Translations
Common phrases
As Markus's mother language is German (or rather a local version of it), he often notices that the translations used in the comics books are not what they should be. So this page is intended to keep you guys and gals up on what the German speaking characters are really saying in the comics. :-) Phrases are translated as phrases. (Here some hints on the pronounciation.)
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Ach du Lieber! | Oh my dear! |
| Ach! | Oh! |
| Achtung! | Attention! |
| Alter Freund | Old friend |
| Amerikaner | American, Americans |
| Arbeit macht frei | Work sets free (an absolutely cynical and cruel statement, considering that the prisoners in Death Camps had to work until they died or were murdered) |
| Auf Wiedersehen (not: Auf Weidersehen) | Good bye |
| Bitte | Please |
| Blitz | Flash (of lightning) |
| Blitzkrieg | A lightning-fast war |
| Buchenwald | Beech wood, the name of a German town where the Nazis established a death camp. |
| Bunker | Air-raid shelter |
| Danke [dahn-keh] | Thank you |
| Der Jahrmarkt | The carnival (Der Zirkus would be the more fitting German phrase) |
| Der, die, das, dem, den | The |
| Deutschland | Germany |
| Donner | Thunder |
| Donnerwetter! | Golly!, Gosh! Damn it! |
| Dummkopf | Fool, nitwit |
| Ein | A, one |
| Frau | Women, Ms., Mrs. |
| Fraulein (corr: Fräulein) | Miss |
| Freunde | Friends |
| Führer (or Fuehrer) | Leader, guide |
| Gestalt | Form, figure |
| Gestapo (Geheime Staats-Polizei) | Secret state police |
| Gott im Himmel! (not: in) | God in heaven! |
| Guten Abend | Good evening |
| Guten Morgen | Good morning |
| Guten Tag | Good morning/afternoon |
| Hauptmann ("Main-man" or "Head-man") | Captain |
| Heil | Hail (but also imperative of heal) |
| Herr | Mister, master |
| Herr Doktor | "Mister doctor" - in German the usual way to address an doctor without using his name |
| Hilfe! | Help! |
| Himmel! | Heavens! |
| Ich bin traurig. | I am sad. |
| Ja, jawohl | Yes |
| Jahrmarkt | Carnival |
| Kamerad, Kameraden (not: Kamerade or Kamraden) | Comrade, comrades, fellow, fellows |
| Katzchen (corr: Kätzchen) | Kitty |
| Kraut | Cabbage |
| Kriegerfrau | Warrior Woman |
| Leibchen [ly-b-chen] | Bodice (but actually they mean ->Liebchen) |
| Liebchen [lee-b-chen] | Sweetheart, darling. This word is very old fashioned, "Liebling" is more current. |
| Lieber Gott | Dear God |
| Liebling (not: Leibling) | Darling (although not a real German word, I think most German women would understand "Leibling" as a hint that they are too fat) |
| Luftwaffe | "Air weapon", Air Force |
| Mach schnell! | Make haste! |
| Mein | My |
| Mein Freund | My friend |
| Mein Gott | My God |
| Mein Herr | When directly adressing a man: Mister, master, sir |
| Mein Kampf | "My fight", the book Adolf Hitler wrote and that became very important to Nazi philosophy |
| Meine Herren | My masters, my lords; when directly adressing men: Gentlemen |
| Meister | Master |
| Mensch | Man, human being |
| Mjölnir (or Mjoelnir) = "Zermalmer" | Grinder, crusher |
| Nein | No |
| Nicht wahr? | Isn't it? (In the German language the phrase does not depend on the sentence before it.) |
| Panzer | Armor, tank |
| Phantastisch (the more usual spelling is: Fantastisch) | Fantastic |
| Reich | Rich (adj.) or realm (subst.) |
| (Reichs)Kristallnacht | "The (realm's) night of the crystals" - The night when Nazis smashed, looted and burnt Jewish temples, stores and whatever else they saw as "un-German" throughout Germany and Austria. Many people were killed during that night, even more were arrested and later brought to Death Camps. |
| Russian: Belka (белка) | Squirrel |
| Russian: Boshe moi (Боже мой) | Great god!, My god! |
| Russian: Chto eto (Что это)? | What shall? |
| Russian: Da (да) | Yes |
| Russian: Do svidaniya (До свида́ния) | Good bye |
