Conclusion - đŸŽŒ Kaffee oder Tee

A Little Culture If I May

There's a few noteable words and phrases in this song. Remember that no one expects you to understand the grammar behind the songs yet nor to remember many words. Pick a phrase or two if you like but above all you shall enjoy listening to the music and the singing.

Toffifee

Toffifee, n is a very German sweet - it certainly also exists elsewhere but all Germans know this one. It looks like this:

Zucker haben

It doesn't mean that someone has actual sugar but this is colloqial for "to have diabetes". You can also have RĂŒcken "Ich hab RĂŒcken" which more or less translates as "My back is killing me."

Eine graue Maus

Would be translated as "to be a wallflower" and is describing a rather unremarkable person. A "grey mouse" is like a "weißer Schimmel" a so called pleonasm (from "pleon" = too much. No worries, no need to remember that word).

Ach + Nee + Ojemine

This is the good stuff when learning a language. The German “Ach” is a wonderfully versatile interjection. Much like English “Oh”, it conveys a range of emotions which you'll pick up as you go. In the line „Die ObstbĂ€ume blĂŒhen, Ach!“, the “Ach” expresses awe, longing, or nostalgia. It’s not surprise, irritation, or resignation, but rather a poetic sigh of beauty, tenderness, or bittersweet feeling.

"Nee" is a colloquial way of saying "Nein". When I was younger it was frowned upon by my parents. That was 40 years ago, though.

And "Ojemine" I learned today comes from "Jesu domine" meaning "(Oh,) Lord Jesus". Despite a heavy decline of the membership numbers of Christian churches over here,
we still have a few God-related expressions in German: "Oh Gott, oh Gott.", "Um Gottes Willen", "So Gott will" or "GrĂŒĂŸ Gott" "jemanden vergöttern". Look them up if you like.


Hier Spielt Die Musik

Deutsch English
"Wie sieht der denn aus?""What does he even look like?"
Er trĂ€gt ’n Jackett,He wears a blazer
das ist viel zu großthat's way too big
dazu nen Katzen-Pullunder,and a cat-pullover,
wer trĂ€gt so was bloß?who would wear something like that?
karierte Hose, schwarze Schuhe.checkered pants, black shoes.
wie eine graue Maus.like a grey little mouse.
Ich lass ihn mal in Ruhe,I'll just leave him be,
besorgt sieht er aus.he looks worried to me.
Kommen Sie doch herein.Do come in, please.
Kaffee oder Tee?Coffee or tea?
Was darf’s denn sein?What would you like?
Vielleicht noch 'n Toffifee?Maybe a Toffifee as well?
Milch oder Zucker?Milk or sugar?
Ein PlÀtzchen dazu?A cookie to go with it?
Schwarz bitte, ich mag es bitter.Black please, I like it bitter.
und GebÀck ist tabuand pastries are off-limits
(Stefan hat nÀmlich Zucker)(Stefan has diabetes, you see)
Er bittet die beiden, einzutreten.He asks them to come inside.
Das kleine HĂ€uschen, weiß gestrichenThe little house, painted white
oben drauf ein Ziegeldach.a tiled roof on top.
Die ObstbĂ€ume blĂŒhen, Ach!Fruit trees in bloom — ah!
Und im Garten stehen zwei HundehĂŒtten.And two doghouses stand in the yard.
“Möchten Sie vielleicht nen Tee?”“Would you like some tea maybe?”
“Gerne” sagt Stefan, Simone sagt “Nee!”“Gladly,” says Stefan. Simone says “Nah!”
Sie stellt dem MĂŒller ‘ne schlaue Frage.She asks MĂŒller a clever question.
Der aber sagt nur: “Ojemine!”But he just says: “Oh dear me!”
Kommen Sie doch herein.Do come in, please.
Kaffee oder Tee?Coffee or tea?
Was darf’s denn sein?What would you like?
Vielleicht noch 'n Toffifee?Maybe a Toffifee as well?
Milch oder Zucker?Milk or sugar?
Ein PlÀtzchen dazu?A cookie to go with it?
Schwarz bitte, ich mag es bitter.Black please, I like it bitter.
und GebÀck ist tabuand pastries are off-limits
(Stefan hat nÀmlich Zucker)(Stefan has diabetes, you see)
Der Kaffee war noch zu heiß.The coffee was still too hot.
Stefan verbrennt sich die Zunge.Stefan burns his tongue.
Er schreit leise: "So'n Scheiß!"He shouts quietly: “What crap!”
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