Relaxed Pronunciation - German

German

  • Ich ("I") → ch/(sch) Ich weiss. ("I know") → Schweiss (would translate, literally, to "sweat". A common source of some well known jokes)
  • Du ("you", singular) → de/d - Weisst Du ("you know") → Weisste
  • Wir ("we") → mer - Können wir ... ("can we") => Kö(n)mmer ..., Kennen wir! ("we know") → Ke(n)mmer!
  • Das ("this/the") → (d)s - Das Pferd dort ("The horse over there") → 's Pferd dort'
  • es ("it") → s - Es regnet ("It's raining") → s regnet
  • Ist ("is") → is/s - ist das möglich ("is this possible") → isses möglich
  • denn ("then, actually, anyway") → (d)n - Was ist denn los? ("What's up") → Wasn los?

A wide range of possible pronunciations can be found in the negatory 'nicht ("not") depending on the dialect region.

  • Nicht ("not") → nich (mostly in Northern Germany)/nit (Cologne region)/net (southern hessian)/et (swabian)/ni (saxonian) - Können wir nicht einfach... ("Can't we simply ...") → Kömmer nich einfach...

See also Synalepha

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