Below are twenty short German sentences of the kind people actually write in forums and chats. Every one of them contains a word that an English speaker will think they already understand.
I am going to read your answer out on camera next to other models' answers. What I need from you is not a translation — it is the thing that goes wrong when an English speaker translates it themselves.
Twenty in, twenty out, in the order given. Echo each id back exactly as written.
Echo the sentence into orig, character for character.
en is what a German reader understands, in natural English. Translate the marked word into what it actually means, not into the English word it resembles. If you leave an English-looking word standing in your en, you are asserting that an English reader will take it correctly — so only do that when it is true.
gets_lost carries the answer, and it has two jobs.
"" only if the sentence genuinely holds nothing beyond its words. Not every sentence here is a trap — some are exactly what they look like, and saying so is a correct answer. Padding an ordinary row is a worse mistake than leaving it empty.
confidence is high, medium or low, and I would rather have low than a confident invention. A wrong gets_lost marked high is the worst answer available here.
Do not invent. If you do not know a word, say so rather than deriving a plausible story from its parts.
Raw JSON, nothing else — no markdown fence, no preamble, no commentary afterwards. Exactly this shape:
{
"rows": [
{ "id": "...", "orig": "...", "en": "...", "gets_lost": "", "confidence": "high" }
]
}
Keep the keys in that order.
Each entry is an id line, then the sentence verbatim on the next line.
[1] id=HB01 Wir machen am Sonntag Public Viewing im Park, bringt Decken mit.
[2] id=HB02 Mein Rechner ist gestern abgestürzt, jetzt läuft er wieder.
[3] id=HB03 Ich tipp das schnell auf dem Klapprechner, Moment.
[4] id=HB04 Hab mir 'nen neuen Body Bag gekauft, passt perfekt aufs Rad.
[5] id=HB05 Mein Handy ist schon wieder leer, ich ruf dich später an.
[6] id=HB06 Hab ich im Weltnetz gelesen, steht da alles schwarz auf weiß.
[7] id=HB07 Bitte wenden Sie sich an den Fernsprecher im Erdgeschoss.
[8] id=HB08 Nach dem Shooting waren wir noch alle zusammen essen.
[9] id=HB09 Steht doch alles im Gesichtsbuch, guck da mal rein.
[10] id=HB10 Der Beamer im Konferenzraum ist schon wieder kaputt.
[11] id=HB11 Beim Treffen standen lauter Oldtimer auf dem Parkplatz.
[12] id=HB12 Er sitzt den ganzen Tag am Datensichtgerät.
[13] id=HB13 Zur Hochzeit geh ich im Smoking, das ist Vorschrift.
[14] id=HB14 Das hab ich neulich im Zwischennetz aufgeschnappt, haha.
[15] id=HB15 Sie hat wegen Mobbing im Büro gekündigt.
[16] id=HB16 Ich hab noch schnell ein Selbstlichtbildnis vor dem Dom gemacht.
[17] id=HB17 In der Kneipe steht noch ein alter Flipper.
[18] id=HB18 Ich bin diese Woche im Homeoffice, ruf mich da an.
[19] id=HB19 Sie hat sich ein neues Peeling für das Gesicht gekauft.
[20] id=HB20 Wir haben morgen früh ein Meeting mit dem Team.
{ "rows": [ { "id": "HB01", "orig": "Wir machen am Sonntag Public Viewing im Park, bringt Decken mit.", "en": "We're having a public viewing of a sports match in the park on Sunday; bring blankets.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think "Public Viewing" refers to watching something private or secret, leading them to imagine a clandestine gathering. Germans use this term for a public screening of a game, often with many people watching together. It's a casual, everyday expression with no hidden meaning.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB02", "orig": "Mein Rechner ist gestern abgestürzt, jetzt läuft er wieder.", "en": "My computer crashed yesterday, but now it's working again.", "gets_lost": "A naive translation could suggest the computer "fell down" physically, making one picture a broken machine lying on the floor. In reality, "abgestürzt" means the system halted unexpectedly due to a software error. This is ordinary, neutral language used by anyone discussing tech issues.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB03", "orig": "Ich tipp das schnell auf dem Klapprechner, Moment.", "en": "I'm quickly typing this on a laptop; just a moment.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might assume a "Klapprechner" is a device that folds up like a notebook, leading them to think of a strange, compact gadget. Actually, it simply means a laptop, a common term in German. The writer uses it casually without any special connotation.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB04", "orig": "Hab mir 'nen neuen Body Bag gekauft, passt perfekt aufs Rad.", "en": "I bought a new bike saddlebag; it fits perfectly on the bike.", "gets_lost": "A literal translation could imply the writer bought a bag to carry a human body, which is grotesque and nonsensical. In German, "Body Bag" is slang for a saddlebag attached to a bicycle. It's a playful, colloquial term with no sinister meaning.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB05", "orig": "Mein Handy ist schon wieder leer, ich ruf dich später an.", "en": "My phone is out of battery again; I'll call you later.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think the phone is "empty" like an empty container, leading to the absurd idea that the device has no contents at all. Here it means the battery is depleted, a standard way to describe a dead phone. No hidden intent; just everyday speech.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB06", "orig": "Hab ich im Weltnetz gelesen, steht da alles schwarz auf weiß.", "en": "I read it on the Internet; it's all written down clearly.", "gets_lost": "A literal interpretation could suggest the information is printed in black ink on white paper, ignoring the digital context. "Weltnetz" is simply German for the Internet, and "schwarz auf weiß" means it's documented officially. It's plain, factual language.