In the US, kindergarten marks the entry of children into the formal education system. Held at elementary schools, it is a prepartory year before first grade. In Germany, however, kindergarten is more along the lines of pre-school, giving younger children an opportunity to play and socialize with each other. The term translates literally as "garden for children."

When a lookalike is so convincing that you think you're seeing double, you're probably dealing with a doppelgänger. The idea of doppelgängers has featured in literature for millennia and has fueled an entire section of showbiz with "tribute acts." The German word literally translates as "double goer."

What's better than winning? When it happens at your adversary's expense, it admittedly can fill you will an extra portion of of glee and "schadenfreude." This German concept (literally, "damage joy") refers to happiness about someone else's misfortune. It is a cornerstone of German humor - but be careful how much you laugh about your opponent, because karma might just come back to bite you.

While Mozart was a child prodigy, he and other young geniuses are often referred to in English with the German "wunderkind" ("miracle child"). Many parents may believe their toddler is a "wunderkind" - but the Mozarts, Pascal Blaises and Bobby Fishers of the world truly are in a class of their own.

Not just a popular movie franchise from the 1980s, "poltergeist" actually means "clatter ghost," as in making a racket. Those with a penchant for the supernatural would describe a poltergeist as a ghost that haunts a particular place to establish communication with the real world. However, the German term does not have to be sinister; fairytales in Germany also portray friendly poltergeists.

A repeated theme in music or literature can be referred to as a leitmotif. Translated literally, it means a leading motif or idea. Without this kind of repetition, narratives would largely be aimless and unfocused, melodies pointlessly meandering, and movies would lack a sense of direction. Leitmotifs reward our attention spans and allow creative work to carry meaning and purpose.

With many of the early pioneers in the field of psychology hailing from central Europe, a series of German terms have found their way into everyday parlance in English. Sigmund Freud contributed to the usage of the term "angst," meaning "fear." However, in casual usage, English speakers use angst to refer to existential anxiety, while the non-technical German usage is more banal.

Mostly used as a military term in English, "Blitz" actually means lightning in German. During World War II, the Nazis invented the compound word "Blitzkrieg" (literally, lightening war) to refer to their tact of concentrated and forceful attacks. These kind of strategies would perhaps nowadays be best described as "shock and awe," as "Blitzkrieg" has come to represent Nazi tactics only.

Are you able to predict trends before they go mainstream? If so, then it would appear that you have your finger on the pulse of the "zeitgeist." The most straight-forward translation of this abstract concept is perhaps "spirit of the times," but zeitgeist implies more than just that, referring to the current mood in all realms of culture.

Your boyfriend didn't break up with you, your boss is treating you well, and your bank account is looking better than ever before - yet you feel melancholy. If that's the case, you might be experiencing what the French call "ennui" and Germans "Weltschmerz." The "pain of the world" might be getting to you.