Hustysk Helens Adventskalender
Idiom: Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof.
Literal Translation: I only understand railway station.
How to use it: This is a rather popular idiom to teach non-Germans. (I hope you don’t know it yet.) Imagine you sitting at dinner with Günther who wants to tell you about his girlfriend Elvira’s latest research project. “Did you know that biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans starts with the addition of a xylose residue onto a serine residue in the core protein?” While you are staring at him dumbfounded, this is the perfect opportunity to say: “I only understand railway station!” – meaning you understand absolutely nothing.