1. Alter!

This is one of my favourite German expressions. It can used to express surprise, informally
greet someone or as an interjection.

It’s a shortened version of the term, “Alter Schwede” which translates to old Swedish man in
English. I’m not sure what old Swedish men did to deserve this term, but you can hear it all over
Germany.

You might hear Germans using it as a way to say mate or man to greet you, in a sentence like
“Alter, was geht ab?”, which is man, what’s going on?.

You can also use it to express surprise or disbelief in something. For example one of my friends
at Rugby asked me my age, and I told him I was 25. He laughed and said, “Alter! Nein, wirklich,
wie alt bist du?”, or Man! No, really, how old are you?, which did nothing for my ego as he
thought I was 32.

You can use it at the start of a sentence to express disbelief, or to add effect to what you’re
saying:

 “Alter! Ist das euer Auto?” – Man! Is that your car?

 “Alter Schwede! Was hast du gemacht?” – My God! What did you do?
 “Alter! Mach doch!” – Man! Get on with it.

2. Moin
Moin is the shortening of the phrase, “Guten Morgen” or good morning in parts of northern
Germany. But lots of people have adopted this as a way of saying “Hello!” in German slang,
regardless of what time it is.

I even receive emails from friends using “Moin” as a greeting:

I find this term really helpful if you’re saying hello to a group of people – like if you’ve just walked
into a party – and you’re not quite sure what to say.

3. Geil
Geil is a word used to describe anything you feel is cool, tasty or an interesting surprise. But it’s
also an odd word because “geil” technically means, well…horny.
But Germans don’t think of it in that context when they use it. Kind of how people in English
might use sick to describe something good, without thinking the word really means unwell or
vomiting.

You’ll often hear geil in sentences like:

 “Man, das Essen war so geil!”- Man, that food was amazing!

 “Was hat sie gemacht? Geil!” – What did she do? Brilliant!
 “Ich habe ein geiles Restaurant gefunden” – I found a really cool restaurant
4. Irre
Irre is used the same way in German as crazy! is used in English. It has both good, and bad,
connotations depending on how you use it. But mostly it’s used to express bad situations, like:

 “Der Typ is Irre!” – That guy is a lunatic!

 “Ich fand es Irre, wie schlecht ihren Kundendienst war” – I found it crazy how bad their
customer service was
 “Es war total Irre, was sie gemacht hat” – It was crazy what she did
5. Krass
When the German language isn’t using five words to describe one thing, it’s using one word to
try and describe everything. Krass is one of those words, because it can be used to portray both
good and bad emotion in equal measure.

It’s often heard as a reply to something. For example, “Robert hat 500 Euro mit einem
Rubbellos gewonnen” (Robert won 500 Euros on a scratchcard) could be met with,
“Krass!” (Cool!).

But it could also be used as a response to something negative, such as, “Robert hat 500 Euro
aus meiner Brieftasche geklaut” (Robert stole 500 euros from my wallet), “Krass! Der typ is
Irre!”, (What!? That guy is a lunatic)

You can also use it to describe something; “Das Essen hier is krass! Ich liebe es”, (The food
here is great! I love it), or “Das Restaurant is krass, ich finde es immer so dreckig”, (That
restaurant is awful, it’s always so dirty).

The words around Krass will help to give it context about whether it’s good or bad.

6. Lecker
Lecker is a simple word you can use to say something is tasty. During a meal Germans will
often ask you the question, “Schmeckt's?” which means, how is your food?.

You can simply reply by saying, “Ja! Lecker.”

7. Assi
Assi is short for asozial which means chav in British English. You can probably closely relate
this to redneck or trailer trash in American English, although it doesn’t quite conjure the same
image.

An Assi is someone who is uneducated, unemployed, from a low-income area, who wears fake
designer clothes and spends their evenings drinking or doing drugs. This isn’t my opinion,
however that’s what people are referring to when they say it.

Assi can also be used to describe something of poor quality or is undesirable. For example, “Ich
wollte neue Jeans kaufen, aber alles was ich gesehen hab, war ein bisschen Assi”, (I wanted to
buy new jeans, but everything I’ve seen was a little chavvy).

8. Hammer
Hammer is the tool you use to bang nails into wood. It’s the same word in German as in English.
But the Germans also use it to describe that something is cool or outstanding.

It can be used simply as, “Hammer!” to respond to something cool you’ve heard or seen. But
you can also expand a little bit.

