German learners&#x27; society

If a plan doesn't work, what is the right word to use for "work"-- wirken :s-smilie:

Reply 6181

OP

SpiritedAway

If a plan doesn't work, what is the right word to use for "work"-- wirken :s-smilie:

"Klappen"?

Reply 6182

KwungSun

13

SpiritedAway

If a plan doesn't work, what is the right word to use for "work"-- wirken :s-smilie:

"Funktionieren".

"Klappen" is a bit colloquial.

Reply 6183

OP

KwungSun

"Funktionieren".

"Klappen" is a bit colloquial.

I wouldn't say "funktionieren" and "klappen" meant the same thing, I'm pretty sure you don't really say that a plan "funktioniert" when it's going according to plan. And yes, "klappen" is a bit colloquial, but it's the perfect verb to talk about plans; I can't really think of a sensible alternative other than "Erfolg haben" / "erfolgreich sein".

Reply 6184

T o b i

The other way around, generalebriety. It is very common to say "ein Plan funktioniert", whereas "ein Plan klappt" is definitely not idiomatic. There is this famous sentence that Hannibal says at the end of almost every A-Team episode: "Ich liebe es, wenn ein Plan funktioniert." :biggrin:

(Google says the English counterpart is "I love it when a plan comes together".) As long as you don't use the word "Plan", however, you can use both verbs; they are interchangeable in spoken German. Very idiomatic is: "Es läuft wie am Schnürchen."

Reply 6185

KwungSun

13

T o b i

The other way around, generalebriety. It is very common to say "ein Plan funktioniert", whereas "ein Plan klappt" is definitely not idiomatic. There is this famous sentence that Hannibal says at the end of almost every A-Team episode: "Ich liebe es, wenn ein Plan funktioniert." :biggrin:

(Google says the English counterpart is "I love it when a plan comes together".) As long as you don't use the word "Plan", however, you can use both verbs; they are interchangeable in spoken German. Very idiomatic is: "Es läuft wie am Schnürchen."

Yep! I had to think of the A-team too.

Reply 6186

hobnob

14

SpiritedAway

If a plan doesn't work, what is the right word to use for "work"-- wirken :s-smilie:

Since the context you want here is a plan not working, my suggestion would be "scheitern".

Other than that, I agree with KwungSun and Tobi, though: "funktionieren" works much better than "klappen" as far as plans are concerned. I don't think it's just a matter of "klappen" being too colloquial, by the way; it just feels slightly wrong in this context.

Reply 6187

OP

Then I guess my intuition is completely off. :p:

I've never heard that, though. *files information away in his brain*

Reply 6188

Rosamund123

10

hallo alle zusammen!
Im Moment brauche ich Hilfe mit einer Uebersetzung. Sollte ich sie hier posten? Sie ist sehr lang!

Reply 6189

hannah_dru

2

Ja, es macht Sinn, es hier zu posten :smile:

Reply 6190

Rosamund123

10

danke, es ist ok
grizzlybaer hat mir bereits geholfen :smile:

Reply 6191

OP

hobnob

Since the context you want here is a plan not working, my suggestion would be "scheitern".

Other than that, I agree with KwungSun and Tobi, though: "funktionieren" works much better than "klappen" as far as plans are concerned. I don't think it's just a matter of "klappen" being too colloquial, by the way; it just feels slightly wrong in this context.

Sorry, I hate to question a native speaker, but... I'm having doubts about this. I've always heard the verb "klappen" to mean "to work out / turn out well", so I looked it up and found this:

Langenscheidt e-dictionary

klap·pen2; klappte, hat geklappt; [Vi] etwas klappt gespr; etwas gelingt so, wie man es geplant und sich gewünscht hat etwas funktioniert (2) <etwas klappt tadellos, wie am Schnürchen (= sehr gut)>: Hoffentlich klappt unser Plan!; Hat bei der Prüfung alles geklappt?

Collins dictionary

(= gelingen) to work; (= gut gehen) to work (out); (reibungslos stattfinden: Aufführung, Abend) to go smoothly...

What am I missing? :confused:

Reply 6192

grizzlybär

2

generalebriety

Sorry, I hate to question a native speaker, but... I'm having doubts about this. I've always heard the verb "klappen" to mean "to work out / turn out well", so I looked it up and found this:

What am I missing? :confused:

I agree with you, 'klappen' works perfectly well. Ein Plan gelingt, glückt, ist erfolgreich, funktioniert, oder klappt.

Reply 6193

*Dreamer*

Hallo alle!

I can't remember the last time I came on here...really bad =(
I have my German GCSE soon so I best start practising communicating =)

Reply 6194

OP

*Dreamer*

Hallo alle!

I can't remember the last time I came on here...really bad =(
I have my German GCSE soon so I best start practising communicating =)

Hallo.

Hast du dich schon darauf vorbereitet?

Reply 6195

*Dreamer*

generalebriety

Hallo.

Hast du dich schon darauf vorbereitet?

Nur ein bisschen... es ist so schwer, da meine eltern Deutsch nicht koennen, dafuer kann ich nicht ueben...

Reply 6196

OP

*Dreamer*

Nur ein bisschen... es ist so schwer, da meine eltern Deutsch nicht koennen, dafuer kann ich nicht ueben...

Na, das stimmt überhaupt nicht. Du kannst mit uns üben. :smile:

Außerdem musst du wahrscheinlich noch viele Vokabeln lernen, oder?

Welche Fächer wirst du nächstes Jahr machen? (I'm just making conversation to help you practise here... :p:

)

Reply 6197

*Dreamer*

generalebriety

Na, das stimmt überhaupt nicht. Du kannst mit uns üben. :smile:

Außerdem musst du wahrscheinlich noch viele Vokabeln lernen, oder?

Welche Fächer wirst du nächstes Jahr machen? (I'm just making conversation to help you practise here... :p:

)

Danke (very much appreciated)...Urm ich werde Biologie, Chemie, Mathe, Englisch oder Deutsch (ich bin nicht gerade sicher). Ich liebe Deutsch aber ich denke, dass Englisch nutzlicher fuer meine Beruf ist - ich moechte Aerztin werden.

Und ja, ich muss viel mehr Vokabeln lernen, leider weiss ich nicht so viel (and my word order is crapp)

Reply 6198

hobnob

14

generalebriety

Sorry, I hate to question a native speaker, but... I'm having doubts about this. I've always heard the verb "klappen" to mean "to work out / turn out well", so I looked it up and found this:
What am I missing? :confused:

Yes, it does mean just that, but I'd still only use it with subjects like "es", "das" or "alles" because using it with a concrete noun like "Plan" feels slightly wrong somehow, although I can't really tell you why. :dontknow:

I don't think it would actually be incorrect, just a little less correct than the other options.

Reply 6199

OP