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2. Gebongt sein
In German a Bon (pronounced bong) is the receipt you get after making a purchase. Therefore, in common parlance
the verb bongen refers to ringing something up on a register (literally putting something onto a Bon), thereby settling
the transaction.
If something is gebongt, it means it is booked, decided, or agreed upon. In almost all cases this phrase is used in the
form of Ist gebongt to signify that a matter is settled or that you have come to an agreement.
Examples:
Treffen wir uns morgen um drei? Ok, ist gebongt.
(Can we meet tomorrow at three? Ok, agreed.)
Pass auf, dass Du den Alarm anstellst, bevor Du gehst. Gut, ist gebongt.
(Make sure you switch the alarm on before you leave. Ok, I will.)
5. Na?
Na? might be the shortest way of asking about someones well being in any language. It is a way to say both hello
and how are you doing? in one. Many confused foreigners have found themselves under the expectant gaze of a
German speaker after this well-meaning monosyllabic greeting.
To express your intentions a little clearer, Na? can also be combined with other forms of greeting, like in Na,
alles gut?, Na, wie gehts?, or the previously mentioned Na, was geht ab?.
The best thing, however, is that Na? also serves as a reply to itself. Na? Naaa? is a complete conversation in
which both parties have said hello and asked how life is going. There is a special intonation to it, so it might be best to
ask a native speaker to teach you the correct way.
Examples:
Na, alles klar? Ja und bei Dir?
(Hey, everything good? Yes, you?)
Na, Du? Naaa?
6. Bock haben
Bock haben means to be in the mood for or up for something. In the negative it means to be uninclined to engage
in a certain activity. Its the same as Lust haben (to have a lust for something), only in a more colloquial form.
Whats confusing about the phrase is that Bock is actually the German word for male goat. No kidding. But before
you ask yourself what is wrong with Germans and their metaphors, let me point out that it probably derives from the
Romani word bokh which means hunger. It seems that over time not only was the spelling adapted to German, but
its meaning came to denote a metaphorical hunger for anything not just food.
Today Bock haben is a common way of expressing your inclination or disinclination for doing something. It is also
entirely possible to have null Bock, when your enthusiasm is so low it arrives at zero. Some people even
have Bcke, meaning more than one Bock, but its not very common.
Examples:
Wir gehen heute Abend ins Kino. Hast Du auch Bock?
(We are going to the movies tonight. Wanna come?)
Da habe ich berhaupt keinen Bock drauf.
(I absolutely do not want to do that.)
8. Chillen
The German verb chillen comes from the English to chill. It shares the meaning of its anglophone counterpart: to
hang out, rest, and generally take it easy. Be aware, however, that chillen is not used in the sense of cooling or to
give someone the chills.
The word also has an adjective form, chillig, which is mostly used to describe a laid-back atmosphere or relaxing
surroundings you would encounter while having a chill night.
Interestingly, in German you often chill in rounds, though usually just one. Eine Runde chillen is an important part of
the weekend activities for many younger Germans. But dont worry, once the first one is done, you can usually just
chill another round.
Examples:
Wir wollen an den See fahren, eine Runde chillen.
(We want to go to the lake and chill for a bit.)
Nach der Arbeit muss ich erstmal chillen.
(After work I will have to chill first.)
Wir sind beide mde, deswegen machen wir uns eher einen chilligen Abend.
(We are both tired so we will rather go for something relaxing tonight.)
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