Let’s say you’ve spent the afternoon at a soccer game and someone asked you if you saw the
match-winning goal. You could say, “Alter, es war der Hammer!”, wich means Man, it was a
doozy!

You can use that sentence on its own to describe lots of things you’ve seen or done.

9. Bescheuert
Bescheuert roughly translates to dumb or stupid in English. But it also comes with the
connotation that someone is one sandwich short of a picnic, or their head is, well… up
their arsch.

It’s not uncommon to hear Germans referring to particular politicians as “Total bescheuert!”
when they disagree with their opinions or policy changes.

10. Quatsch
Quatsch is a fun word to say which comes with a few different meanings.

One of the most common ones is a light-hearted way of saying, Don’t be silly!. For example, “Ich
wollte mich bei dir Bedanken, für das Geschenk” (I wanted to thank you for the present) could
be met with “Quatsch! Ich wollte dir was schenken” (Don’t be silly! I wanted to give you a
present).

Quatch can also be used when you think someone is saying something untruthful. “Was für
Quatsch redest du?” (What are you talking about!?).
You can say it to release some frustration. Saying “Quatsch!” out loud when something bad
happens is the same as shouting, Bollocks! in English.

Finally, you can turn it into the verb Quatschen to say that you’re just chatting away with
someone. “Ich bin jetzt bei Ela. Wir quatchen nur. Ich komme bald nach Hause”, (I’m with Ela
right now. We’re just chatting. I’ll come home soon.)

11. Jein
Jein is a mix of the words “Ja” for yes and “Nein” for no. Germans will often use this word to
describe when when something isn’t clear cut, or they haven’t yet made a decision.

Let’s say you’re talking to a friend about their relationship status. They’ve been dating someone
for a while and you want to know if they’re serious yet. You might ask, “Seid ihr jetzt in einer
Beziehung?” Are you in a relationship now?, to which they could say, “Jein” (Yes and no.
Maybe. Who knows!?).

12. Mensch!
Mensch means human in German, but it can also be a way of saying man! or oh man!. It’s often
used to show dissatisfaction with someone or something. Or, in that moment where you’re two
streets away from your house and you realise you left your mobile phone at home.

If you’ve got a friend who does something you’re not particularly fond of you can say, “Mensch!”
followed by their name to express your dissatisfaction. “Mensch, Marie!” can be a good way of
getting your point across.

And if you’re two streets from home and realise you’ve forgotten your mobile phone, you can
exclaim “Mensch!” before turning around and going back.

13. Mist!
Mist is used in the same way as crap or bugger might be used in English. It’s relatively
inoffensive and can be used to express mild negative emotions. You know, when something
isn’t enough to ruin your day, but you wish it hadn’t happened.

You can slot “Mist!” or “Ach, mist!” in wherever you would say crap or oh crap in your normal
everyday conversations.

14. Verarschen
Verarschen is a great word to express when someone is messing you around, pulling your leg
or taking the piss.
This can be used in a light-hearted way like, “Ich verarsche dich nur” can be said like I’m just
joking around with you. Or if you were to say, “Verarschen kann ich mich selber!” you’d be
sarcastically saying, My eye!.

Or if you want to take a more serious standpoint you could say, “Willst du mich
verarschen?” (Are you trying to take the piss?), when you feel that someone is doing something
to wrong you.

15. Kater
Kater is the German word for hangover.

If you’ve had a heavy night drinking German beer or schnapps, you might wake up the next day
and want to say, “Ich habe einen Kater”, meaning I have a hangover.

16. Prima!
Prima is a way of saying something or someone is great. When I hear Prima, it always sounds
happy, like an early 19th century English gentleman saying, “Tip top ol’ chap”

Here are some examples of prima in action:

 “Das ist prima” – That’s excellent

 “Er ist ein prima Kerl!” – He’s a top bloke
 “Sie macht das prima” – She does that so well
17. Besserwisser
Besserwissers are people who think they know everything, refuse to listen to advice, and can
never be wrong, You’ll know this term in English as someone who is a Know-it-all, and it works
as a direct translation.

18. Ausflippen
Can you use your powers of cognate-deduction to figure out what this word means? It’s close to
its English relative.

Ausflippen means to flip out at someone, or about something. You know that moment when
someone completely loses control and starts screaming and shouting in a moment of pure
anger.

