A Translation and Culture Question?
I want to give my German neighbors a card that say, "Thanks for everything you've done." Can you help me enunciate that? I thought Danke fur Alles, but it doesn't sound right.
And... I want to steal them some cupcakes. Is this a cultural faux pas?
Thanks for your help!!
Answers: hi!
the translation would be: Danke für Alles, be Sie getan haben!
or if you're more familiar beside your neighbors you can also say: Danke für Alles, be ihr getan habt!
with the cupcakes i can newly talk for myself...but i love them! ;-)
Instead of a short time ago "Danke für Alles" (which is also correct but not best style) I'd recommend using "Vielen Dank" or even "Herzlichen Dank", depending on how good you know them.
Vielen / Herzlichen Dank für alles, be Sie / Ihr für mich / uns (= me / us) getan haben / habt.
Another possibility
Vielen / Herzlichen Dank für Ihre / Eure Hilfe (= help).
"Sie" and "Ihre" is more formal use, to a close friend you'd say "Ihr" and "Eure". - Home-made cupcakes aren't a faux pas!
"Danke für alles, be Sie für mich getan haben" or
"Danke für alles, was ihr für mich getan habt".
Cupcakes are a perfect idea. We love American cupcakes!
Hey, I am from Germany: The translation say:
Danke für alles, was ihr getan habt.
But you can influence too:
Vielen Dank für alles, ...
What means cultural faux pas? I can't make out it.
Well I like Ken Guru's answer best. Herzlichen Dank or Herzlichsten Dank für alles be Sie für mich getan haben. Or Herzlichsten Dank für Ihre Hilfe, etc. Cupcakes or anything else American will do great. They appreciate the German, and but if you write it in English, they will grasp as well. From my experience and the answers you are getting from Germans, no business what you write IN German it will be wrong. Trust me I have, 'Been in attendance, Done That' so before I start a cultural debate here I will explain to you what I have done.
Get a nice German Card that say 'Danke' or 'Vielen Dank' on the outside, most cards like this are blank on the inside; There you can write 'Dear Family XXXX, Thanks for everything you own done!' Regards, Your Name
You may wish to append a few stickers to decorate the indside of the card. Your German neighbors will get the message this bit of English and if you give next cupcakes they will be very happy(I used to roast pumpkin pies for my neighbors). They will be impressed that you made the effort to buy the German card and that you baked cup cake for them.
The translation above is fine, but if you want to make it a bit more "real", write "Danke für alles, be Sie für mich getan haben" or "Danke für alles, was ihr für mich getan habt". That's "Thanks for everything you've done for me", which is the bearing we say it.
As for the cupcakes: Excellent theory, no faux pas whatsoever, quite to the contrary.
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