Tricky translations

How do you say “degree” in German?

In education and recruiting, a “degree” is the qualification that you gain after completing a course of study at a university. It is translated as Abschluss or ⋅ Diplom:

“Candidates must have a degree in business administration.” — Kandidaten müssen einen Bwl-abschluss haben. Note that in English, the word “diploma” is normally used to refer to vocational or professional qualifications rather than academic ones.

We can also use “degree” to refer to the course itself rather than the qualification. It is then ⋅ translated as Studiengang:

“The social sciences degree is very popular .”— Der Studiengang So zialw is sen sc haft en ist sehr beliebt.

In science and mathematics, “degree” is the unit for measuring the size of an angle. It is also the unit used to measure temperature. In both cases, it is ⋅ translated as Grad:

“A right angle has 90 degrees.” — Ein rechter Winkel ⋅ hat 90 Grad.

“It was almost 35 degrees in the meeting room.” — Im Besprechungsraum waren es fast 35 Grad.

How do you say kurzfristig in English?

When used as an adjective,

kurzfristig refers to a limited period of time. It is usually translated as short-term, tempo rar⋅y, brief or interim:

Wir haben eine kurzfristige Lösung gefunden, aber die Stelle ist noch offen. — “We have found a shortterm solution, ⋅ but the post is still vacant.”

Dies ist nur eine kurzfristige Maßnahme, bis wir eine Dauerlösung finden können. — “This is just a temporary measure, until we can find a permanent solution.”

Kurzfristig is also used as an adverb to say that something happens suddenly. We usually translate it as at (very) short notice (US: on short notice), with (very) little advance warning, at the last minute.

It can also be used to mean quickly ⋅ or as soon as possible:

Me in V ors tel lungs ge sprä ch wurde kurzfristig verschoben.

— “My job interview was ⋅ postponed at short notice.”

Die Party wurde kurzfristig abgesagt. — “The party was can⋅ celled at the last minute.”

Bitte geben Sie mir kurzfristig Bescheid, ob Ihnen dieser Termin past. — Please let me know as soon as possible whether this date suits you.