19. Verdammt
Verdammt is another close cognate to an English word. It can be used in the same way as the
word damn.

Here are some sentences to give you an idea:

  “Verdammt, ich hab mein Handy zuHause vergessen” – Damn, I left my phone at home
 “Der verdammte Verkehr geht mir auf den Keks” – The damn traffic is getting on my
nerves
 “Verdammt, FC Köln haben schon wieder verloren” – Damn, FC Köln lost again
20. Sau-
Sau is a versatile prefix you can add to lots of adjectives to emphasise how extreme something
is. A Sau is a female pig, but for some reason it’s also used as a slang.

The first time I heard this word it was the middle of summer at a wine festival in western
Germany. It was boiling hot and the people around me would say that it was, “Sauwarm” which
means it’s absolutely sweltering.

You can combine some basic vocabulary, and words you’ve learned on this list, to create some
native sounding variations:

 saulekker – Incredibly tasty

 Saugeil – Insanely cool
 Sauteuer – Really expensive

1. Auf dicke Hose machen

Literally, this phrase means, “To act as if you have fat pants.” It is used to describe someone
who is boasting, bragging or generally pretending to be better than they really are, especially
when it comes to possessing money or wealth.
Where does this phrase come from? Is there a contest among the German people to possess
the largest pants? No, though it sometimes seems like that among hip-hop aficionados.
The “fat pants” refer to the bulge in one’s pocket made by a well-filled wallet. “Auf dicke Hose
machen” is therefore used to describe those who feign that their money pouch takes up more
space than it really does.
It’s worth noting that “auf dicke Hose machen” is frequently used in combination with the
accusative in the phrase “einen auf dicke Hose machen” (see examples below). However, it is
just as well to use it without.
Examples:
Mach mal nicht so einen auf dicke Hose. (Don’t be such a braggart!)
Paul macht auf dicke Hose und gibt eine Lokalrunde. (Paul acts like he has money to spend and
buys drinks for the whole bar.)
2. Gebongt sein
In German a Bon (pronounced “bong”) is the receipt you get after making a purchase.
Therefore, in common parlance the verb bongen refers to ringing something up on a register
(literally putting something onto a Bon), thereby settling the transaction.
If something is gebongt, it means it is booked, decided, or agreed upon. In almost all cases this
phrase is used in the form of Ist gebongt to signify that a matter is settled or that you have
come to an agreement.
Examples:
Treffen wir uns morgen um drei? — Ok, ist gebongt. (Can we meet tomorrow at three? — Ok,
agreed.)
Pass auf, dass Du den Alarm anstellst, bevor Du gehst. — Gut, ist gebongt. (Make sure you
switch the alarm on before you leave. — Ok, I will.)
3. Was geht ab?
“Was geht ab?” is the German equivalent of “What’s up?” or “What’s happening?”. It is used as
a greeting and to inquire after the other person’s wellbeing in a very informal way. If you are a
teenager, you might also be able to pull off the even shorter “Was geht?” but anyone nearing
thirty should stay away from it.
If asked in the aforementioned fashion, common replies are either “nicht viel” (not much),
“alles gut” (everything is fine) or “einiges” (a lot). Keep in mind that this is a very casual
expression. If you can’t pull off “what’s up” in English, you should probably stay away from the
German equivalent as well. The phrase can also be combined with other greetings (see “Na?”).
Examples:
Was geht ab? — Nicht viel. (What’s happening? — Not much.)
Was geht ab? — Viel. Bei mir ist derzeit einiges los. (What’s up? — A lot. There’s a lot going on
with me right now.)
4. Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben
I can only imagine the confusion in your face if, while on a visit to Germany, a native strode up
to you and asked if you still had all your cups in the cabinet. Is that person just a socially
awkward tableware enthusiast trying to make conversation?
Unfortunately, no. Instead, the person is expressing doubt about your mental faculties. It is the
beautiful German way to ask if you’ve lost your marbles. As to why the loss of dishes or colorful
glass balls signifies a deterioration of your senses, beats me.
Examples:
Tausend Euro für ein T-Shirt? Hast Du nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank? (A thousand bucks for
a t-shirt? Have you lost your mind?)
Er sagt, dass ich schuld bin? Der hat doch nicht alle Tassen im Schrank! (He says it’s my fault? I
think he’s not right in the head!)
5. Na?
“Na?” might be the shortest way of asking about someone’s well being in any language. It is a
way to say both “hello” and “how are you doing?” in one. Many confused foreigners have
found themselves under the expectant gaze of a German speaker after this well-meaning
monosyllabic greeting.
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?”.
The best thing, however, is that “Na?” also serves as a reply to itself. “Na? – Naaa?” is a
