you cringed every time when they referred to the German group as DAS Sound Machine. Ugggh! I couldn't stand it. Proper grammar would be DIE Sound Machine. I saw in the movie where they had the Volkswagen Posters hanging up and it said DAS AUTO, in that case it is correct, and maybe it was supposed to be related to VW, but it was difficult for me to hear them say it that way throughout the movie haha
shareI would say they chose "das" because it sounds more German/brutal/... They are using the English "machine" and not the German "maschine", so it's not correct German anyway.
shareI studied German also, but I think they had a good reason.
If they had used "Die" too many English language viewers would have thought it was "die", as when something ceases to be alive. Besides, names of groups can be "bent", it is done all the time. Take the popular (in some circles) "Pentatonix". Their name is a take-off of the term "pentatonics" which is a musical scale with five notes per octave in contrast to a seven-note heptatonic scale such as the major scale and minor scale.
So they chose Pentatonix, which is incorrect but since it is the name of a group it is fine.
Remember the "Beatles"? What is a "beatle"?
BTW, true story, when I was a young band musician we would play a piece called "selections from Die Meistersinger." None of us knew any German, we would pronounce it as if it were "dye meistersinger." We couldn't figure out why they would want the meistersinger to die.
..*.. TxMike ..*..
Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change. Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
Since the word "das" (of the name) is hardly being seen anywhere I don't think that would be the case. Especially since "das" Sound Machine probably named themselves in the context of the movie I doubt they would have ever called themselves "das" since it would NEVER enter a German's mind to call a machine something other than feminine.
I believe they just used google translator which probably told them to use "das".
You don't seem to have a problem when they say 'sound'? Shouldn't it be 'klingen'?
shareThis is like the American hot dog stands that are called "Der Wienerschnitzel", when it should be "das".
shareI know I'm late here but no. "Der Sound" (which is masculin) is a typical word in German. I'm from Germany originally and been using that word since I was little.
We have a lot of words that come from English.
Didn't one of the Bellas call them Deustchbags?
shareThe only language I speak is English, so to me the use of "Das" instead of "Die" sounds more "German". Probably because the English language has the word "die" already but does not have "das"? VW has been using "das auto" for as long as I can remember, so I'm sure the connection between DSM and the VW auto show were intentional for English-speaking viewers. But now I'm curious... Is there a translation for the word "das" in English? Does "die" mean "the" in German? Is it used in the same manner?
shareGerman has actually three different words for "the": der (maskulin), die (feminin), das (neutrum). Every noun has one of those but you cannot just use any as you like. Every noun has to be learned with the right "Artikel". Some noun examples: die Maschine (the machine), das Schnitzel, die Brezel, der Hund (the dog) etc... As a German you don't have to learn that. Most of those articles come naturally just from the sound.
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