Help your fluency in a nifty way

[hwhatting]

Ich wollte eine Anspielung auf "Zuckerbäckerstil" machen mögen.
I was trying to play off multiple meanings of "gingerbread".

Dat werkt niet op Duits, helaas.
That doesn't work in German, unfortunately.

[linguoboy]

Donnerwetter, Deutsch, warum musst du so'n langweiliger Peter sein?
Dangit, German, why do you have to be such a Debby Downer?

[Frislander]

I was trying to play off multiple meanings of "gingerbread".

Comme ci?
Like these?

Je ne crois pas que l'Urban Dictionary est sérieux mais quand même...
I don't believe the Urban Dictionary is reliable but still...

[jal]

Dat werkt niet in het Duits, helaas*.

*No problem with postponing "helaas", but I'd consider it slightly marked. Typically, it'd be "Dat werkt helaas niet in het Duits."

Außerdem habe ich nichts zu sagen.
I have nothing more to say.


JAL

[finlay]

いやあ、いきなり風邪ひいた。うわー
I suddenly caught a cold, last night, blugh...

でも、そんなに強くないと感じている。早く治りますように〜明日仕事あるからなぁ
but i don't feel like it's that strong. hope i can get better soon! tomorrow i have work...............

[Ryusenshi]

Hier soir, le "Selwyn Snowball" s'est passé.

I think I said it before: reflexive verbs always use être as their auxiliary.

J'étais devenu si ivre que j'ai crié dehors de ma salle à quatre heures du matin.

Ditto: devenir uses être.

C'était cathartique en fait.
I was quite cathartic in fact.

I'm assuming you meant "It was quite cathartic". In general, when a pronoun replaces a clause, an idea, a general state of affairs, it's ce / ça. You only use il when replacing a specific object (or, of course, person).[@] A good rule of thumb: if you can tell the gender of the antecedent (because it's a specific noun), you can use il or elle. If you can't because it's too vague, use ce / ça.

[@] Not counting impersonal verbs like il pleut, which always take il as their subject.

À la plupart des collèges, il y a un "May Ball" chaque année à la fin des examens.

*de les -> des. Similarly:
*de le -> du
*à le -> au
*à les -> aux

More subtly: en fin d'examen means "at the end of each exam"; à la fin des examens means "at the end of the exams period". I'm not exactly sure why, but the distinction seems pretty clear.

More cultural than linguistic: in most French-speaking countries, collège means "junior high school". You should probably say université here.

Sacrebleu.
Bloody hell.

Interesting translation. Sacrebleu is old-fashioned and very mild, closer to "gosh" or "golly".

Non, ce n'était pas ça sans aucun doute!

See above.

C'est dommage que nous ne célébrions pas le jour de Saint Nicolas en Grande-Bretagne.

Bretagne means "Brittany", while Grande-Bretagne means "Great Britain". In English, the two have diverged, so the "Great" is optional. That's not the case in French.

[linguoboy]

[@] Not counting impersonal verbs like il pleut, which always take il as their subject.

Même au registre familier? En Louisiane on dit aussi "ça mouille", "ça fait deux ans", etc.
Even in the colloquial? In Louisiana you also say "ça mouille", "ça fait deux ans", etc.

[Ryusenshi]

Even in the colloquial? In Louisiana you also say "ça mouille", "ça fait deux ans", etc.

Esos no son verbos impersonales. Hablaba de verbos como pleuvoir, falloir, neiger; la mayor parte son verbos que hablan del tiempo que hace. Es posible decir ça neige beaucoup, de verdad. Pero es un poquito diferente de verbas como ça fait, c'est. Con pleuvoir, il es la regla y ça la excepción.
These aren't impersonal verbs. I was talking about verbs such as pleuvoir, falloir, neiger; most of them are about the weather. It's indeed possible, colloquially, to say ça neige beaucoup. But it's a bit different from verbs such as ça fait, c'est. For the former, il is the rule and ça the exception, even without a clear antecedent.

Mouiller no es un verbo impersonal, pues si se quiere utilizar sin subjeto (significando "llueve"), se necesita decir ça mouille. Yo no deciría "il mouille" con ese significación. (Hay una canción infantil que hace Il pleut, il mouille, pero es para el paralelismo). En otras situaciones, il mouille quelque chose significa "él moja algo", o con una barca, il mouille près du Havre significa "está enclado cerca de El Havre"
Mouiller isn't an impersonal verb, so if you want to use it impersonally (as an alternative to il pleut), you have to say ça mouille: I wouldn't use "il mouille" in this context (OK, there's a nursery rhyme that goes Il pleut, il mouille, but the parallelism allows a slight bending of the rules). In other contexts, il mouille quelque chose means "he gets something wet"; or, when speaking about a boat, il mouille près du Havre means "it is anchored near Le Havre".

