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Terms and Vocabulary

Here is a page of some common terms and German vocabulary that I will use throughout my blog posts! I've also included a few culture points with some of the words.

U-Bahn or Unterbahn

The common name for the subway in Germany. Unter means under and Bahn means train. 

S-Bahn or Stadtschnellbahn

The city rail or city trains. Stadt means city, Schnell means fast, and Bahn is train. So together, city-fast-train! We love German compound nouns.

Döner

Döner is a famous and popular dish in Berlin that has Turkish origins. It consists of grilled Pita with either shaved beef or chicken and vegetables. Usually served with fries and a coke.

Tiergarten

The Tiergarten is the Central Park of Berlin! It is about 1.8 miles across and filled with waterways, fields, walking and bike paths, and fields. 

Lüften

Lüften is the principle of ventilating indoor spaces. In Germany, there can be legal requirements to open windows at least 10-15 minutes per day, even in the winter. This is to prevent mold build-up from humidity indoors. However, Germans believe a little bit of fresh air can solve many problems. 

Fernsehturm

The Alexanderplatz Fernsehturm, or TV tower, was built by the DDR - the East German government. It was a symbol of power and strength and remains the tallest building in Berlin. I love seeing this piece of history almost every day!

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