Funny words and strange phrases in German that you just have to learn

German has a very strong relationship with compound nouns, so there are a lot of funny words and funny phrases in this language. It's impossible to translate them verbatim into English or Russian, they are specific and unique. But isn't it cool? When learning a new language, discover words that have no analogues or equivalents in Russian or any other language.

Our previous post with beautiful German words gathered so many reactions that we decided to go deeper into this topic and share German words from another category.

Learning a language requires not only persistence and desire, but also handy tools, faithful helpers! The Tandem app is your faithful assistant in this endeavor! We help speakers of different languages to help each other on their way to learning foreign languages.

Feuchtfröhlich

Continuing the theme of booze, this word can come in handy at the weekend. Feuchtfröhlich - literally "wet happiness." It is an adjective to describe the moment when the alcohol is flowing. Because who would be sad when the bartender is mixing a cocktail? Alcohol is flowing like a river! In the sentence it is used like this: ein feuchtfröhlicher Abend.

German with tutors online

Now you can learn German on your own using the free resources of our educational website, or you can choose a suitable tutor from our partner and study at TutorOnline:

Individual Tutoring
Reasonable prices
Convenient Payment Methods
Free Introductory Lesson
Money Back Guarantee

How to choose a German tutor

Free trial lesson

Du bist das Gelbe vom Ei

Probably the favorite part of an egg for most people is the yolk. So it's no surprise that the phrase literally translates to "you are the yolk," which means "you are exactly what I need."

Without a doubt, German boasts a variety of creative words. Some of them sound a little strange, but we swear we didn't make anything up-these words really do exist. Now that we laughed heartily together, it's time to write to German-speaking users in Tandem to giggle at these words and phrases, use them the next time you communicate with your Tandem partner.

German Dictionary: How do they make jokes in Germany?

Sometimes they make jokes so funny that you would need a dictionary. And sometimes they make you cry. Although other examples of German humor seem no funnier than a police report or a pharmacy prescription, the country has its own traditions in this area.

Kalauer

Kalauer, aka. –

"Flachwitz" or "Plattwitz"
–
A play on words, consisting of the contrasting meanings of similar-sounding words. A rather difficult genre to translate.

According to one version, the term comes from the name of the German town of Kalau, where in Martin Luther's time there seemed to be a particularly witty pastor, and where from 1848 to 1944 the magazine Kladderadatsch, which offered weekly satirical news, was printed.

Fritzchen

German jokes often use the name of little Fritzchen, a fictional mischievous boy who has an English "relative" named Johnny or a Soviet Vovochka.

Thus, Fritzchen asks his teacher, "Can I be punished for something I haven't done?" The teacher replies: "Of course not, that would be very unfair!". Fritzchen is relieved: "That's good, because I haven't done my homework."

Alle Kinder.

In this kind of "children's" jokes, a certain structure is repeated, ending with the child's name, which rhymes with the last word. Here is an example of an adapted translation: "Alle Kinder sagen 'Amen', nur nicht Ingo, der ruft 'Bingo' / "Children all shout: 'Amen!', only Ingo shouts: "Bingo!"

The humor of "Alle Kinder" is often blackest, akin to sadistic Russian poems about a little boy. For example: "Alle Kinder laufen in den Bunker, nur nicht Beate, die fängt die Granate" / "The children all run to the bunker. But not Beate –

That catches the grenade."

Ostfriesen

Every country has its own, you might say, "ethnic objects" of ridicule. In Germany –

are the East Frisians, members of a national minority who became characters in jokes in the 1960s. But the successful East Frisian comedian Otto Waalkes has made jokes about slow Frisians so trademark that the people of the mocked region can even be said to have, in a sense, a certain sense of pride.

Manta

"Opel Manta." –

is a German sports car model produced from 1970 to 1988. The protagonists of the "Manta" jokes are
–
Rude macho and aggressive drivers with blond girlfriends. For example, a Manta driver arrives at a service station and asks for his horn to be fixed. "Your brakes don't work either."
–
remarks the mechanic and is told, "I know, that's why I have to honk my horn all the time."

Bauernregeln

"Liegt der Bauer tot im Zimmer, lebt er nimmer" –

"If the peasant lies dead, then he will not escape death." Such parodies of folk wisdom in a traditionally rhyming style may contain an absurd or tautological rule, jokes of a sexual nature, or remarks about the weather.

"Ists an Silvester hell und klar, dann ist am nächsten Tag Neujahr" –

This example of farmer humor can be translated as, "If it doesn't rain on Silvester
–
the next day the New Year will come." Just in case
–
St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated in Catholic countries on December 31.

DDR

The topics of such humor, which reflected the situation of the citizens of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) from 1949 to 1990, were usually politics or economic deficits. A border guard at the Berlin Wall asks another: "What do you think of the GDR? –

The same as you,
–
the fellow soldier answers evasively.
–
In that case, I must arrest you immediately!"

Radio Yerevan

Popular in Eastern Bloc countries, jokes parodying a series of questions and answers were called "Armenian Radio" in the USSR.

In the German version, the answers usually began with : "In principle yes, but...". Radio Yerevan asks: "Is it true that there is no censorship in the Soviet Union?" The answer is: "In principle yes, but we will not discuss this question further.

Beamte

The stereotypical "Beamte," that is, government officials in jokes look like slow and lazy bureaucrats. Three boys are arguing. The first one says, "My father –

is a racing driver, he's the fastest. "No, my dad's
–
an air force pilot, he's the fastest."
–
replies the second. "I don't think so."
–
says the third. "My father is a
–
is an official; he's so fast that when his workday ends at 5 p.m., he's home by 1:00."

