Sunday, May 18, 2008

To Gross

Emma said this phrase Wednesday morning about some sandals she was trying on. They were just to gross, she said. With that much said I assume that most of the German-English speakers have figured out what Emma was trying to say. Note Emma's expression does not have anything to do with disgust. Here is the explanation.

gross = big in English
zu = too or to in English depending on the context

Emma was telling me that the hand-me-down sandals from Hannah were just too big for her feet. She can't wear them yet because they are too big (to gross) she repeated. In picking words she picked an English word and a German word and put them together. For her it makes perfect sense. I agreed with her (without correcting her) in my best German possible: Ja genau, die sind einfach zu gross. (English - Yes exactly, they are simply too big.)

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March 2007