Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

Hiermit möchte ich meine Gebäudeversicherung zum 1.

März kündigen.

I hereby wish to cancel my building insurance as of 1 March.

(jmdm.) etw. beteuern means ‘to promise (sb.) sth.’ in the sense of ‘to protest’

where the sincerity of the assurance is in doubt

Er beteuerte ihr seine Unschuld.

He protested his innocence/promised her that he was innocent.

Alle Beteuerungen seines guten Willens halfen nichts.

All protestations of his good will were to no avail.

Sie beteuerte, ihn nie belogen zu haben.

She assured (him) that she had never lied to him.

Note the expression ein Geschäft mit Handschlag ab*machen ‘to shake hands on a

deal’.

96 Issuing, accepting and declining invitations and offers

96.1 Issuing invitations

 See also 60.6 (p. 163) for ‘Welcoming’,^61 (p. 165) on ‘Making introductions’,^63 (pp. 180–5)

‘Eating and drinking’ and 66.7 (p. 199) ‘Congratulating’.

(a) Inviting

More informal invitations are extended over the phone:

Wir wollten euch fragen, ob ihr nächsten Samstag zu einem Glas

Wein zu uns kommen wollt.

We wanted to ask you whether you would like to join us for a glass of

wine next Saturday.

Formal invitations may be printed or issued in a handwritten letter:

Hiermit möchten wir dich und deinen Mann zu Pauls fünfzigstem

Geburtstag einladen.

We’d like to invite you and your husband to Paul’s fiftieth birthday.

Wir würden uns freuen, wenn du und Hannelore zu Peters Taufe kämt.

We would be glad if you and Hannelore could come to Peter’s

christening.

Printed invitations often have the abbreviation u.A.w.g. printed in the left-hand

bottom corner. Fully spelt out this is um Anwort wird gebeten ‘RSVP’ and requires a

written reply.

(b) Occasions

If the invitation is zu einem Glas Wein ‘for a glass of wine’, it is more than likely that

96

Issuing invitations/offers