The German v has
actually two different sounds. One is like the English
(and also German f). That means that there are actually
two letters having the same sound (=f).
German
v like f
Vogel
bird
vornehm
noble
Vorsicht
care
But then it can also have The sound like the English
v (or in German a w). So the German w-sound and the
German f-sound have two possibilities to be expressed.
With w=v, and with f=v.
v pronounced
like the English v
die
Villa
villa
Vase
vase
Klavier
piano
Jagdrevier
hunting area
Once more for your comparison:
v pronounced
like an f
Vetter
cousin
Vollmond
full moon
Veilchen
violet
Volk
people (e.g. Indian people)
as
we see the German letter v has two different sounds.
There is even a poem that expresses this
issue quite well.
Darüber
wundert sich das "V"
Obwohl ich immer als "V" vor dir steh',
bin ich manchmal ein "F" und manchmal ein "W".
Im Klavier und im Jagdrevier
Wird ein "W" aus mir.
Du siehst mich als "V", doch wie sagst du dann?
Willa, Wase und Pawian.
Nur aus dem Vollmond, das wäre zum Lachen,
dürftest du keinen Wollmond machen,
und aus dem Veilchen kein Weilchen,
aus dem Vetter kein Wetter.
Ich bin manchmal ein "F" und manchmal ein "W",
obwohl ich immer als "V" vor dir steh!
What the
"V" is wondering about
Although I stand as a "V" in front
of you,
I am sometimes an "F" and sometimes
a "V".
In Klavier and Jagdrevier
I turn into a "W"
You see me as a "V", but you say
Willa, Wase and Pawian ?
But the Vollmond, that would be funny,
you don't make into a Wollmond.
and from Veilchen you don't make a Weilchen.
and from Vetter you don't make a Wetter.
I'm sometimes an "F" and sometimes
an "W"
even though I always appear as an "V".
The poem plays with words which are hard to translate.
We'll try anyway:
Vollmond = full moon
Wollmond = woollen moon
Veilchen = violet
Weilchen = little while
Vetter = cousin
Wetter = weather
So in these cases it's better to be a bit careful because
used the wrong way it can cause something between funny
evenings and bigger misunderstanding.
