Still after all these years it gives me goosebumps when the girl on the left sings "how grand you are" at 0:39. Fucking fell in love with her a long time ago.
If you read the article you will see that "bei mir bist du scheen" ("scheen"is spelt in different ways) is indeed Yiddish, and was retained as the title and the chorus of the song which was so popular that an English (or rather American) version was created and was an enormous hit when sung by the Andrews sisters. The discussion by the German speakers completely misses the point and misunderstands the difference between Yiddish and German.
Dear friends! All the very best! I just love the tunes you sing! (Uh, have you eventually been into drinking some rhum and cocacola latley by the way?) Cheerio! Andy
@SpaceCowboy641 actually im swiss, i speak perfekt german (its my native language) and my whole point was just that the sentence Bei mir bist du schön just sounds wrong/weird to say to somebody. But i am saying that as a native german speaker, so ofcourse it translates maybe perfectly to english and you can use that translation in the USA, but its just not a common term in german to tell that to somebody. In every language there are expressions which if you translate them you cannot use them :)
@tomili1986 it´s yiddish. Translate it as "in my eyes you are beautiful" Yiddish may sound like German, but I have real problems to understand it when spoken.
There are also Polish, Slavic, Ukrainian and other elements, depending on where it was spoken. Old High German is the strongest influence, so that German speakers can understand a lot of Yiddish. It's not quite true that speakers of either language automatically understand the other.
It's very funny for you to try to correct me about the use of "bist du", as if I didn't know, as I am a native speaker of German and have also taught German extensively.
I have never suggested that Germans do not say "bist du". That is completely beside the point. Have a look at the lengthy exchange above between the native speakers of German who agree that "bei mir bist du schön" sounds weird and wrong in German. My point was that in this song it is Yiddish and not German, although it should actually be "scheen", or something like that, rather than "schön".
Okay, this is what happens, when girls are let out of the kitchen AND they are not discussing blokes or periods... :-) Anyway, they are amazing as usual, though their band adds a lot to the magic.
@SpaceCowboy641 Na klar, Schweizerdeutsch (oder Schwiizerdüütsch wie wir sagen) ist auch komplett etwas anderes als reguläres Deutsch. Und ja, ich wollte eigentlich genau das sagen damit. Es ist einfach komisch den ausdruck "bei mir" zu verwenden da das eigentlich nicht nett gemeint ist. Also auf Deutsch wird es ja nicht nett verstanden, sondern genau so wie du geschrieben hast, so angeschaut als wäre die person eigentlich nicht schön, sondern das ist nur die eigene meinung.
ok, no offense intended, it wasn't clear from your phrasing. However, Germans do say "bist du..." (Are you...?). You are incorrect about saying Germans do not use the phrase.
There seem to be some problems in transcribing Yiddish which until recently was mostly a spoken (and not written) language. "sheyn" is how the Yiddish word for "schön"sounds. "bistu" makes no sense, and could only be written by somebody who doesn't understand Yiddish or German.
" Yiddish which until recently was mostly a spoken (and not written) language." ??!! that is not right, Yiddis do has a long written tradition, even a big literature, but because it use Hebrew Alefbet it is a problem tor rewrite it in Lat- and what kind of, should it be more German or English---
yiddish has been a written language for nearly 1000 years. no problems at all transcribing it. check out the YIVO institute for info on transcription. 'Bistu' is exactly perfect in yiddish. German, a differently language, does not allow 'bistu' and only allows for 'bist du'
I agree that "bist du" makes sense, whereas "bistu" doesn't, and elsewhere I pointed that out. But the phrase "Bei mir bist du schön" is not used in German and so for German speakers makes no sense. The point is that it is a Yiddish expression, although they pronounce "schön" differently.
but the rest is english or what? I mean like wtf there is german and so called yiddish (if you google for it, and read the wikipedia article about yiddish you will find out that the phrase "bei mir bist du scheen" actually not real yiddish is. It would be written completely different) and there is english as well? I just don't fucking get it.
this song is YIDDISH not german. it's insulting to change the words to german. the words "bei mir bist du shön" don't even rhyme with the next line "please let me explain" if you say them in german. Kh’vel dir zogn, dir glaykh tzu hern Az du zolst mir libe derklern Ven du redst mit di oygn Volt ikh mit dir gefloygn vu du vilst S’art mikh nit on Ven du host a bisele seykhl Un ven du vaytzt dayn kindershn shmeykhl Vendu bist vild vi indianer Bist afile a galitsianer Zog ikh: dos art mikh nit. Bay mir bistu sheyn, Bay mir hos tu heyn, Bay mir bistu eyner oyf der velt. Bay mir bistu git, Bay mir hostu “it”, Bay mir bistu tayerer fun gelt. Fil sheyne meydlekh hobn gevolt nemen mikh, Un fun zay ale oys-geklibn hob ikh nor dikh.
