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    English equivalents to German Pronominal/Prepositional adverbs

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    English equivalents to German Pronominal/Prepositional adverbs

    Comment

    German Pronominal/Prepositional adverbs e.g.: daraus, hierbei, wodurch, damit, and so on

    English equivalents seem to be, e.g., thereof/hence, herewith, whereby, thereby.


    When translating German sentences with pronominal adverbs, it is not so easy to find an English equivalent. The English equivalent seems archaic or unnecessary. Or maybe it is not. Often there is just a translation like on it, for it, from that, for that.


    How do I know whether there is one at all and whether it is still in use, so to say?


    Basically, I just want to know how to explain to people learning German how to use Prepositional adverbs and show some examples that make sense to them. Otherwise, how do you explain what they are ??

    AuthorMarcBerthe (719078) 02 Jun 22, 18:21
    Comment

    Niemand hat eine Idee ??

    #1AuthorMarcBerthe (719078) 03 Jun 22, 09:18
    Comment

    I can't really help with explaining to people learning German how to use prepositional adverbs, but in case it helps you, I can confirm that their equivalents often turn out to be unnecessary or out of place when translating into English.


    Also, this will push your thread back to the top of the list :-)

    #2Author Janette B. (1227601) 03 Jun 22, 11:59
    Comment

    How do I know whether there is one at all and whether it is still in use, so to say?


    Wie soll man das beantworten bzw. was stellst du dir da als Antwort vor? Wir können doch hier nicht jedes dieser Wörter detailliert erläutern.


    Ich würde die genauso erklären wie Modalpartikeln: Deutsch und Englisch funktioniert hier unterschiedlich, und die transportierte Bedeutung wird unterschiedlich ausgedrückt. Der Rest geht eigentlich nur über Beispiele.

    #3Author Gibson (418762) 03 Jun 22, 12:52
    Comment

    It might help for a start to know which English prenominal adverbs are commonly in use.

    I guess e,g. whencefrom is not one of them ....


    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Engli...


    Can generally be said, that if e.g. "for that" is in a sentence, it should better be "therefor" OR

    in that - therein

    by this - hereby

    to this - hereto

    In which - wherein

    ??



    #4AuthorMarcBerthe (719078) 03 Jun 22, 14:14
    Comment

    Re #4: Can [it] generally be said, ...


    No. If anything the opposite is true. Therein, hereby, etc. can still be found in legal or very formal writing, but otherwise have pretty much died out.

    #5Author amw (532814) 03 Jun 22, 17:52
    Comment

    OP: ... how to explain to people learning German ...

    Just for clarity: I suppose you mean people learning English?


    [Addition:]

    But if these really are English people learning German, surely you can present them with German sentences containing the prepositional adverbs and they will be able to say whether, in English, they would use the equivalent (herewith, thereby, etc.). [Probable answer: no.] If they wouldn't, you can discuss with them what would be a more normal formulation in English.


    If you want to do this in an ordered way, you could focus on one group of the words at a time, e.g. those with wo- , those with da- , etc.

    #6AuthorHecuba - UK (250280)  03 Jun 22, 18:33
    Comment

    #4 It might help for a start to know which English prenominal adverbs are commonly in use.


    I can only think of four such words that are commonly used in modern, non-formal, non-specialist English:

    whereupon:

    She criticised his behaviour, whereupon he told her in no uncertain terms to mind her own business.

    whereby:

    He devised a scheme whereby the profits went straight into his personal account.

    thereby:

    The authorities closed both roads at the same time, thereby cutting off all access to the town centre. (In this particular case one could omit "thereby".)

    Perhaps less common: thereafter: "... and for many years thereafter".


    Are there any others? Of course we may not all agree on what is formal and what isn't.


    Humorously, people sometimes say "I know whereof I speak" instead of "I know what I'm talking about".

    #7AuthorHecuba - UK (250280)  04 Jun 22, 13:25
    Comment

    #0: Basically, I just want to know how to explain to people learning German how to use Prepositional adverbs and show some examples that make sense to them. Otherwise, how do you explain what they are ??


    Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass es tatsächlich um Deutschunterricht geht: Ich erkläre normalerweise, dass z. B. "darauf" in diesem Satz "on it" entspricht (oder "womit" "with what" etc., eben je nach Kontext). Dann erkläre ich sinngemäß: Bestimmte Präpositionen verändern sich auf diese Weise, wenn sie sich auf eine Sache und nicht auf eine Person beziehen: Man stellt "da(r)-" oder "wo(r)-" vor die Präposition und lässt "dem", "das", "was" etc. weg. Beispielsweise sagt man statt "auf dem" "darauf" und statt "mit was" "womit".


    Vergleiche mit "thereon", "therewith" und Ähnlichem ziehe ich persönlich eher nicht heran. Viele meiner Schüler*innen haben nicht Englisch als Muttersprache und könnten nicht so viel damit anfangen. Bei Muttersprachler*innen würde ich solche Wörter eventuell als Beispiel nennen, um die Konstruktion zu verdeutlichen, aber definitiv darauf hinweisen, dass die deutschen Ausdrücke viel weniger formell sind.


    Hilft das?

    #8Author imaginary woman (398289)  05 Jun 22, 17:29
     
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