I need to know how to say the sentance "Don't speak German to him" in German.... The scene takes place in Basel so if that anyone happens to know Swiss German I'd prefer that. But otherwise, regular old German will do, the odds that an actual Basel...ian?... err, person from Basel would read this before it is edited are almost nonexistant.
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5,100 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 01 21
You can either say "Sprich kein Deutsch mit ihm" or "Sprich nicht Deutsch mit ihm". Depending on the situation, you may say "dem" instead of "ihm" in both cases, which is somewhat disrespectful of the "him".
----------I'm afraid that's just regular High German, though. But I think Swiss German differs mainly in pronunciation, not spelling.
this is me not writing... whee!
50,029 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 01 38
The situation is that my character has found himself in this Swiss hospital and happened across this pair of nurses. And the one starts accidentally speaking to him in German, even though she speaks English as well and knows that that's all the character understand. So the other is reminding her not to speak German to him. They've never met my character officially but they are very good freind with a freind of his. If that helps determine which form I should be using.
5,100 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 02 30
In that case it's definitely "ihm".
----------"Sprich doch nicht Deutsch mit ihm" would fit the situation best, I think. You can't really translate the "doch", but it emphasises that the speaker is reminding the other nurse of something.
this is me not writing... whee!
24,146 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 04 59
You called? :D
I agree with Flo about the "doch".
Note that a lot of the nurses around here are German, so it's perfectly plausible to have the sentence be in "regular old" -- although the other nurse would probably be Swiss or Alsaçienne and have slipped into the wrong "foreign" language.
Swiss German versions, if you want them:
"Red doch nit dütsch mid im." / "Schwätz doch nit dütsch mid im."
Oh, and just in case ...
----------http://www.unispital-basel.ch
The lack of death-rays makes me unenthusiastic about the whole project.
50,323 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 08 33
Swiss German is a spoken language, not written (for the most part) so although I don't speak either one I'd say you're in business.