# A few questions about the similarities and differences between German and English.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551 "2001-04-02T22:04:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551/21 "2003-12-29T07:33:10Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Coldfire \*  
> **Also, the conjugation would be _Er laüft_. Third person present tense of a strong verb gets an Umlaut, I believe the rule is (how’s THAT for a Germanic sentence structure :D).**

I could be wrong, but I thought it was _Er läuft_, with the umlaut over the A and not the U. Let me make this correction with the disclaimer that I have only completed German 101, but I _did_ get 100% on my final. 🆒

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551/22 "2003-12-29T07:34:37Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Coldfire \*  
> **Also, the conjugation would be _Er laüft_.**

And to be pedantic 2½ years after the fact, it would actually be _Er läuft._ And AFAIK, you have to have an article in there, leaving either “Er läuft zu der Schule,” or “Er läuft zur Schule.”

And I’ve always used _laufen_ for “run” and _spazieren_ for “walk”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![olham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@olham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olham)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551/23 "2003-12-29T08:30:12Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> ACHTUNG! ALLES LOOKENSPEEPERS!
> 
> Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben. Ist easy droppenpacket der routers und overloaden der backbone mit der spammen und der me-tooen. Ist nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und watchen das cursorblinken.

As to the OP’s question, I always heard there was some king who rudely called his (individual) subjects “you” even though he should have said “thou” (“thee”?) and eventually, that caught on.

Cliff

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-questions-about-the-similarities-and-differences-between-german-and-english/60551.md?page=1)