[Aya]

Indoobendam ingaganawaabandaan Nangoog Miigaadwin! Ingikendam anishinaabe-wiinzowin gii-onji-ozhitood o'ow:

I'm excited to see Star Wars! I know the Ojibwe name because someone made this:



(Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/178244097723039919/)

EDIT 12/16: Niinaanen-ganawaabandaan niniigi'igoog miinawaa niin waabang! Wii-niinaanen-ganawaabandaan The Last Turn to the Dark Side noongom. ^.^

My parents and I are going to see it tomorrow! We might watchThe Last Turn to the Dark Side tonight.

(It's a valiant attempt to make the prequels as good as possible through the power of editing, and it does a surprisingly good job.) (Sorry for switching to English; I don't know of any Ojibwe words for "editing", "prequels", "valiant", etc....)

[linguoboy]

Heute ist mein letzter Tag im Büro bis im neuen Jahr.
Today's my last day at work until next year.

Ich sollte unbedingt was machen, gäll?
I really should accomplish something, shouldn't I?

[Aya]

Maagizhaa maajii-daa-ozhibii'ang gaa-aabita-biboong aanji-bimaadizid wayiiba.

I guess you could get your list of New Year's resolutions started early.

[Ziz]

!יורד פה שלג למרות שזה לא היה בתחזית. איזה נס לחג המולד
Yored pò šeleg lamrot še-zè lo hayà ba-taḥazit. Eizè nes le-ḥag ha-molad!

Hit snīweþ hēr, þēah þe man ne foresæġde snāw. Hit is Cristemæsse wundorweorc!
It's snowing here (Milwaukee, WI), even though it wasn't in the forecast. It's a Christmas miracle!

[Travis B.]

Bist du in Milwaukee? Es schneit hier in Oconomowoc auch. Glücklicherweise sollte es nicht morgens schneien, wenn ich nach dem Hause meiner Schwester in Illinois fahre.
You're in Milwaukee? It snowed here in Oconomowc too. Luckily it shouldn't snow tomorrow, when I am going to my sister's house in Illinois.

[Aya]

Giizoogipon ezhi-Texas ishkwaaj giizis. Bi-mayagi-danakamigad.
It also snowed here in Texas last month, which is very strange in our area.

און 'ענער לשון'ז װאָס? לשון-קודש?
Un yener loshn iz vos? Loshn koydesh?
And what language is that? Is it Hebrew?

[Ziz]

.כן, זאת עברית, אבל לא נראה לי שהיו קוראים למה שכתבתי עכשיו בשם ״לשון הקודש״. המונח הזה שמור לשפות ארמית ועברית כפי שהן משמשות בהקשר דתי או מקראי, אבל ״שפת הרחוב״ לא נחשבת
Ken, zot ‘ivrit, aval lo nir'à li še-hayu ḳor'im le-mà še-katavti ‘akhšaṿ "lašon ha-ḳodeš." Ha-munaḥ ha-zè šamur la-śafot aramit ṿe-‘ivrit kfi še-hen mešamšot be-heḳšer dati o miḳra'i, aval "‘śfat ha-reḥov" lo neḥševet.
Yep, it's Hebrew, but I don't think anyone would call what I wrote "the holy language." That term is reserved for Aramaic and Hebrew as used in a religious or scriptural context, but "the language of the street" isn't thought of that way.

!נכון. השלג עבר אבל הגיע קור פסיכי במקום. אישית אני מעדיף את השלג
Nakhon. Ha-šeleg ‘avar aval higia ḳor psikhi bimḳom. Išit ani ma‘adif et ha-šeleg!
Yep. The snow is gone but now it's gonna be crazy cold instead. Personally, I prefer the snow!

[Aya]

אַך, מײַן טאָע. זשע סיז עבֿרריתּ?
Akh, mayn toes. zhe s'iz ivrit?
Oops, my mistake. "Ivrit", then?

