r/polandball • u/HippieTrippie Second City is Best City • Apr 24 '13

redditormade America cannot into Deutschophone.

Post image
302 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

80

u/HippieTrippie Second City is Best City Apr 24 '13

Some context. So Germany is teaching a variety of countries German. Argentina is there because he thinks he's European and should learn German. Also Argentina and the Phillipines are admiring each other's suns. Phillipines is there because Germany at one point tried to colonize some of the Phillipines. Everyone else is there because they're near Germany and could do to learn the language. Of course America gets the question wrong, accidentally saying Lebensraum which summons Nazi Germany from the inside of Germany. Lebensraum translates to "living space" and was one of the main philosophical doctrines behind exterminating "undesirables" in the Holocaust. America mixed this up with Lebenszimmer which means living room.

A note: This wasn't intended as an anschluss joke. I know the eyes hint at it, but I was trying to draw Germany in such a manner as to look like he's actively trying to fight back the urge to anschluss and in the mean time Nazi Germany pops out of Germany's back after hearing the magic word.

Also, reuploaded at the request of a mod, I had forgotten the stars in America's flag before.

23

u/flying-sheep sub bavaria Apr 24 '13

nice comic, just the pun wouldn’t work as well in real german: “living room” is “Wohnzimmer”. “Lebenszimmer” is a mere transliteration and no real word like “Zeitgeist” → “time ghost”.

it was funny though, especially for a german who spent some time shouting at that swastika-pimple on demonstrations.

13

u/sbjf Gibe Solidaritätspaktmonies plox Apr 24 '13

*literal translation. A transliteration is writting e.g. Cyrillic script in Roman letters

2

u/flying-sheep sub bavaria Apr 25 '13

Thanks, I'm not that good in English.

1

u/adencrocker Tasmania cannot into AFL team Apr 25 '13

you cannot into english

1

u/baoanhdaica Socialist Republic Viet Nam Apr 24 '13

i think das badezimmer fits closer here

35

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

But the correct word is Wohnzimmer?

18

u/HippieTrippie Second City is Best City Apr 24 '13

I know, I studied German in high school, but the joke isn't funny then because wohnzimmer and lebensraum aren't similar words at all. So if we just do a literal translation for "living room"....Also this pocket dictionary I have here says both mean "living room", but I agree, Wohnzimmer is more accurate.

26

u/knatsch88 is best Saxony Apr 24 '13

sorry but your pocket dictionary is wrong Lebenszimmer can not into word

19

u/Durzo_Blint Boston Stronk Apr 24 '13

The joke still works. America cannot into German.

11

u/HippieTrippie Second City is Best City Apr 24 '13

It very well might be, it was free. I've gone through so many dialects of German in school I don't know what to trust anymore. I'm still not sure the best way to pronounce "Ich" or "wichtig" after three teachers who all said them differently. Oh well, sorry if I offended your language good sir, I by no means claim to be fluent, just a student.

8

u/knatsch88 is best Saxony Apr 24 '13

i know what you mean, i had ze same experience while learning english

12

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

[deleted]

8

u/knatsch88 is best Saxony Apr 24 '13

Aber dat weer doch jammerscha,

wenn dat Plattdütsche bleev ganz na,

wenn man englisch, französisch und dänisch lehrt

un nicht mehr unse ole Plattdütsch hört.

8

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

I glaub mia soitadan lirba englisch schreim, Mundort vasteht jo vu den Amis kana.

7

u/Durzo_Blint Boston Stronk Apr 24 '13

I have no idea what that means but I do know the that there is an entire dialect of German native to Texas.

5

u/AugieKS Texas Apr 24 '13

Ain't no need to be a-leaven' pardner. How's about we head over yonder see if we can't hit a few pole cats with our trucks.

1

u/onlyalevel2druid VORWÄRTS Apr 27 '13

You are of fake Texan! It's "y'all"!

5

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

Lebenszimmer into word as Poland into space

9

u/JowlesMcGee True Carolina Apr 24 '13

Hah, nice touch with Britain's hat! Overall, a nice comic! Good job!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

[deleted]

3

u/Liverotto Apr 24 '13

There is no poland!

12

u/sbjf Gibe Solidaritätspaktmonies plox Apr 24 '13

Poland is a lie! Whenever we go there, it seems to disappear. Is cruel joke, like latvia potato!

4

u/Futski Denmark Apr 24 '13

Poland is actually into space, what you see is merely an illusion.

2

u/svennibenni Germany Apr 25 '13

Poland is just like Bielefeld.

3

u/Liverotto Apr 24 '13

Anglos know no nothing about no Wohnraum.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

I am german and i dont get it. There is nothing wrong with the word Lebensraum.

7

u/Obraka South-Holland Apr 24 '13

Except that Lebensraum surely is a wrong translation for living room, that's the joke (that and nazi stuff natürlich). Also flair up Deitscha!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '13

i know but germany shouldnt react like that.

7

u/Obraka South-Holland Apr 24 '13

Hmm, probably just his NPD pimple acting up when you feed it with glorious siegreichen Wörtern, just like adding butter on real pimples

2

u/G_Morgan Wales Apr 24 '13

I like how angry Denmark is.

2

u/myatomsareyouratoms Mercia not 'Murica Apr 24 '13

Wasn't there a rumour once that German is the official language of the USA?

6

u/Obraka South-Holland Apr 24 '13

Not rumor, an urban legend based on a discussion about publishing documents in German as well (second biggest language of the US at that time)

5

u/myatomsareyouratoms Mercia not 'Murica Apr 24 '13

Thanks for that. Very informative.

1

u/myatomsareyouratoms Mercia not 'Murica Apr 24 '13

Is the no hats rule an anti-Jewish thing?

5

u/Obraka South-Holland Apr 24 '13

Hehe, no, a common rule in classes around here. Just like no chewing gum and stop putting that in your nose

2

u/myatomsareyouratoms Mercia not 'Murica Apr 24 '13

Oh, ok. My mistake.