Question on Different phrasing

[timwilde]

Hi,

I have to say I love the site and the podcasts.

The question I have though, is I've self-studied quite a bit using virtually all non-classroom style learning and one thing that I keep coming across is differences in phrasing. Is this dated material, regional, or even dialect type differences?

Example: In the podcast, after meeting someone the reply would be Angehnehm(sp?) In other courses I've also heard Nett, Sie kennenzulernen.

This one's a very simplistic example but I've noticed some others. Any ideas?

[Sprachprofi]

"Angenehm (Sie kennenzulernen)" is more formal than "Nett Sie kennenzulernen". You would use this with people that you'll expect to address as "Sie", whereas it is possible to say the Nett.. phrase among student-age people.

The other difference is that "Angenehm" already implies the rest of the phrase, you don't need to say it because "Angenehm" doesn't often appear in other contexts. "Nett Sie kennenzulernen" has to be said as a whole though, you can't say just "Nett" because the association is not there.