ון פֿאַר װאָס מײַן פֿראַגע-צײכן יז געגאַנגען די התחלה פֿון דאָס זאַץ?! , ױ װאַװױ.
Oy vavoy, un far vos mayn frage-tseykhn iz gegangen di haskhole fun dos zats?!
G-ddammit, and why did my question mark go to the beginning of the sentence?!

Giidakaayaa miinawaa giinoodin noongom. Enda-nidebizimin.
It was cool and breezy today. We're very lucky.

[finlay]

ヘブライ語は逆だから。ボードのソフトは左から右で、混ぜるのは出来ない感じ
Cos Hebrew is backwards. The board software is left to right, and never the twain shalt mix

[Astraios]

ヘブライ語は逆だから。ボードのソフトは左から右で、混ぜるのは出来ない感じ
Cos Hebrew is backwards. The board software is left to right, and never the twain shalt mix

Ot ainer vun die Grunten, varwannen halt ich letztens in pruwen uistrachten var Jidisch a latijnische Orthographie, wos soll nischt uisseen kain miësen phonetischen Hurentranskriptie, welche varchurvet all die dialektische Vokalensystemen zuglijch. Die Versie stellt mich noch nischt inganzen zufrieden (varwoor, <ij>?), ober laienen wert sie gern gilaient, unn rechent eppas die mittelheuchdijtsche Etymologie oich arijn. Wos meer, eider es sogt eimetzer, jo, ich waiss, es seet dem varkrimmten Mamzer Dijtsch unn Hollendisch uis, unn nain, derwart ich nischt derzu, abiwer soll hoben sie gern oder lernen zu banitzen sie, ober mich kennt ir nischt stoppen.

Which is one reason why I’ve been trying lately to come up with a Latin orthography for Yiddish that won’t look like an ugly-ass phonetic slut transcription that simultaneously ruins all the dialectal vowel systems. I’m still not completely happy with this version (<ij>, really?), but it is easy enough to read, and takes the Middle High German etymology into account too. Also, before anyone says it, yes, I know it looks like the bastard offspring of German and Dutch, and no, I don’t expect anyone else to like it or learn to use it, but you can’t stop me.

Un yener loshn iz vos? Loshn koydesh?
And what language is that? Is it Hebrew?

1) Loschon is neuter, so: jenz Loschon
2) Loschon isn’t really used for “X language” like that: die Sprach
3) I’d say maybe: Unn welche Sprach is die jene?, or Woszche is die Sprach dorten?.

Akh, mayn toes. zhe s'iz ivrit?
Oops, my mistake. "Ivrit", then?

1) Zche isn’t the right word, and it can’t come at the beginning anyway; it always follows: is zche es…
2) You could just use anu, from Slavic: Anu, “Ivrit”?

Oy vavoy, un far vos mayn frage-tseykhn iz gegangen di haskhole fun dos zats?!
G-ddammit, and why did my question mark go to the beginning of the sentence?!

1) The verb should be at the front of the sentence: varwos is mijn…
2) The dative exists*: der Haskhole, vun dem Satz
3) Maybe: unn woszche is mijn Fregzaichen arijngisprungen dem Satz in Onheib?, or …in Onheib Satz.

*I don’t recognize the right to exist of pidgin Yiddishes that don’t have cases, half of whose vocabulary is English/Modern Hebrew, and whose only speakers are a bunch of zealous nutheads.

It's snowing here (Milwaukee, WI), even though it wasn't in the forecast. It's a Christmas miracle!

Do hot es nischt gischneit, chotsch ich hob es giwunscht, ober regenen hot es aropgimabbult, wos is oich giween eppas nissimdik, worn es is uns hijjoor karglich.
Here it didn’t snow, although I wished for it, but it did rain a ton, which was also sort of miraculous, because we haven’t had enough this year.

[Travis B.]

Ich mag diese Rechtschreibung besser als die übliche jiddische Rechtschreibung, auch wenn es wie das Liebkind von deutsche Rechtschreibung und niederländische Rechtschreibung aussieht.
I like this orthography better than standard Yiddish orthography, even if it looks like the love child of German orthography and Dutch orthography.

[Imralu]

Ninatazama mfululizo wa Netflix unaoitwa Stranger Things na mwigaji anayecheza polisi, David Harbour, anafanana sana na mpenzi wangu wa zamani.
I'm watching the Netflix series "Stranger Things" and the actor who plays the policeman, David Harbour, looks a lot like my ex.

anafanana sana na

Lugha hii ni nini??
What is this language??

