“MfG” and the Fanta4
The German Abbreviations in the Song
“MfG” by Die Fantastischen Vier
German Rap and Hip-Hop
Listening to German songs is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to improve your German. We constantly update our Music/Song Links, and we wrote about The Sound of Music... and Lyrics earlier.
But this time we look at (and listen to!) a particular song by the German group known as Die Fantastischen Vier (Fanta4, F4). One of the songs on their Sony/Columbia CD album "4:99" is called "MfG." If you've ever received email in German, you know that this Abkürzung stands for "Mit freundlichen Grüßen" (Yours sincerely/truly; lit., "with friendly greetings"). The song's lyrics consist almost entirely of abbreviations and acronyms in German and English.
Just for fun, we've got a short quiz in which you can test yourself on some of the German abbreviations in the song. Don't worry if you don't know every one of them. Even many German-speakers don't know what all of the abbreviations mean. So we've put together an "MfG" glossary of all the terms used in the song - in both English and German. Also see our 'MfG' Lyrics page and our German Alphabet page with its ABC-Exercises.
Below we'll show you links to both the song and the group. Die Fantastischen Vier have an excellent Web site where you can find information about the group and their many songs. Even if you're not into German rap, I think you'll find this song a fun way to learn some common German terms. After all, German uses abbreviations and acronyms as much or even more than English.
Listening to the "MfG" song is also excellent practice for the German alphabet. After all, the sound of the letters in common abbreviations, such as "VW" (fow-vay), are quite different from English. The alphabet also has some very practical applications. For example, can you spell your name out loud in German?
Now enjoy the music while you polish your listening and speaking skills!
LYRICS > 'MfG' Lyrics in German and English
MORE > Fanta4 Song Lyrics
QUIZ > Test Yourself!
Think you know your German abbreviations? Try this little quiz before you look at our glossary.
ABCs > MfG-Abkürzungen von A bis Z - An alphabetical glossary of abbreviations, acronyms, and expressions used in the song
NOTE: The "MfG" song is found on the Sony/Columbia CD "4:99" and as a Maxi single.
Related Pages
Fanta4 Song Lyrics
Fanta Vier songs in German and English.
'Missing' Introductory Lines - 'MfG'
Even on the Fanta4 site, these introductory "MfG" lines from the 'Radio Edit' are missing.
Top German CDs
Some top picks by your Guide. Compare prices and order German music on CDs.
German for Beginners
Our free online German course. Includes das Alphabet auf Deutsch.
Music/Songs
German songs, lyrics, and groups on the Web.
On the Web
Die Fantastischen Vier
This seems to be the newest Fanta4 site (www.fourserver.com). The home page plays song clips, but you can also click on "downloads" to get audio samples as mp3 files (ZIP).
Smudo - Fanta4
Smudo's official site. Not much there. Links to the Fanta4 site above.
Fanta4 Fanpage
Totti's ultimative Fanta4 Fanpage. Last updated in 2002?
DieFantastischenVier.de
I can't get this "official" Fanta4 link to work any more (12/2005). How about you?
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