- Jan 9, 2013
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Basically we use "wie" when we ask for attributes/characteristics/properties. Example: "Wie hast Du das gebaut?" (How did you build that?), based on the elementary school sentence: "Wie ist >etwas<?" (How is >something<). So you use it primarily only for attributes. You would answer: "Ich habe das schnell gebaut." (I've built it quickly)
We use "was" for things/places... But also for the attributes/... .Example: 1. "Was ist das?" (What's that?) or: 2. "Was bedeutet das?" (What does that mean?), basend on the elementary school sentence "Was ist >etwas<?" (What is >something<). So you use it primarily only for things. You would answer: 1. "Das ist ein Tier." (This is an animal) or: 2. "Das bedeutet, dass es schwarz ist." (This means that it's black)
There are so many other cases which these rules haven't any meaning so this is pure basic.
German -> English translations could be wrong with reference to the tenses.
We use "was" for things/places... But also for the attributes/... .Example: 1. "Was ist das?" (What's that?) or: 2. "Was bedeutet das?" (What does that mean?), basend on the elementary school sentence "Was ist >etwas<?" (What is >something<). So you use it primarily only for things. You would answer: 1. "Das ist ein Tier." (This is an animal) or: 2. "Das bedeutet, dass es schwarz ist." (This means that it's black)
There are so many other cases which these rules haven't any meaning so this is pure basic.
German -> English translations could be wrong with reference to the tenses.
- Nov 5, 2010
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So when I use wie to ask for your Telefonnummer, it's like, I already know your have Telefonnummer, but I'm asking for its attribute (the number sequence). Thus, wie. Do I get it right?
So is "Wie heißen Sie" more like " How do you spell your name" instead of "What is your name"?
So is "Wie heißen Sie" more like " How do you spell your name" instead of "What is your name"?
If you take word by word it would be: "How call you?" which is completely bullshit 
You know that the number/name exist, but you want to know how the number row. Names are not completely the same :D
But she would tell you her name (for example you're asking a woman) by pronouncing the whole word, not letter by letter. So you would catch the name as a word, so she would tell you the word which is her name. The name describes the person, so it's "Wie heißen Sie" instead of "Was heißen Sie". "Was" is here completely wrong and has no sense! That's why there "Wie" has been used. Like the numbers. Numbers in a row describe a bigger number like a telephone numer.
"Wie heißen Sie?" would be the correct translation of "What's your name?". Not word by word but corresponding to its sense.
// In the end I could ask you: Why do you use "What's her/his/your/its name" instead of "How is your name"? But we know that it isn't the common sense to compare 2 different languages word by word, so my question is just a little counterquestion to understand that we both have problems to understand the other language itself.
Like the Netherlands: They only got "De" for "Der/Die/Das" in German. So they always saying one word out of the three to describe a thin e.g., because it's so hard to understand. Just learning skill after all, but they depend to the sex of the word like the male/female. You would say "The male, the woman." But we're saying "Der Mann, die Frau" because of its sex.
You know that the number/name exist, but you want to know how the number row. Names are not completely the same :D
But she would tell you her name (for example you're asking a woman) by pronouncing the whole word, not letter by letter. So you would catch the name as a word, so she would tell you the word which is her name. The name describes the person, so it's "Wie heißen Sie" instead of "Was heißen Sie". "Was" is here completely wrong and has no sense! That's why there "Wie" has been used. Like the numbers. Numbers in a row describe a bigger number like a telephone numer.
"Wie heißen Sie?" would be the correct translation of "What's your name?". Not word by word but corresponding to its sense.
// In the end I could ask you: Why do you use "What's her/his/your/its name" instead of "How is your name"? But we know that it isn't the common sense to compare 2 different languages word by word, so my question is just a little counterquestion to understand that we both have problems to understand the other language itself.
Like the Netherlands: They only got "De" for "Der/Die/Das" in German. So they always saying one word out of the three to describe a thin e.g., because it's so hard to understand. Just learning skill after all, but they depend to the sex of the word like the male/female. You would say "The male, the woman." But we're saying "Der Mann, die Frau" because of its sex.
- Sep 13, 2013
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You're welcome! When you need more help with another problem with this crazy language you know where to find me
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zad!
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