Is the word in German closer in meaning to “aloft balloons” or “lift balloons”?
luft = air
mc
“Luftballons” (note the spelling) simply means “balloons”. “Luft” in German means “air”, hence Lufthansa = air guild, Luftwaffe = air force.
Bolding mine. While the other two were clear to me, I had never made that particular connection, thanks !
For the American translation they called them “red balloons” to keep the meter.
Air balloons? Is there another kind?
Water balloons!
You’ve never filled a balloon with water or milk?
ETA: shakes a fist at WOOKINPANUB.
Re-ETA: according to a cursory search, the term ballon also refers to round recipients such as a round jar or flask.
I think the language is still called English. Are you under the impression that, like for Harry Potter, you guys got your own special version?
The literal translation is ‘air balloons’. In English, we would call them ‘toy balloons’ or just ‘balloons’.
ballon = ball
luftballon = air ball
mc
If I just blow up a balloon with my own breath, would the German word still be ‘luftballon?’ Or does the word ‘luftballon’ carry the connotation that it is ‘floating’ (i.e., lighter than air).
Milk? What on earth for?
A cow costume on halloween, maybe.
Okay, what the heck do you breathe if it isn’t air?
I think he was asking if luftballon implies a floating (i.e. helium filled) balloon.
The proper question may be: does “Luft” refer to where the balloon is (“in the air”) or what’s inside the balloon (“air”). I suspect that in this case “Luft” refers to the location - so a “Luftballoon” is one of those ball-shaped items you see in the air, not one of those ball-shaped items filled with air.
Or as part of an attempt for fake tits with good bounce (natillas and made-in-the-balloon flan are also popular choices for this), or to throw at your friends and get them in trouble (water evaporates cleanly, milk doesn’t). Some of my BFF’s cousins tried degassed cola once but I understand it didn’t work well, they managed to cover themselves in sticky brown liquid rather than fill the balloons (to the benefit of our own dresses, as we were the intended targets).
Why, yes I do.
Because the rest of the world including other English-speaking countries has no trouble being “continental” and handling other languages in songs. So I figured the English version was for the USofA. Did they make a fully Spanish version? A Japanese version? A French version?* Non?* I rest my case.
And yes, the original German version was more popular even in the USA. Showed those record people how unnecessary the translated version was. Apparently, the band hated it, too. While the German version is pretty “pop” rather than punk, the English translation is horribly cringeworthy.
Contrast:
99 Düsenflieger
Jeder war ein großer Krieger
“Every one a great warrior” while a bit cheesy, beats the hell out of
Ninety-nine knights of the air
Ride super high-tech jet fighters
It’s so juvenile. Especially the way she coughs out “jet-figh-URS”. And the Captain Kirk reference is wrong in either language.
Nope. Ballon=Luftballon=balloon. Ball=ball. A Luftballon is a rubber balloon filled with air or a gas lighter than air (like helium) as a children’s toy, in contrast to a Heißluftballon/Wasserstoffballon/Fesselballon.