Sort of embarassing...
- Thread starter n00b
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
TheBrazilianFly
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Ack-toon
forty
Acrobat
n00b said:
Um... I guess it would be the "awk-tongue" pronunciation. Actually, I think it's supposed to sound more like "awk-toong," but with added emphasis on the "ach" part. Like you're about to hock a loogie.
<--very eloquent, I know
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Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
aaaach - toooong. the "ch" is like a cat hissing, not "ack" with a hard "k" sound. the "g" is pronounced, not much, but it's not "toon".
Hoodlem
War Child
"ock-toong"
Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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PurrrrrfectHoodlem said:
david
ONE love, blood, life
It's pronounced "Best-album-ever"
GibsonGirl
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It pains me to hear people pronouncing "achtung" incorrectly. Yes, even Larry Mullen Jr.
Firstly, there is NO "k" or "c" sound in achtung. It is not "Acting Baby" as my sister likes to call it. "Ach" is a predominantly German sound, though you'll hear it in Afrikaans, Dutch, Flemish, etc. If you've never heard it before, it can be a little difficult to imagine in your head. LivLuvAndBootlegMusic's definition is good, though - a little akin to a cat hissing. My German prof explained it quite well too. Say "human" and hold onto that h sound.
Secondly, you do not usually pronounce the "a" as in "apple." It's more of a hard "u" sound, as in "underhand." I do believe it varies according to what area of Germany you're in, though.
The "tung" is little like "tongue." You just have to lower the "u" sound a little.
And thus concludes our German lesson for the evening. Next week, we shall discuss the correct pronunciation of "Vorsprung durch Technik."
U2 fans hear it on Zooropa pronounced correctly by Bono, yet still manage to arse it up when they talk about it.
Firstly, there is NO "k" or "c" sound in achtung. It is not "Acting Baby" as my sister likes to call it. "Ach" is a predominantly German sound, though you'll hear it in Afrikaans, Dutch, Flemish, etc. If you've never heard it before, it can be a little difficult to imagine in your head. LivLuvAndBootlegMusic's definition is good, though - a little akin to a cat hissing. My German prof explained it quite well too. Say "human" and hold onto that h sound.
Secondly, you do not usually pronounce the "a" as in "apple." It's more of a hard "u" sound, as in "underhand." I do believe it varies according to what area of Germany you're in, though.
The "tung" is little like "tongue." You just have to lower the "u" sound a little.
And thus concludes our German lesson for the evening. Next week, we shall discuss the correct pronunciation of "Vorsprung durch Technik."
U2 fans hear it on Zooropa pronounced correctly by Bono, yet still manage to arse it up when they talk about it.
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Y2K
Refugee
OCK-tung
GibsonGirl
ONE love, blood, life
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Lemonfix
Refugee
david said:
Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
Canadiens1160 said:Purrrrrfect
no "ck" sound, people. hiss! hiss like a cat! aaaachhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh and you've got it.
Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
GibsonGirl said:
We were taught German as it's spoken in Hamburg.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
I was taught it would be "ah" like in ... well, ah.
Never heard it as "a" as in "apple" or "uh" like in "under."
Never heard it as "a" as in "apple" or "uh" like in "under."
one4u2
ONE love, blood, life
Don't be embarrased even Larry can't pronounce it correctly...
Shawn Bonneau
New Yorker
ATTENTION BABY!
SMB
SMB
forty
Acrobat
corianderstem said:
Same here. I asked my German mentor (who lives in Berlin) and my dad and that's how they told me to pronounce it - where the "a" sounds like "ah."
I guess I'm completely offbase though.
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GibsonGirl
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corianderstem said:
"Ah" is a little more what I was going for...though I pronounce "ah" and "under" virtually the same way, anyway.
People who aren't familiar with German often pronounce Achtung Baby with the "a" like "apple," and it drives me nuts!
cobl04
45:33
I always took it literally. Ach-tung. (as in Achoo! and tounge). I probably still will, considering I haven't been able to master any of the ways here.
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
I'm learning german right now so I should know, right?
LivLuv and GibsonGirl are right on the money with the pronunciation!
But even before I started learning the language, I've heard the word being said on TV, by Bono and in Interference videos and stuff. That's why I'm surprised that there are U2 fans who don't know how to pronounce it.
Anyway, it's definitely nothing that you have to be embarrassed about.
LivLuv and GibsonGirl are right on the money with the pronunciation!
But even before I started learning the language, I've heard the word being said on TV, by Bono and in Interference videos and stuff. That's why I'm surprised that there are U2 fans who don't know how to pronounce it.
Anyway, it's definitely nothing that you have to be embarrassed about.
Liesje
Blue Crack Addict
Bono usually says it pretty well, except sometimes he says a shorter "a" (like "cat") instead of "ah". If it were a shorter "a" sound, it would be an a-umlaut (the a w/ two dots above it, can't figure out how to make this symbol on my laptop).
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:
same here! I'm amazed how some people here (Zero Dude for instance when he's making his crazy german posts ) manage to type those umlaut letters in! Special keyboards? 
ä Alt plus 1 3 2 on the number pad. Does your laptop have a numberpad that maybe is printed on the bottom of your right-side keys? Mine has the numbers in blue on the bottom of my right-sided keys & I have to hold down my blue Fn key to get those numbers...
(random post, I know!)
Does your laptop have a numberpad that maybe is printed on the bottom of your right-side keys? Mine has the numbers in blue on the bottom of my right-sided keys & I have to hold down my blue Fn key to get those numbers...(random post, I know!)
Zoots
Blue Crack Supplier
ü
It worked!
whats for o and a?
edit: never mind!
It worked!
whats for o and a?
edit: never mind!
forty
Acrobat
Okay, I don't mean to be a complete ass, but did I seriously screw up on the pronunciation? IMO, I basically said the same thing as others who got it "right." I've taken 3 years of German, my father lived there for 2 years and my family is German. Or maybe no one saw my posts - which seems to happen quite a bit on this board. It's kind of exasperating.
I realize this an extremely small thing and doesn't matter, but I guess I'm just in a pissy mood. (College finals + writing papers all night = me not happy). I'll get over it. lol.
IMO, I basically said the same thing as others who got it "right." I've taken 3 years of German, my father lived there for 2 years and my family is German. Or maybe no one saw my posts - which seems to happen quite a bit on this board. It's kind of exasperating.I realize this an extremely small thing and doesn't matter, but I guess I'm just in a pissy mood. (College finals + writing papers all night = me not happy). I'll get over it. lol.
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