| Russian: Dobro pozhalovat (Добро пожаловать) | Coridally welcome |
| Russian: Dyadya (Дядя) | Uncle |
| Russian: Idi k chertu (иди(?) к чёрту) | Go to the devil, Go to hell |
| Russian: Neimovernyy (Неимовериый) | Incredible |
| Russian: Nyet (нет) | No |
| Russian: Snezhsinka (Снежйнка) | Snowflake |
| Russian: Tovarish (това́рищ) | Friend |
| Russian: Ya sobirayus' ubit' tebya | I kill you altogether(?) |
| Russian: Продолжение следует | Continuation follows, to be continued |
| Sauerkraut | Sauerkraut (sour cabbage) |
| Schnell! | Make haste! |
| Schnell! Schneller! Mach schnell! | Make (more) haste! |
| Schwein, Schweine | Swine, swines |
| Sehr gut | Very good |
| Unglaublich | Incredible, unbelievable |
| Über- | Super-, Over- |
| Übermensch | Super-man |
| Vater | Father |
| Verdammt | Darn |
| Wagner | Cartwright |
| Was ist das? (not: Vas...) | What is that? |
| Was ist...? (not: Vas is or Vas ees?) | What is...? |
| Was...? (not: Vas...?) Was ist...? | What...? What is...? |
| Wehrmacht (not: Wermacht) | "Defending force", old German name for the armed forces |
| Wunderbar | Wonderful |
| Zeitgeist | Genius of the period, Time Spirit |
| Zum Teufel (not: Zum Tueful) | Hell! |
Common names
Here some creator's names, very loosely translated. Please don't take it too serious.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Affe | Ape, monkey |
| Ahn | Ancestor, forefather |
| Altergott | Old god |
| Altman, Altmann | Old man |
| Altstaetter | Someone from the old place |
| Ammerman | Bunting man |
| -bach | Names ending with "Bach" are usually named after a place beside a creek. |
| Bache | A female wild boar |
| Baer, Bär | Bear |
| Bauer | Farmer |
| Baumann | Constructor, builder |
| Baumgartner | Tree gardener |
| Becker (variant of Bäcker) | Baker |
| Berg | Mountain |
| -berg, -berger | Names ending with "Berg" mean a mountain, with "Berger" mean someone living on a mountain |
| Bernstein | Amber |
| Bester | The best |
| Bierbaum | Beer tree |
| Binder | Someone who binds or ties something |
| Blaustein | Blue stone |
| Blumenreich | Rich of flowers |
| Blumfield (variant of Blumfeld) | Flower field |
| Bodenheim | Home of the ground, floor |
| Bonner | Someone from the former German capital, Bonn |
| Breitweiser | Broad sage, or it could be an adapted spelling of "Breitwieser" = someone owning or living on a broad meadow |
| Brunner | Someone living at a well or fountain |
| Brust | Breast |
| -burg, -burger | Names ending with "Burg" mean a castle, with "Burger" someone living in or near that castle |
| Busch | Bush |
| Busiek | OK, that's not German. But Kurt once said his name comes from a place in Poland. |
| -dorf (variant spelling -dorff), -dorfer, dörfler | Names ending with "Dorf" mean a village, with "Dorfer" or "Dörfler" someone living in a village |
| Dose | (Tin) Can |
| Drucker | Printer |
| Edelman | Nobelman |
| Eisenberg | Iron mountain |
| Eisenstein | Iron stone |
| Faerber (variant of Färber) | Dyer |
| Fass | Barrel, but also the command for a dog to seize someone. |
| Faucher | Someone who hisses or snarls |
| Fein | Fine |
| Feister | Someone who is stout |
| -feld, -felder | Names ending with "Feld" means some field, with "Felder" someone owning or living near that field |
| Feld, Felder, Feldmann | Field, someone living at or working on a field |
| Fell | Coat, pelt |
| Fern | Far away |
| Fisch | Fish |
| Fleisher (variant of Fleischer) | Butcher |
| Frank, Franke | Someone from the German tribe of the Franks |
| Freud | Joy |
| Friedman | Peaceful man |
| Friedrich | A man who is rich in peace |
| Frisch | Fresh |
| Frost | Frost (OK, same word) |
| Fröhlich, Frölich | Happy, joyful |
| Fuchs | Fox |
| Furman (variant of Fuhrmann) | Carter, driver |
| Gaertner (variant of Gärtner) | Gardener |
| Garn | Yarn |