complete conversation in which both parties have said hello and asked how life is going. There
is a special intonation to it, so it might be best to ask a native speaker to teach you the correct
way.
Examples:
Na, alles klar? — Ja und bei Dir? (Hey, everything good? — Yes, you?)
Na, Du? — Naaa? (Hi, how are you doing? — Hey, and you?)
6. Bock haben
“Bock haben” means to be “in the mood for” or “up for” something. In the negative it means to
be uninclined to engage in a certain activity. It’s the same as “Lust haben” (to have a lust for
something), only in a more colloquial form.
What’s confusing about the phrase is that “Bock” is actually the German word for male goat. No
kidding. But before you ask yourself what is wrong with Germans and their metaphors, let me
point out that it probably derives from the Romani word “bokh” which means hunger. It seems
that over time not only was the spelling adapted to German, but its meaning came to denote a
metaphorical hunger for anything – not just food.
Today “Bock haben” is a common way of expressing your inclination or disinclination for doing
something. It is also entirely possible to have “null Bock,” when your enthusiasm is so low it
arrives at zero. Some people even have “Böcke,” meaning more than one Bock, but it’s not very
common.
Examples:
Wir gehen heute Abend ins Kino. Hast Du auch Bock? (We are going to the movies tonight.
Wanna come?)
Da habe ich überhaupt keinen Bock drauf. (I absolutely do not want to do that.)
7. Die Nase voll haben
This phrase literally means “to have your nose full”. However, it is neither a way to describe
someone with a headcold, nor a person with an expensive drug habit. Instead, in German if you
have your nose full, it means that you are fed up with or sick of something.
Its origin is probably found in the slang of criminals in earlier times who, after being delivered to
prison, sometimes also received a few punches to the nose (a nose full of punches) from the
guards. That’s a situation that most of us would probably be fed up with very quickly.
If you want to emphasize the severity of your discontent, you might even speak of having your
nose filled to the brim. “Die Nase bis obenhin voll haben” states that you are entirely fed up
with the situation. And finally, you might replace “die Nase” with its less polite cousin, “die
Schnauze”.
Examples:
Ich habe die Nase voll von der lauten Musik. (I’m sick of the loud music)
Ich habe sowas von die Nase voll! (I’m so very fed up!)
8. Chillen
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. Be aware, however,
that “chillen” is not used in the sense of cooling or “to give someone the chills”.
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.
Interestingly, in German you often chill in rounds, though usually just one. “Eine Runde
chillen” is an important part of the weekend activities for many younger Germans. But don’t
worry, once the first one is done, you can usually just chill another round.
Examples:
Wir wollen an den See fahren, eine Runde chillen. (We want to go to the lake and chill for a bit.)
Nach der Arbeit muss ich erstmal chillen. (After work I will have to chill first.)
Wir sind beide müde, deswegen machen wir uns eher einen chilligen Abend. (We are both tired
so we will rather go for something relaxing tonight.)
9. Einen dicken Hals haben / bekommen
Have you ever been so angry that you could feel your neck muscles tensing and the veins at its
front pulsing? Because that’s exactly what this phrase is describing.
It’s an expression of anger, rage, and general annoyance. Whether someone already has or is
on the verge of getting a swollen neck, you had better stay out of their way.
You can even forgo to mention your neck’s thickness and instead say “Ich bekomme so einen
Hals” while showing its future dimensions with your open hand held in front of it. It is also
completely possible to leave out any further description and use “Einen Hals auf jemanden
haben.”
Example:
Ich krieg’ hier gleich ‘nen dicken Hals! (In a second here, I’m gonna bust!)
Ich bekomme so einen Hals, wenn ich das höre! (I’m getting so angry when I hear this stuff!)
Mann, hab’ ich einen Hals auf den wegen letzter Woche. (Boy, am I angry at him for last week!)
10. Aus der Reihe tanzen
This last phrase is used to describe someone who stands out by getting out of line or acting
different from everyone else. It literally means to dance outside the line.
Aus der Reihe tanzen can be used in both a negative and a positive way. It can describe a
troublemaker, or someone who is simply doing their own thing. Just like in real life, there is a
fine line between the two.
The origin of this saying is unclear. Though Germans like to be organized, they do not in fact
make everyone dance in a line at the club – no matter what others might be claiming.
Examples:
Sie muss immer aus der Reihen tanzen! (She always has to get out of line!)
Er tanzt gerne etwas aus der Reihe. (He likes to do things a little different than everyone else.)
Und das mir keiner aus der Reihe tanzt! (There better be nobody getting out of line!