Antiwitz

"Antiwitz" often depicts a short, absurd scene. Two muffins are sitting next to each other in a preheated oven. Suddenly one of them says, "It's kind of hot today..." The other one frightenedly replies: "Oh my God! A talking cupcake!"

Phrases in German for first contact

In Russian	In German	How to read
Hello	Grüss Gott	Grüss Gott
Hi	Hallo	Halló:
Good Morning	Guten Morgen	Gý:ten morgen
Good morning	Guten Tag	Gý:tön ta:k
Good evening	Guten Abend	Gý:tön á:bent
How was your trip?	Wie war Ihre Reise?	Wie wa:r ú:ré reise?
How was your/your trip?	Wie geht es Ihnen/ dir?	Wie g:et es ú:nen/ di:r?
Thank you, that's fine.	Danke, gut.	Danke, gu:t.
Do you speak Russian?	Sprechen Sie Russisch?	Sprechen sie rýsisch?
I speak Russian/English	Jch kann Russisch/Englisch	Ich kann Russisch/Englisch
I speak a little German.	Jch spreche etwas Deutsch	Ich spreche etwas Deutsch
I (do not) understand you.	Jch (nicht) verstehe Sie.	Ich (nicht) fahrsthe:ee zee.
I understand (not) everything.	Jch verstehe (nicht) alles.	Ich (nicht) fährsthe:e (nicht) áles.
My name is...	Ich heiße... Mein Name ist...	Ich heiße ... Mein ná:me ist...
My Family name is...	Mein Familienname ist...	Mein Famú:leienname ist...
And what is your name?	Und wie heißen Sie?	Und wie heißen Sie?
Very glad	Freut mich	Freut mich.
Where are you from?	Woher kommen Sie?	Woher kommen Sie?
I am from... Russia Moscow	Ich bin aus... Russland Moskau	Ich bin aus... Russland Moskau
Are you married? Married?	Sind Sie verheiratet?	Zint zee verheiratet?
I am (not) married.	Ich bin (nicht), verheiratet.	Ich bin (nicht), verheiratet.
Do you work or study?	Arbeiten Sie oder studieren Sie?	Árbeiten zi ó:dær shtudú:ren zi?

How to get around blocking VKontakte and OK?

Ammunition depots are burning near Vinnitsa

How to find new friends and become a good companion?

Birthday Gift

What to present a man for February 23?

One Comment

Dieter
02.01.2019 at 03:36 3 years ago
Thank you so much! Very helpful! The only point, I think there is a mistake in the first table "Jch (nicht) verstehe Sie", the correct one is: Jch verstehe Sie (nicht), oder?
Reply

Have fun learning!

Bikers vs trucker
Die Maschine - What does it mean in German?
Witze über Vegetarier - Germans joke about vegetarians
Ein Berliner, ein Bayer und ein Schwabe - Berliner, Bavarian and Swabe
Erster Arbeitstag, the first day of a new job.
Ungefähr die Hälfte - Roughly half.
Vorstellungsgespräch - Interview
Wenn ich ein Generaldirektor wäre - If I were general ...
Im Gartenlokal - In a summer restaurant
Morgen fahre ich fort - Tomorrow I'm leaving.
Fahrrad gegen Straßenbahn - Bicycle versus streetcar.
Kalt - Cold
Ich habe mich gewogen - I weigh myself.
Schnell, bevor's losgeht! - Schnell, bevor's losgeht!
Vorteile und Nachteile - Advantages and disadvantages.
Gefährlicher Aberglaube - Dangerous superstition.
So was haben wir nicht - We do not have that.
Welcher Vogel ist das? - What kind of bird?
Vergrößern Sie bitte! - Enlarge the picture!
Harte Landung - Hard landing.
Mit wem sprechen Sie? - Who are you talking to?
Mehr Gehalt und noch drei Witze - A pay rise and three more jokes in German.
Deutsch Unterricht - German lesson.
Drei berühmte Männer mit dem Anfangsbuchstaben B - Three celebrities with the letter B
Auf den Kopf achten! - Take care of your head!
Die Schnecke - Snail
Kunstunterricht - Art class
Das Ungeheuer - The Beast
Schon wieder Pech - Unlucky
Was gibt's zum mittag? - What's for dinner?
Onkel oder Tante. Uncle or aunt? (Beware! Berlin dialect)
Verdammte Journalisten. Journalisten
Eine Pistole im Handschuhfach. Gun in the glove compartment.
Schall und Licht. Sound and light.
Ein Wunsch. The fulfillment of desires.
Lottogewinn. Winning the bingo. (For women only).
Andere Umstände. In position.
Ein Schönes Lied. The most expensive song.
Die Schweizer Bank. Swiss Bank.
Wieso hätte? What do you mean you could?
Familienharmonie. Family harmony.
Das Auskennen. Orientation.
Ohne Krawatte. Without tie.
Sie haben Schwein. You are lucky!
Sie haben Pech. You are not lucky.
Das freut mich! I am glad.
Das Unkonventionelle Denken. Unconventional thinking.
Ente in der Bar. Duck in the bar.
Die Höhe. The height.
Der Kontostand. How much is on the account?
Nachtruf. Nachtruf.
Fischen in der Karibik. Fishing in the Caribbean.
Erste Platte. First disc.
Kopf oben. Cap upwards.
Mikrofonprobe. Test of the microphone.
Geographiestunde. Geography class.
...sonst kauft er immer Vanilleeis! ...usually he buys vanilla!
Logic. Logic.
...ich kenne noch ein Wort... ...I know another word...
...nur das Telefon anschließen!" ...just connect the phone!
Krankenbesuch. A visit to the sick.
Das einmillionste Auto. The millionth car.