| Geier | Vulture |
| Geiger | Fiddler |
| Geldhof, Geldhoff | Money yard |
| Gerber | Tanner |
| Gersten-Miller | Could be someone how grinds barley |
| Glanzman | A man who is sparkling or glowing |
| Glass | Glaß (same word) |
| Gold | Gold (same word) |
| Goldberg | Gold mountain |
| Golden | Golden (same word) |
| Goldkind | Golden child |
| Goldzung | Golden tongue |
| Grell | Shrill, harsh |
| Gross, Grossman | Tall or great, a man who is tall or great |
| Grothkopf (maybe a variant of Großkopf) | Large head |
| Gruenwald, Grünwald | Green forest, Greenwood |
| Gutwirth | Good host |
| Hahn | Cock, rooster |
| Halbleib | Half body |
| Hall | Can be a hall, an echo or a place where salt is mined (like in Hallein or Hallstadt) |
| Haller | Could be someone mining salt |
| Hart | Hard |
| Hasen | Hares |
| Heilemann | Could be "healer" |
| Heilig | Holy, sacred |
| -heim, -heimer | Names ending with "Heim" mean some home, with "Heimer" someone living at that home |
| Horn | Horn (same word) |
| Hornung | Old German word for February (bevor they took the Latin names) |
| Jungkuntz | Young Conrad (Kuntz is an variant of Konrad) |
| Kaalberg (could be a variant of Kahlberg) | Bald mountain |
| Kaplan | Vicar |
| Kämpe | Fighter, combatant |
| Keller | Cellar |
| Kiefer | Pine or jaw |
| Kinstler (could be a variant of Künstler) | Artist |
| Kirch, Kirchner | Church, someone living in or near a church |
| Kirschenbaum | Cherry tree |
| Kish (maybe from the Hungarian name Kiss) | Small, little |
| Kleid | Dress |
| Klein, Kline (adapted spelling) | Small, little |
| Knapp | Tight, scarce; but could also be a short variant of "Knappe" = page, square, miner |
| Knauf | Knob, pommel |
| Koch | Cook |
| Kraft | Power, force |
| Kramer (variant of Krämer), maybe also Kremer | Shopkeeper |
| Krantz (variant of Kranz) | Garland |
| Krueger (variant of Krüger) | Someone making jugs or pitchers(?) |
| Kupperberg (could be a variant of Kupferberg) | Copper mountain |
| Kurtzberg (variant of Kurzberg) | Short mountain |
| Kurtzman (variant of Kurzmann) | Short man |
| Land | Land (same word) |
| Landgraf | Country earl |
| Lau | Lukewarm (OK, that's just a coincidence) |
| Leib | Body |
| Leisten | The plural of border, a last or to perform |
| Lentz | Old German word for spring (the season) |
| Lerner | Learner |
| Lichtner | Someone who makes lights |
| Lieber (variant spelling is Leiber), Lieberman | Someone who is dear or kind |
| Linsner | Someone who growing lentils or (more far-fetched) someone who is peeking |
| Luster (variant of Lüster) | Lustre |
| Lustig | Funny |
| Mahlstedt | Someone living or working at a place where something is ground (a mill) |
| Maier, Mayer, Meier, Meyer (and all variants with just -r instead of -er at the end) | Landsholder's steward |
| Mann | Man, male |
| Marx | A variant of the name Markus |
| Maurer | Mason |
| Moeller (variant of Möller), Müller | Miller |
| Moench (variant of Mönch) | Monk |
| Moorland | Moorland (same word) |
| Nagy (a Hungarian name) | Big, large |
| Nasser | Someone who is wet (;-)) |
| Nord | North |
| Novak (a name from Poland) | Someone who is new |
| Obstfeld | Fruit field |
| Oksner (maybe from Ochsner) | Someone breeding oxes |
| Pfeifer, Pfeufer (variant spelling) | Someone who whistles or who plays a whistle |
| Platt | Flat |
| Post | Post (same word for mail) |
| Preiss | Someone from the German tribe of the Prussians |
| Propst | Provost |
| Raab (variant spelling of Rabe) | Raven |
| Rauch | Smoke |
| Rausch | Drunkeness, ecstasy |
| Reinman | Pure man |
| Reinwand | Clean wall |
| Reis | Rice |
| Rex Lokus (latin) | The law of the location |
| Ritter | Knight |
| Rohrbacher | Someone living beside a creek with reeds (there are many towns called Rohrbach) |
| Rose, Rosen | Rose (same word), roses |
