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Okay, I'm an idiot, but what is 'gar nicht'? I've never come across that phrase that I can recall...

See also: "gar nichts" - nothing at all

Heute habe ich gar nichts getan/gemacht. I've done nothing at all today.

Ob seems to mean either 'if' or 'whether'. It's a good substitute for 'if,' since I like to use wenn to mean 'when.'

Does anyone here perchance know how to say "___ was meant to ___" auf Deutsch? The closest I could get to the phrase "Man was not meant to fly in the sky" was "Der Mensch wurde nicht bedeutet, am Himmel zu fliegen."

I really don't think bedeuten is the sort of "to mean" Germans have in mind.

You wouldn't really translate it literally. In German you would say:"Der Mensch war nicht dafür geschaffen/gemacht um im Himmel zu fliegen."
- Man was not created to fly in the sky.
I know there's a slight difference in meaning, but as far as I'm concerned this is the closest you can get here.

I would translate "It was meant to be." with "Es sollte so sein."

and "I didn't mean to bother you." as "Ich wollte dich nicht stören."

I could try, but I'd have to look up a lot of words so it will take time, but also there are a lot of words I do understand. By the time I could do it, someone will have probably already done it. And chances are I won't be 100% correct.
Still, it'll be good practice. And I frequent a small German forum (only 25 people there) who are all willing to help me with the language, so I can ask if things are really complicated, or just to see how correct I managed to get it.

I've translated a few German songs before - Komm zurück, Der morgen danach, Herz aus Eis...

But in the second paragraph. "We hat"? Is the 'We' a mistake? It's not in the dictionary. I have to rely on perfect spelling to translate.

This song is pretty poetic and very hard to translate, lots of words have more than just one meaning but I will try my best ^^


Erlebe die Zeit in Not
Experience time in emergency
Wer stoppt die Zeiger?
Who stops the hands of time?
Und wem hat die Liebe gedroht
And whom did love threat
Die Sonne zu verdrehen?
to rotate (or twist) the sun?

Kalt und abgebrannt
cold and burnt down
Wurden wir einfach überrannt
we were just run over
wer hat die Wahl zu verstehen?
who has the choice to understand?

Immer wieder zuversicht
again and again confidence
Bis der Tag am Docht zerbricht
untill the day brakes on the wick
singen wir ein Lobgedicht
we sing a poem of praise

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die Zeit
we are ready to float through time
In einem Jahr werden alle Träume wahr
in a year all dreams will come true
Leben ist speicherbar
life is storable

Und finde die Mauer in dir
I find the wall inside you
Hoch auf die Leiter
high on the ladder
Freie sicht auf alles was dein
clear view on everything that your
Wille dich verdrängen liess
will did not make you forget
Megabytes an Zukunft vor dir
megabytes of future in front of you

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die Zeit
we are ready to float through time
In einem Jahr werden alle Träume wahr
in a year all dreams will come true
Leben ist speicherbar
life is storable

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die Zeit
we are ready to float through time
In einem Jahr werden alle Träume wahr
in a year all dreams will come true
Leben ist speicherbar
life is storable

Datei - öffnen - Zukunft - ok
file - open - future - ok

Es ist soweit
now is the time (or "the time has come")
Wir schweben durch die Zeit
we float through time
Seit einem Jahr sind alle
since a year all
Träume wahr
dreams have come true


I hope this helps you ^^

Okay, my penpal replied. Here's her translation :

Erlebe die zeit in not (Experienxe (the) time in need). I think, since it is a special time (the time in need) is has to be "the time"

Wer stoppt die zeiger? (Who stops the pointer?)
Und wem hat die liebe ügedroht (And who has (been) threatened by love)
Die sonne zu verdrehen? (to twist the sun)

Kalt und abgebrannt (Cold and burnt down)
Wurden wir einfach berrannt (Were we simply overwhelmed)
wer hat die wahl zu verstehen? (who has the choice to understand?)

Immer wieder zuversicht (confidence over and over again)
Bis der tag am docht zerbricht (Untill the day breaks at the wick) (the wick of a candle)
singen wir ein lobgedicht (we are singing a pean of praise)

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die zeit (We are ready to float through time)
In einem jahr werden alle träume wahr (In the year all dreams will come true)
Leben ist speicherbar (Life can be stored)

Und finde die mauer in dir (And I find the wall in you)
Hoch auf die leiter (High up on the ladder)
Freie sicht auf alles was dein (Free sight on all whats your)
Wille dich verdrängen liess (will had let you forget)
Megabytes an zukunft vor dir (Megabytes on future before you)

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die zeit (We are ready to float through time)
In einem jahr werden alle träume wahr (In the year when all dreams come true)
Leben ist speicherbar (Life can be stored)

Es ist soweit (It is as far as)
Wir schweben durch die zeit (We float through time)
Seit einem jahr sind alle träume wahr (Since the year are all dreams come true)

Wir sind bereit zu schweben durch die zeit (We are ready to float through time)
In einem jahr werden alle träume wahr (In the year when all dreams come true)
Leben ist speicherbar (Life can be stored)

Danke, Nadine! smile