Nje kuna milipuko bila kwisha.
There are constant explosions outside.

[ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪]

Ninatazama mfululizo wa Netflix unaoitwa Stranger Things na mwigaji anayecheza polisi, David Harbour, anafanana sana na mpenzi wangu wa zamani.
I'm watching the Netflix series "Stranger Things" and the actor who plays the policeman, David Harbour, looks a lot like my ex.

Ты уверена ты не была с Хоппэром? По моему, это было бы интересно.
Are you sure you didn't live (I don't quite know how to say this in English) with Hopper? In my opinion it could be interesting.

Nje kuna milipuko bila kwisha.
There are constant explosions outside.

Я в горах и это уже второй вечер когда моя собака лает на фейерверки.
I'm in the mountains and it is the second evening during which my dog barks at the fireworks.

[Imralu]

Ты уверена ты не была с Хоппэром? По моему, это было бы интересно.
Are you sure you didn't live (I don't quite know how to say this in English) with Hopper? In my opinion it could be interesting.

Naam, walifanana sana. Mpenzi wangu wa zamani pia alitaka kuwa polisi.
Well, they do look alike. My ex also wanted to be a policeman.

Nadhani kwamba ulitaka kusema "Una hakika kwamba hukuwa pamoja na Hopper." Tulikuwa pamoja kwa miaka mitatu na nusu lakini sikuishi naye. Aliniomba nihamie naye mara chache, lakini sikuzote nilisema "hapana".
I think you wanted to say "Are you sure you weren't with Hopper?" We were together for three and a half years but I didn't live with him. He asked me to move in with him a few times, but I always said "no".

Ты уверена ты не была с Гоппэром? По моему, это было бы интересно.

Я в горах и это уже второй вечер когда моя собака лает на фейерверки.
I'm in the mountains and it is the second evening during which my dog barks at the fireworks.

Mbwa ni wa kikwakwa!
Dogs are hilarious!

[linguoboy]

Ninatazama mfululizo wa Netflix unaoitwa Stranger Things na mwigaji anayecheza polisi, David Harbour, anafanana sana na mpenzi wangu wa zamani.
I'm watching the Netflix series "Stranger Things" and the actor who plays the policeman, David Harbour, looks a lot like my ex.

Kann sein, dass ich deinen Ex kennenlernen möchte.
I might want to meet your ex.

Der aus Ausland aus geschickte katalanlische Roman, den ich bestellt hab, ist gestern angekommen. Hurrah!
The Catalan novel that I ordered from abroad arrived yesterday. Yay!

[ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪]

I think you wanted to say "Are you sure you weren't with Hopper?"

Да, я просто не знал, можко ли так сказать тоже по-английски.
Yes, I just didn't know whether I could say it that way also in English.

Ты уверена ты не была с Гоппэром? По моему, это было бы интересно.

Смотри https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Хонеккер,_Эрих. Я не думаю, что «г» должно быть использовано здесь.
See https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Хонеккер,_Эрих. I don't think "г" should be used there.
P.S. I know URLs don't work, but I don't know how to change the Cyryllic into Latin.

[Max1461]

来学期、大学で初めて日本語のクラスをとった。４年くらい前から、日本語を習いたい。今は、ちょっと話せて、ちょっと書けるが、漢字があまりわからないのによって、読むことがとても下手。来年（２０１９の春に）、多分、日本に行って、学期で勉強する。それで、大いに日本語で進む(?)ことが要ると思う。

Last semester, I took a Japanese class for the first time at my university. I've been wanting to study Japanese for about four years or so. Now, I can speak a bit and write a bit, but the fact that I don't know too many Kanji makes it hard for me to read much. Next year (in spring 2019), I'm possibly going to study in Japan for a semester, so I think I need to improve my Japanese quite a bit.

I'm completely unsure if 日本語で進む means the right thing...

Mais, a le même temps, je n'ai pas eu une chance pour utiliser le français. Donc, maintenant, mon compétence en français a quelque peu diminue, et mon compétence en écrire le français ç'était toujours un peu mauvais. Hier, j'avais un besoin d'écrire un email un peu formel en français, et vraiment ç'était très difficile.

But, at the same time, I didn't really have a chance to use French. So, now my ability in French has gone down a bit, and my ability to write in French was always a bit bad. I had to write a somewhat formal email in French yesterday, and it was really quite hard.