| Rosenbaum | A tree with roses |
| Rosenberg | Rose mountain |
| Rosenthal | Rose valley |
| Rossbach | Steed creek |
| Roth (variant spelling of Rot) | Red |
| Rubinstein | Ruby stone |
| Sagendorf | Myth village |
| Schaefer, Schäfer | Shepherd |
| Schaeffer (variant spelling of Schäfer) | Shepherd |
| Scharf | Sharp, hot (food) |
| Schenk | Publican |
| Scherberger | Scher is a short form of Schere (scissors) or a mole (the animal), Berger is someone living near or on a mountain |
| Schiller | Schiller (same word) |
| Schliesser | Doorkeeper |
| Schmidt (variant of Schmied) | Smith |
| Schmitz (variant of Schmied) | Smith |
| Schneider | Taylor |
| Schreck | Fright, shock |
| Schreiner | Joiner |
| Schroeder, Schubert, Schultz | Although German names, I have no idea what they mean (have to look it up later) |
| Schutz | Protection |
| Schwab | Someone from the German tribe of the Swabians |
| Schwager | Brother-in-law |
| Schwartz (variant of Schwarz) | Black |
| Schwartzberg | Black mountain |
| Siegel | Seal, signet |
| Snider, Snyder (adapted spellings of Schneider?) | Taylor |
| Sonntag | Sunday |
| Spiegel, Spiegle (adapted spelling of Spiegel?) | Mirror |
| Springer | Someone who jumps, the knight in a game of chess |
| -stadt, -statt, -staetter, -stetter | Names ending with "Stadt" mean a town, with "Statt" a place, with "Staetter" or "Stetter" someone living at a certain place |
| Stallman | A man working in a stable |
| Starr | Rigid, stiff |
| Stasi = Staatssicherheit | State Security, the infamous East German secret service |
| Staub | Dust |
| Stegbauer | Someone building foot-paths of footbridges or a farmer living near a footbridge |
| Steigerwald | Probably someone living in an ascending forest |
| -stein, -steiner, (-stin is an adapted spelling) | Names ending with "Stein" mean some stone or mountain, with "Steiner" someone living near or on the mountain |
| Stein, Stine (adapted spelling) | Stone |
| Steinberg | Stone mountain |
| Steiner, Stiner (alternate spelling) | Someone living near or on a rock or mountain |
| Steinle | Little stone |
| Stern | Star |
| Strnad | Yellow-hammer (is not a German name, but I was told by someone with that name) |
| Strunk | Stock |
| Stucker | Maybe someone making stuccoworks |
| Sturm | Storm |
| Tiefenbacher | Someone living beside a deep creek |
| Tischman | Table man, maybe a variant of joiner |
| Totleben | Dead living |
| Ulm | Ulm ("Elm") is a German town, the home of the well-known Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern- schplenden- schlitter- crasscrenbon- fried- digger- dingle- dangle- dongle- dungle- burnstein- von- knacker- thrasher- apple- banger- horowitz- ticolensic- grander- knotty- spelltinkle- grandlich- grumblemeyer- spelterwasser- kurstlich- himbleeisen- bahnwagen- gutenabend- bitte- ein- nürnburger- bratwurstle- gerspurten- mitz- weimache- luber- hundsfut- gumberaber- shönendanker- kalbsfleisch- mittler- aucher von Hauptkopft of Ulm. |
| Ungar | Someone living in Hungaria |
| Wacker | Brave, stout |
| Wagner | Cartwright |
| Wasser | Water |
| Wein | Wine |
| Weinbaum | Vine tree |
| Weinberg | Vineyard |
| Weingartner | Someone owning a vine yard |
| Weinstein | Wine stone |
| Weiss (alternate of Weiß) | White |
| Weltman | Man of the world |
| Wengler | Someone from a town called "Wengen" |
| Wiesenfeld | Meadow field |
| Winter | Winter (same word) |
| Wohl | Well (the feeling) |
| Wolf | Wolf (same word) |
| Zahler | Someone who pays, but it could be a variant of "Zähler" = counter, teller |
| Zahn | Tooth |
| Zeck | Tick |
| Zigler (variant of Ziegler) | Brickmaker |
| Zimmerman | Carpenter |
| Zinsmeister | Master of (monetary) interest |
| Zucker | Sugar |
Book specific translations
Click on one of the buttons below to go to the translations for the series starting with that letter or a number.