German Phrase
Die haben 'ne Menge Erfahrung und wissen echt viel.
Meaning
This phrase is a common way to express high regard for a group's expertise. It highlights both their practical 'hands-on' experience and their deep factual knowledge. The use of the contraction 'ne and the intensifier echt gives it a natural, conversational feel.
When to use
Use this when recommending a team, company, or group of experts to a colleague or friend. It is ideal for professional contexts that aren't overly formal, such as office small talk or networking.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Diehaben'ne MengeErfahrungundwissenechtviel
Die (Pronoun)
In casual speech, 'die' is often used as a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'they' or 'those ones'.
'ne Menge
This is a contraction of 'eine Menge'. It is a very common way to say 'a lot' or 'a ton' in spoken German.
Wissen
This verb is used for knowing facts or information, whereas 'kennen' is used for knowing people or being familiar with things.
🗨In Conversation
Soll ich das Team von Schmidt um Hilfe bitten?
Should I ask Schmidt's team for help?
Ja, auf jeden Fall. Die haben 'ne Menge Erfahrung und wissen echt viel.
Yes, definitely. They have a lot of experience and know a really great deal.
✕Common Mistakes
Die haben viel Erfahrung und kennen echt viel.
Use 'wissen' for factual knowledge and 'kennen' for being familiar with people or places.
Die sind eine Menge Erfahrung.
In German, you 'have' (haben) experience, you are not experience.
↔Alternatives
Sie sind sehr erfahren und kompetent.
They are very experienced and competent.
Die kennen sich richtig gut aus.
They really know their stuff.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, demonstrating 'Erfahrung' (experience) is often more important than just having a degree. Using the colloquial 'Die' instead of 'Sie' to refer to a group is very common in spoken German, though you should stick to 'Sie' in formal writing.