Do some Germans use synonyms unnecesarily?

[BethAnnBitt 2,953]

Call me befuddled, but I arrived as an infant to a home containing a dictionary and a thesaurus, and I suspect that most of my German friends did too.  How can a language have “too many” synonyms and how might they be “unnecessarily” employed?  Doesn’t the fun just multiply with more arrows in one’s quiver?  🤷‍♀️ 😂  

[LukeSkywalker 7,630]

2 hours ago, karin_brenig said:

interesting discussion... first of all, I find it remarkable that OP here is quoting ARD Teletext - a tool that I personally last used in 1998.

I use that daily. I can quickly see the sport results, basically because it‘s just plain text without any advertising. I use it also to see details of a tv program or the program in general when I don‘t have a tv guide.

[alexunterwegs 548]

7 hours ago, jeba said:

Official communication has to be able to stand in court. Therefore, I can see why they use legalese German.

Ah. The power of the lawyers. You can understand why there are so many of them. Job for life. 

[Fietsrad 412]

I just read in the newspaper about Charles III, he is visiting "Europe" next week.

 

It is feared that people protesting about changes to pension law might try to "behinder" or "verhinder" his train ride from Paris to Bordeaux.

 

What is the difference between "behindern" and "verhindern"? Could the protesters do both?

..

In Germany he is visiting Berlin,.. Finowfurt and Brodowin!

[Krieg 15,027]

Hindern: to stop something

Verhindern: to prevent something, normally used in an impersonal way (it is not towards an specific person)

Behindern: to make something difficult to happen

[snowingagain 5,352]

I read today that Charles visit has had so much behindering that his his visit is well and  truly verhindert.

[Fietsrad 412]

The Schroeder-Regime introduced Hartz IV, to "forder" and "foerder" people without employment. The words are so similar but have different meanings, I was not sure which was which

 

Forden: to demand, require

 

Foerdern: to help, support

[LukeSkywalker 7,630]

33 minutes ago, Fietsrad said:

The Schroeder-Regime introduced Hartz IV, to "fordern" and "foerdern” people without employment. The words are so similar but have different meanings, I was not sure which was which

 

Fordern: to demand, require

 

Foerdern: to help, support

Corrections in bold.

[Fietsrad 412]

"Zug" is a useful word, it has at least fourteen meanings:

 

Train

Draught

Pull

Procession

Move (in chess)

What are the other meanings?

..

But not all trains are "Zuege". A single vehicle is not a procession. I guess you call it a "Bahn".

 

The single vehicles that used to run on secondary lines were called Ferkeltaxen, piglet taxis. I guess farmers used to take their beasts to market in Ferkeltaxen🐖

[Fietsrad 412]

The Germans seem to have trouble with English words. Just saw a van of a catering company delivering school meals: "cool cooking".

Hope the food is thoroughly heated before serving!🤔

 

Alternatively you could have lunch at the drive-in: "crispy Chicken", whatever that is in German.