Spargel

Whenever I get the chance to practice my German with a native speaker, there is invariably a point in the conversation where we come across a word that neither of us can translate into English. At that point, the conversation typically devolves into something like the following:

Native speaker: "It's a vegetable."

Me: "A tomato?"

Native speaker: "No, it's green and sometimes white."

Me: "Lettuce?"

Native speaker: "No, more like a spear."

Me: "Asparagus?"

Native speaker: "I think that's right. I'm not sure."

These guessing games really interrupt the conversation, and sometimes you're not even quite sure you've figured out the right answer. Recently, I discovered that I can use Google Image Search as a visual dictionary and cut down on the guesswork. To get to the bottom of what spargel is once and for all, I just searched for it.

Instantly I realized it's asparagus. No 20 questions, and no guesswork.

So the next time you're brushing up on your foreign language skills, remember Google Image Search. It may just save you from eating rosenkohl.

Posted by Pete Lidwell, Product Manager, Google Zürich