Geil is a difficult word for German learners to use because it can mean “horny,” “good-looking” and “cool” at the same time. (Yeeeee–hessss!!! I’m not stuuuu–piddddd!) geil (Are you sure that you turned off the oven?) You can extend the vowel in any word for emphasis by adding an h, actually.īist du dir sicher, dass du den Ofen ausgemacht hast? It’s something that kids will say to each other if they’re having an argument, and it always sounds a little childish. The resulting word ends up sounding like two syllables instead of one and you, of course, have to add the super annoyed tone to it for the full effect. It sounds a little childish, but if you’re being skeptical about something they said, a German might emphasize that they’re not exaggerating by stretching out the word ja and putting an h in the middle of it. (Nah, I’m full.) Jaaa-haaa! Neeeiii-heiiin! ![]() It’s kind of like saying “nah” so make sure that you use it with your friends instead of with strangers or people you don’t know well. Hearing this word is like fingernails on a chalkboard to an Austrian though, where they say j o and na instead of ja and n ö, respectively. This one is more about the intonation than the actual meaning and is an informal way of saying “no.” Rather than actually saying nein in conversation, you’ll hear nö said much more often. Germans have loved going to Italy since the days of Goethe, so it’s only natural that such a snappy farewell got picked up by savvy Germans.Ī common greeting in the south, this one literally means “I am your servant” in Latin. Before you get weirded out by it, just know that it’s mostly used in certain parts of Germany, like Bavaria, and in Austria.Ī more modern interpretation of the literal meaning would be something like “at your service.” You can use it to say either “hello” or “goodbye.” Italians are actually the largest group of non-Germans in Germany after the Turkish, and there was even a relatively small group of Italian Gastarbeiter (guest workers) brought into the country in the 1950s. Germans respect their southern neighbors so much that many have adopted their greeting in German. Tschüß can truly give your vocal range a bit of exercise every day. Variants include tschü, tschü-tschü and tschüßi (the i is a common, cutesy diminutive used for all sorts of things). There’s even a bit of a singsong melody when you say it. You’d be surprised at just how often it replaces the proper goodbye, Auf Wiedersehen, in daily life.Ī friend who was visiting me from the States pointed out that when we say Tschüß we raise the tone of our voices a full octave. This one means “goodbye,” whether it’s on the phone or in person, and it is said extremely often. (After work, I wanna chill first.) Tschüß! ![]() Nach der Arbeit will ich erstmal chillen. (We want to go to the lake and chill for a bit.) Wir wollen an den See fahren und eine Runde chillen. “ Eine Runde chillen” is an important part of the weekend activities for many younger Germans. ![]() Interestingly, in German you often chill in rounds. The word also has an adjective form, chillig, which is mostly used to describe a laid-back atmosphere or relaxing surroundings you would encounter while having a chill night. The German verb chillen comes from the English “to chill.” It shares the meaning of its anglophone counterpart: to hang out, rest, and generally take it easy. “ Na? – Naaa?” is a complete conversation in which both parties have said hello and asked how life is going. The best thing, however, is that “ Na?” also serves as a reply to itself. To express your intentions a little clearer, “ Na?” can also be combined with other forms of greeting, like in “ Na, alles gut? ”, “ Na, wie gehts?” or the previously mentioned “ Na, was geht ab?”. It is a way to say both “Hello” and “How are you doing?” in one. “Na?” might be the shortest way of asking about someone’s well-being in any language. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. ![]() Here are more than 135 German slang words and expressions that simply don’t get textbook editor approval to spice up your German skills. Well, the German heard on the streets ain’t the stuffy language contained in your textbooks, either! Think about all the English slang you use with friends on a daily basis. By mark and Nick Schäferhoff Last updated:Īug135+ German Slang Words and Phrases Your Textbook Isn’t Teaching You
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