To please or to please?
The spelling reform should actually bring simplification and more clarity. Instead, you are now often faced with new questions, e.g. B. whether "to please" or "to please" is the correct spelling.
"To be satisfied" according to old spelling
Before the spelling reform, "satisfy" was the only correct spelling. If such combinations of adjective (satisfied), preposition (too) and verb (put) don't seem obvious to you, then it shouldn't come as a surprise. Other languages like English are often more pragmatic. This was certainly a reason for the spelling reform of 1996. After that, only "to be satisfied" was correct.
"Satisfy" and the roll backwards
What was supposed to bring about an apparent simplification also made for fewer linguistic ones Precision: "The dog escaped into the kitchen and looked for sausage there." It's quite one difference like that Story continues: "The holder managed to satisfy him with a bone." or "The dog found a whole pack and the owner managed to please him."
- In fact, the Commission backtracked in 2004/2006 and ruled that both spellings are possible in cases of doubt.
- So whether you write "satisfy" or "satisfy" today is up to you - which doesn't necessarily make things easier. It often happens that both spellings are used in the same document. This is unsightly and increases the correction effort.
- In addition, despite all the freedom of movement, the same rules still apply to some forms as before the spelling reform. "The performance was more satisfactory than in the previous school year." is the only correct spelling. "He got a satisfactory report card." is possible, but so is "satisfactory testimony". If you don't understand that - don't worry. You are not alone.
There are many words in German that sound simple, but the way they are spelled...
