# German translation question: 99 Luftballoons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585 "2017-03-20T02:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/1 "2017-03-20T02:46:48Z")
Is the word in German closer in meaning to “aloft balloons” or “lift balloons”? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/2 "2017-03-20T02:52:50Z")
luft = air mc ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/3 "2017-03-20T02:53:59Z")
“Luftballons” (note the spelling) simply means “balloons”. “Luft” in German means “air”, hence Lufthansa = air guild, Luftwaffe = air force. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/4 "2017-03-20T09:00:21Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > “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 ! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/5 "2017-03-20T15:08:00Z")
For the American translation they called them “red balloons” to keep the meter. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/6 "2017-03-20T15:25:22Z")
Air balloons? Is there another kind? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/7 "2017-03-20T15:28:38Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Air balloons? Is there another kind? Water balloons! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/8 "2017-03-20T15:29:47Z")
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. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > For the American translation they called them “red balloons” to keep the meter. 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? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/9 "2017-03-20T15:29:56Z")
The literal translation is ‘air balloons’. In English, we would call them ‘toy balloons’ or just ‘balloons’. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/10 "2017-03-20T15:30:18Z")
ballon = ball luftballon = air ball mc ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/11 "2017-03-20T15:34:11Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/12 "2017-03-20T15:37:54Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > You’ve never filled a balloon with water or milk? Milk? What on earth for? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/13 "2017-03-20T15:41:35Z")
A cow costume on halloween, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/14 "2017-03-20T15:43:52Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > If I just blow up a balloon with my own breath, would the German word still be 'luftballon? Okay, what the heck do you breathe if it isn’t air? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/15 "2017-03-20T15:52:46Z")
I think he was asking if luftballon implies a floating (i.e. helium filled) balloon. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/16 "2017-03-20T15:56:01Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/17 "2017-03-20T15:57:39Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Milk? What on earth for? > [@The\_Tooth](#): > > A cow costume on halloween, maybe. 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). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/18 "2017-03-20T16:32:36Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > 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? 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.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/19 "2017-03-20T17:33:22Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > ballon = ball > > luftballon = air ball > > mc 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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Mass_Ascension.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![allyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@allyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/allyn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/20 "2017-03-20T17:33:56Z")
An excuse to post a cover of “99 Luftballoons” I shot when I lived in the UK: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qmemEh9vR2E/maxresdefault.jpg "Nife at The Macbeth 26-Sept-2012") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmemEh9vR2E) (Nicole Fermie and her old band Nife) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585.md?page=2)