this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2023
33 points (100.0% liked)

askchapo

22717 readers
2 users here now

Ask Hexbear is the place to ask and answer ~~thought-provoking~~ questions.

Rules:

  1. Posts must ask a question.

  2. If the question asked is serious, answer seriously.

  3. Questions where you want to learn more about socialism are allowed, but questions in bad faith are not.

  4. Try !feedback@hexbear.net if you're having questions about regarding moderation, site policy, the site itself, development, volunteering or the mod team.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I’m not a native German speaker obviously, but doesn’t “Das Kapital” translate to “THE Capital”?

Also, English-speakers should call it just “Capital”. Calling it “Das Kapital” is just propaganda to make the title sound more menacing than it is.

top 23 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ilyenkov@hexbear.net 48 points 1 year ago

German basically always uses an article, including when English wouldn't.

[–] context@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

how else would you know if capital is a boy, girl, or neuter?

[–] the_kid@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] xor@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

you forgot femboy, tomboy, and intersex... oh and non-binary i guess... probably more

[–] xor@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

you forgot femboy, tomboy, and intersex... oh and non-binary i guess... probably more

[–] silent_water@hexbear.net 28 points 1 year ago

because "The Capital" means one distinguished type of Capital in English but it doesn't carry that meaning in German. Capital is the correct translation.

[–] Pluto@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I prefer Das Kapital, tbh.

the-boys-are-back-in-town

[–] Pluto@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

Huh. I don't know why I posted that emoji.

It just looks nice.

BOTW FTW

[–] python@hexbear.net 15 points 1 year ago

smh, all those non german speakers throwing around theories. As a native german speaker I can tell you the real reason:

... it just would sound weird without it. 🤷

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Marx wrote it in german and called it that

[–] WashedAnus@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Der Achtzehnte Brumaire des Louis Napoleon von Karl Marx

[–] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Whenever I see “Das” I read it in an American game show host voice. “That’s Capital!”

[–] mathemachristian@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

"Das Kapital" is like "The concept of capital", articles are required for every noun and dont carry more meaning. In english the difference between talking about the concept of something and a realization of the concept is signified by the ommision or usage of the article. In german nouns need articles always.

[–] Maoo@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Wiederholen sie auf Deutsch, bitte.

[–] WashedAnus@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Yeah, all the real heads call it "Capital," and Germans do love to put articles in front of every noun.

[–] micnd90@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

Because das ist gut

[–] Amaltheamannen@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's called "The Capital" in other languages, "Kapitalet" in Swedish. Capital would just be "Kapital".

[–] LaGG_3@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

I think languages that don't really go article crazy like the Germans just call it Capital. In Japanese, it's 資本論. It's probably something similar in Chinese.

[–] lily33@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

It's how German works - when you have a noun by itself (i.e. not part of a sentence), it goes with the article by default.

[–] TheCaconym@hexbear.net 1 points 1 year ago