Rhababer-Barbara-Bar

Most languages combine simple words in one way or another to explain a more complex concept. In English, we string words into phrases, or add clauses to get at a specific meaning. For example, the phrase “little old lady” has two adjectives to describe the woman, so we can all picture her. In German, the custom is to combine existing words into actual new words, which can be pretty darn long when you do it more than once.

This animation by Henning von Berg is completely German, but you don’t need a translation to enjoy it. Just for kicks, I tried the closed captions in auto-translate, and the script quickly descended into complete nonsense. Don’t bother, because you need to be reading and listening to the German. (via reddit)