Are you interested in learning German but need a little break from the traditional language lessons? Here’s a roundup of German words you may not see in an average lesson but are widely used.
In fact, many people casually use these words in English conversations without realizing that it reflects German culture.
Torschlusspanik
This word sums up the feeling of getting older and not having much time left to attend to the things on your ‘bucket list’. But it doesn’t just happen in old age.
Torschlusspanik combines the English words gate + shut + panic, so it can be used whenever you need to do something big in your life, but you’re pressed for time. In a way, it’s like a ‘mid-life crisis’ in English.
Sturmfrei
Ever had that total feeling of freedom when you have the house all to yourself? That’s what sturmfrei means. It describes a great sense of freedom and is derived from the words ‘storm’ and ‘free’ to sum up an emotion.
Weltschmerz
Weltschmerz refers to the feeling we get when we’re saddened by something like the news or a homeless person in need.
When you feel ‘weltschmerz’, you feel like the world will always fail to meet your expectations because humans are prone to some kind of pain throughout their existence.
Backpfeifengesicht
If you (or anyone else) has a backpfeifengesicht, it quite literally means you have a ‘punchable face’. This term means that a deep feeling of frustration airs whenever you see the face of a backpfeifengesicht.
Ohrwurm
Ohrwurm literally translated to earworm, and it’s used when you can’t seem to get a song out of your head.
Dreikäsehoch
Dreikäsehoch means something is the height of three wheels of cheese stacked on top of each other, and it usually refers to a child that’s very small.
It’s not a flattering term either because it’s meant to tease someone to remind them of the fact that they’re not quite old (or mature) enough to do something.
Doppelgänger
The word ‘doppelgänger’ was made famous in The Vampire Diaries series of books and television shows, but it’s also widely used in suspense and mystery novels. A ‘doppelgänger’ is someone that looks almost identical to you but who isn’t related to you at all.
The word’s origin comes from German folklore and literally means ‘double goer’, describing a ghost of yourself that also exists in this world. It’s also believed that meeting your ‘doppelgänger’ is a sign that your death is near. Creepy!
Kuddelmuddel
Kuddelmuddel means something is an utter and complete mess. The word describes chaotic situations and frustrating confusion that just doesn’t make any sense.
Wanderlust
You know precisely what wanderlust is if you’re a frequent traveler or someone that loves the adventure of travel. It’s a word used to describe the feeling of leaving home and heading out to explore the world and soak up all the amazing sites ad cultures out there.
Kindergarten
It just so happens that everyone’s favorite year of school is merely a loanword from the German language. Kindergarten is a composition of the words kinder (child) and garten (garden), so in short, kindergarten is pretty much a garden for kids.
It was invented in 1817 by Friedrich Froebel, who took a naturalist approach to early childhood education, and up until then, kids younger than 7 weren’t part of the school system.
Poltergeist
Steven Spielberg’s 1908s movie title might send shivers running down your spine, but the word itself is also originally German.
The German word ‘polter’ means to rattle or knock, and the word ‘geist’ has many meanings, but the most common one is ghost. Dating all the way back to the 1500s, poltergeist reflects the actions of a mischievous ghost.
Kummerspeck
Here’s an exciting twist to the idea of emotional eating. ‘Kummer’ means worry or despair, and the word ‘speck’ means bacon.
Put those two together, and you’ve got worry bacon. And this word is used when you experience struggles in life, but instead of working through it, you order a double cheeseburger and a milkshake to distract yourself from your problems.
Conclusion
German might be a tricky language to learn, but it’s also one filled with fascination and wonder. The words we mentioned here are just a handful of the untranslatable words we deal with at Day Translations daily, but because we’re experienced in cultural nuances and expectations, we know how to translate even the trickiest words!
If you’re interested in learning more cool language facts, check out our blog for more golden nuggets of wisdom!