Jochen was my
colleague, as we worked 1999 in Allianz Aken Life Jakarta. He was German and
came from Koeln. I have learnt from him for the first time that there is a variant
of beginning greetings of a letter. He has written the beginning greeting in
his letter “Ihr lieben”. It surprised me. It was new for me.
What I have
learnt, the following beginning greetings are possible:
1. Lieber
Rene
The
adjective decline for Rene is correct: lieb + end form –er for masculine,
singular, nominative, without article.
2. Liebe
Juita
The
adjective decline for Juita is correct: lieb + end form –e for feminine,
singular, nominative, without article.
3. Liebe
Hotelgaeste
The adjective
decline for Hotelgaeste is correct: lieb + end form –e for plural, nominative,
without article.
“Ihr” is plural
(“ihr” means you, pronoun for the second person, using for informal). It should
have the same decline like Hotelgaeste, so: Liebe ihr. Why is it “Ihr lieben”?
Why does the declined adjective stand at the back? It supposed to be in front
of nouns. Although “ihr” is not a noun, but the rule should be the same.
However I
didn’t have a chance to ask Jochen. We were just too busy with the office works.;-)
But, we both went to the Millennium party to Grand Hyatt hotel, since hotels
often invited secretaries and I was invited; but I didn’t think at the grammar
at all.;-)
Now I just
remember it and I need an explanation. Then I ask my friends in Germany. I just
consider all for friends. :-)
Mr
Seemann in Berlin
it is already naturalised in the last years.
But don’t forget: that means related to nouns: Ihr Lieben, Ihr Treuen, Ihr Grünen, Ihr Roten exactly like Ihr Böswilligen, Ihr Feuerwehrleute or Ihr Halunken, etc.
I am not a grammar expert, but hope that this helps you further.
Ilona and Ruprecht in Bodelshausen
Ruprecht directly meant that that is Vokativ. He is right. “Lieb” is not an adjective. (The adjective can become nouns: Die Liebe. (it means here a woman) Der Liebe – like: Die Große. Der Kleine) However: how to form the Vokativ? If I see other examples, then I guess, that it has the same form like the nominative: Ihr (lieben) Hausgäste! (die Hausgäste); Ihr (guten) Freunde! (die Freunde); Ihr (netten) Lieben! (die Lieben); Ihr (schönen) Alten! (die Alten). I have no other idea. About Vokativ I found not so many explanations in Google. But you just can try again.I hope these explanations can help you at least a little bit!
Oh, that’s “Ihr
Lieben” not Ihr lieben. But, what Vokativ is, unfortunately I didn’t find it in
my 3 dictionaries. That “lieb” is not an adjective, I just checked in Heuken’s
dictionary. That’s right. There is no explanation beside the entry word “lieb”.
At the entry word “licht” for example, there is an explanation “Adj” (means
adjective) directly beside the word. Independently from those issues the
decline for “lieb” is same like the decline for adjectives, which name is
adjective decline.
The fact
that “lieben” in the phrase “Ihr lieben” means Lieben, is surprising. That is
not “adjective” at all. That is actually a noun, but because “l” is written
small, a stranger cannot recognise the noun. Nouns in German should be written
in capital. If the alphabet “l” in that phrase “Ihr lieben” were in capital, I
hadn’t thought of the adjective. I would have checked in the dictionary, what
Lieben means. I knew already the word “Liebe”, which refers to the feeling:
love. However the word “Liebe” has another meaning, which refers to person.
Person who is loved. It was new for me. And “Lieben” is the plural of “Liebe”
(which refers to person, not feeling). So: ihr (plural) and Lieben (plural)
make “Ihr Lieben”.
Embarrassing,
after years I just knew it now. :-(
Back to text
37: MH 370, Please Come Back!
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