Let’s have some fun with this weird German language!
In this series of posts, I’ll show you how to make your German speaking colleagues laugh, with ONE simple sentence.
Pi mal Daumen
(Pi times thumb)
Have you ever heard of the number Pi (von der Zahl Pi)?
It’s a mathematical number used to make calculations on circles (an Kreisen).
Actually (Eigentlich) it’s an endless number:
But it’s oftentimes just approximated:
Did you know (Wusstest du) that we can also use the thumb to approximate distances?
So you see, both terms “Pi” and “Daumen” have one thing in common (haben eine Sache gemeinsam), the idea of approximation.
And that’s exactly what this German expression is all about.
So when we say in German:
- Pi mal Daumen.
We mean:
- Roughly
- Approximately
Got it?!
So here’s your action step:
Imagine your German-speaking colleague (dein deutschsprachiger Kollege) Wolter comes to you and he goes:
“Do you think we can become rich (reich werden) working in this company?”
Smile at him and say:
- Na klar! Pi mal Daumen, in 100 Jahren! (Of course. Approximately, in 100 years!)
And this is what it sounds like: