frequently than Americans do. They are more likely to use the phrase Ich mag (I like) when describing something. Lieben is considered a powerful word, whether you are using it about another person or an experience or an object. Younger people, who have been more influenced by American culture, may tend to use the word lieben more often than their older counterparts. Just a bit less intense might be â€Å"Ich hab’ dich lieb† (literally, I have love for you) or just â€Å"ich mag dich† which means â€Å"I like you†.   This is the phrase used to tell your feelings to beloved family members, relatives, friends or even your partner (especially in an early stage of your relationship). It is not as binding as using the word â€Å"Liebe†. There is a huge difference between â€Å"lieb† and â€Å"Liebe†, even if there is just one letter more. To tell somebody you like him as â€Å"ich mag dich† is just not something you would tell everyone. Germans tend to be economical with their feelings and their expressions. The Right Way to Express Affection But there is another way of expressing affection: â€Å"Du gefllst mir† is hard to translate properly. It wouldn’t be suitable to equal it with â€Å"I like you† even it is indeed rather close. It means more than you are attracted to somebody- literally you please me. It can be used to mean you like somebodys style, their way of acting, the eyes, whatever–perhaps more like â€Å"you are lovely†. If you have made the first steps and acted and especially talked correctly to your beloved, you can go further and tell him or her that you have fallen in love: â€Å"Ich bin in dich verliebt† or â€Å"ich habe mich in dich verliebt†. Rather ponderous, right? It all comes together with the basic tendency of Germans to be rather reserved until they really know you.

Role Plays to Practice Compromising

Role Plays to Practice Compromising The art of compromise is essential to any negotiation. Use the following role plays to help your students learn how to make compromises and negotiate with tact. This lesson can be used in a wide variety of situations such as business English role plays or other advanced skills classes. Its important to check students use of standard phrases to improve their negotiating and compromising skills in English. Lesson Outline Give students a few examples of situations which call for negotiation and compromise.Elicit phrases you might use when making compromises and write them on the board.Ask students to first write out a few sentences using each of the forms you have written on the board (see further suggestions below to help get the discussion started).Break students up into pairs. Ask students to read through the situations and choose at least three situations they would like to practice.Ask students to choose the situation they felt they negotiated the most successfully with fair compromises.Students write up a dialogue on the role play they have chosen.Students act out their negotiations in front of the class. Encourage acting skills! Useful Phrases for Compromising Negotiating a Compromise I see your point, however, dont you think that ...Im afraid thats not true. Remember that ...Try to see it from my point of view.I understand what youre saying, but ...Imagine for a moment that you are ... Asking for Compromise How flexible can you be on that?I’m ready to agree if you can ...If I agree, would you be willing to ...?We would be willing to ..., provided, of course, that ...Would you be willing to accept a compromise? Negotiating a Compromise Role Play Choose a role play from one of the following scenarios. Write it up with your partner, and perform it for your classmates. Writing will be checked for grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc., as will your participation, pronunciation,  and interaction in the role play. The role play should last at least 2 minutes. You are a student at an English school in the US or the UK.  You’d like your parents to send you some more spending money. Telephone your father (your partner in the role play) and ask for more money. Your father feels that you are spending too much money. Come to a compromise.You are visiting your cousin (your partner) whom you haven’t seen in a long time. Catch up on all the news from your two families, as well as from your own lives.You are a student who has improved at school, but your mother/father (your partner) doesn’t feel that you have done enough. Discuss together what you can do to improve your grades, but also recognize your increased efforts.You are the aunt / uncle of your partner. Your partner wants to ask you about what life was like with your brother (your partner’s father) when you were both teenagers. Have a discussion about the old times. Compromise on how the present and the past have certain advantages and disadvantages.You would li ke to get married to a man / woman your parents do not approve of. Have a discussion with your mother / father (your partner) about your plans. Try to break the news gently, while still maintaining your desire to get married. You are having a discussion with your husband / wife (your partner) about your son who is having problems at school. Accuse each other of not being a good parent, but try to come to a conclusion that will help your child.You are a technological wizard and have a new idea for a great start-up on the internet. Try to convince your father to fund your business with a $100,000 loan. Your partner will be your father who is very skeptical about your idea because he thinks you should be a doctor.