English is my mother tongue; German is my second language.
One Sunday at church during my first few months in Germany, I was looking for Bruder Piepenstock, but instead found his daughter who was about 14 years old. I meant to ask her, “Weißt du wo dein Vater ist?” (“Do you know where your father is?”) but my thoughts got mixed up and it came out as “Weißt du wer dein Vater ist?” (“Do you know who your father is?”)[1]. With one of the most confused looks I've ever seen on somebody's face, she replied, “Bruder Piepenstock?”
- ⌃ The English “where” and the German “wer” (means “who” in English) are very similar sounding.