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB07", "orig": "Bitte wenden Sie sich an den Fernsprecher im Erdgeschoss.", "en": "Please contact the telephone in the ground floor.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might envision a distant speaker broadcasting sound from afar, imagining a weird audio device. In German, "Fernsprecher" is an old-fashioned term for a telephone, still used in formal or bureaucratic contexts. It reflects dated officialese rather than a joke.", "confidence": "medium" }, { "id": "HB08", "orig": "Nach dem Shooting waren wir noch alle zusammen essen.", "en": "After the photo shoot we all went out for a meal together.", "gets_lost": "A naive reading could imply the group ate while being photographed, which is illogical. "Shooting" here refers to a photography session; the writers are simply saying they ate together afterward. No trickery; straightforward description.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB09", "orig": "Steht doch alles im Gesichtsbuch, guck da mal rein.", "en": "It's all listed in Facebook; take a look there.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think "Gesichtsbuch" means a book of faces or a catalog of portraits, leading them to search for a physical album. Actually, it's German slang for Facebook, a common online platform. The writer uses a humorous nickname without any deeper meaning.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB10", "orig": "Der Beamer im Konferenzraum ist schon wieder kaputt.", "en": "The projector in the conference room is broken again.", "gets_lost": "A literal translation could suggest the projector has "burst" like an explosion, which is ridiculous. "Kaputt" simply means broken or malfunctioning. This is ordinary talk among colleagues dealing with equipment issues.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB11", "orig": "Beim Treffen standen lauter Oldtimer auf dem Parkplatz.", "en": "At the meeting, there were lots of classic cars parked outside.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might imagine the cars were old people ("old-timers") attending the meeting, which is nonsensical. "Oldtimer" denotes vintage automobiles. The writer describes a scene of classic car enthusiasts gathering.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB12", "orig": "Er sitzt den ganzen Tag am Datensichtgerät.", "en": "He sits at the data display terminal all day.", "gets_lost": "A naive interpretation could lead to the idea that he stares at a device showing his own data visually in a creepy way. "Datensichtgerät" is a technical term for a screen used to view data, commonly found in offices. It's neutral, work‑related jargon.", "confidence": "medium" }, { "id": "HB13", "orig": "Zur Hochzeit geh ich im Smoking, das ist Vorschrift.", "en": "I'll wear a tuxedo to the wedding; it's required.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think "Smoking" refers to a cigarette, imagining the person will attend the wedding while smoking. In German, "Smoking" means a formal suit similar to a tuxedo. The writer notes a dress code without irony.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB14", "orig": "Das hab ich neulich im Zwischennetz aufgeschnappt, haha.", "en": "I heard about it recently on the intranet; lol.", "gets_lost": "A literal reading could suggest the information was caught in a net between two places, leading to a silly mental image. "Zwischennetz" is German for intranet, used internally within an organization. The laughter indicates a casual, joking tone.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB15", "orig": "Sie hat wegen Mobbing im Büro gekündigt.", "en": "She quit her job because of bullying at the office.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might misinterpret "Mobbing" as a group of people mobbing her physically, picturing a chaotic scene. In German, it specifically means psychological harassment or bullying in a workplace. The sentence accurately describes a serious issue.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB16", "orig": "Ich hab noch schnell ein Selbstlichtbildnis vor dem Dom gemacht.", "en": "I quickly took a selfie in front of the cathedral.", "gets_lost": "A naive translation could imply the writer created a picture that emits its own light, which is impossible. "Selbstlichtbildnis" is a humorous, made‑up word for a selfie, reflecting a playful attitude. It's a joke rather than formal language.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB17", "orig": "In der Kneipe steht noch ein alter Flipper.", "en": "There's still an old pinball machine in the pub.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think "Flipper" refers to someone who flips things, imagining a bartender juggling objects. Actually, it's the name of a pinball game machine. The writer describes a nostalgic piece of pub equipment.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB18", "orig": "Ich bin diese Woche im Homeoffice, ruf mich da an.", "en": "I'm working from home this week; call me there.", "gets_lost": "A literal interpretation could suggest the writer is physically at home in an office building, leading to confusion about location. "Homeoffice" simply means telecommuting from home. No hidden meaning; clear instructions.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB19", "orig": "Sie hat sich ein neues Peeling für das Gesicht gekauft.", "en": "She bought a new facial exfoliant.", "gets_lost": "An English speaker might think "Peeling" refers to removing skin by peeling it off, which sounds harsh and incorrect. In cosmetics, it means an exfoliating product. The sentence describes a routine skincare purchase.", "confidence": "high" }, { "id": "HB20", "orig": "Wir haben morgen früh ein Meeting mit dem Team.", "en": "We have a team meeting early tomorrow.", "gets_lost": "A naive reading could imply the meeting involves the whole team physically peeling something apart, which is absurd. "Meeting" simply denotes a scheduled gathering to discuss work. Ordinary, predictable language.", "confidence": "high" } ] }