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Comments by imawordsmith

  • Hello. I loved your Ted Talks about inventing words. I have two great words I love using in English from German.

    One, "Geschenk" n. meaning to give someone something as a gift. We have NO one word in English like this and it totally saves time to tell someone, "No, you don't have to give me my pen back, I geschenk it to you."

    Two, "basteln". v. to do handicrafts/arts and crafts. The word sounds as busy as you are. E.g., Q- What are you doing? A- I am basteln a present for my mother for her birthday.

    My husband is German and my children are bi-lingual (English/German). We use these words very often and I keep telling my kids that if we use it often enough and get other people to use it too, we can get it in the English dictionary. Please help us attain this fun dream!

    Renata Rivkin Haag

    January 15, 2015

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  • I think "geschenk" is the noun, gift, and "schenken" the verb "to give as a gift". Anyway, gift is a verb in English, although not a very elegant one.

    On the whole I agree with you that English lacks good verbs for "schenken" and "basteln".

    January 22, 2015

  • Similarly, craft can also be a verb. Much beloved of food wankers in this sense.

    January 16, 2015

  • Why not, "I give it to you."?

    January 15, 2015

  • Hi! The first word, geschenk, can be translated with no spaces as begift.

    January 15, 2015

  • Hello. I loved your Ted Talks about inventing words. I have two great words I love using in English from German.

    One, "Geschenk" n. meaning to give someone something as a gift. We have NO one word in English like this and it totally saves time to tell someone, "No, you don't have to give me my pen back, I geschenk it to you."

    Two, "basteln". v. to do handicrafts/arts and crafts. The word sounds as busy as you are. E.g., Q- What are you doing? A- I am basteln a present for my mother for her birthday.

    My husband is German and my children are bi-lingual (English/German). We use these words very often and I keep telling my kids that if we use it often enough and get other people to use it too, we can get it in the English dictionary. Please help us attain this fun dream!

    Renata Rivkin Haag

    January 15, 2015