But in BaWü the humour seems to revolve about how they speak.
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6 comments
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October 20, 2009 at 8:11 pm
MG
Cute!
October 21, 2009 at 8:43 pm
CN Heidelberg
I’m better at Massachusetts~!
October 23, 2009 at 3:48 am
Paul Smith
Is Massachusetts really that hard to pronounce? Does it have sounds that don’t occur in German? I have much more trouble with Karlsrühe, but I also have trouble with umlauts as a rule. (I don’t even attempt umlauted O’s. Those hurt me.)
October 23, 2009 at 8:34 am
annonamoose
No ü in Karlsruhe, so really an “oo” for the “u” is ok. The r is more problematic for English speakers. I think the one woman is from Franken, the way she rolls the r, but I have terrible ears.
I would say that none of the interviewees were from the area, because in the ka area, it’s pronounced “Kahls ROO”.
I think the problem with MA is more an issue of reading it. Where do the syllable breaks go. An the ch in German is pronounced gutturally – like the one guy said – maaahsah who sets. Strangely enough, they don’t really have a “j” sound, so Germany often comes out “Chermany”. It’s not that they can’t make the sound, it’s that they don’t apply it to the proper letters. (See all w and V confusion as in “weee for wictory”).
November 26, 2009 at 9:11 pm
John B
I used to work with an Austrian guy (went on to become CEO of Etihad) who suffered from the classic w/v syndrome.
We’d say “What sort of aircraft’s that, Bob?”
“It’s a Wickers Wiscount”
“No, mate. You’re wrong. It’s definitely a Wickers Wanguard…”
November 26, 2009 at 9:25 pm
John B
Wir können alles – ausser hochdeutsch…