Is it true that Germans aren’t funny or does the rest of the world just not get the German sense of humor? Now we might be biased, but as Germans, we personally think we’re hilarious. So maybe the issue is something else entirely.
Consider that jokes heavily rely on puns, ambiguity and playing with language - and German is a pretty difficult language to play with.
If you’re taking a German class, you already know how long it can take to properly explain some German grammar structures and peculiarities of the language - and the truth is: If it takes 20 minutes to explain a joke, it simply isn’t funny anymore.
On top of that, Germans tend to be direct and literal, and also very politically correct. Maybe that is what’s misinterpreted as humorless by the rest of the world.
Luckily, at least the German language can be pretty funny - often unintentionally so.
All in all, your best chance to understand just how funny Germans can be is to learn German, including some of these funny German words and phrases.
Take a break from your German lessons and try our LOL German quiz!
Funny German vocab
We already covered a number of beautifully weird and quirky words in German but the list just goes on and on. Some are hilariously long, some may seem impossible to pronounce, and all of them are fun to say. Try it for yourself. Repeat after me “Klackermatsch”.
Funny German words
How many words do you know that rhyme with themselves? Meet “Larifari” “Tohuwabohu” and “Holterdiepolter”.
German | IPA | Actual meaning |
---|---|---|
Purzelbaum | [ˈpʊʁt͡sl̩ˌbaʊ̯m] | Somersault |
Papperlapapp | [ˌpapɐlaˈpap] | Hogwash |
Wonneproppen | [ˈvɔnəˌpʁɔpn̩] | Bundle of joy, used for babies |
Kaffeeklatsch | [ˈkafeˌklat͡ʃ] | Meeting for coffee and chit chat |
Schnickschnack | [ˈʃnɪkˌʃnak] | Frills |
Holterdiepolter | [ˌhɔltɐdiːˈpɔltɐ] | Helter-skelter |
Faxen | [ˈfaksn̩] | Pranks |
Fisimatenten | [ˌfizimaˈtɛntn̩] | Shenanigans |
Schmock | [ʃmɔk] | Shmock, dirt |
Dudelsack | [ˈduːdl̩ˌzak] | Yodel sack |
Brimborium | [bʁɪmˈboːʁiʊm] | Fuss |
Kaulquappe | [ˈkaʊ̯lˌkvapə] | Pollywog |
Anhängsel | [ˈanˌhɛŋzl̩] | Appendage |
Quietscheentchen | [ˈkviːt͡ʃəˌʔɛntçən] | Rubber duck |
Wackeldackel | [ˈvakl̩ˌdakl̩] | Bobblehead |
Blubberwasser | [ˈblʊbɐˈvasɐ] | Fizzy water |
Tohuwabohu | [ˌtoːhuvaˈboːhu] | Hubbub |
Firlefanz | [ˈfɪʁləˌfant͡s] | Frippery |
Kinkerlitzchen | [ˈkɪŋkɐˌlɪt͡sçn̩] | Knick-knacks |
Lappalie | [laˈpaːli̯ə] | Trifle |
Mumpitz | [ˈmʊmˌpɪt͡s] | Balderdash |
Sammelsurium | [zaml̩ˈzuːʁiʊm] | Hodgepodge |
Schlamassel | [ʃlaˈmasl̩] | Mess |
Larifari | [laʁiˈfaːʁi] | Airy-fairy |
Gedöns | [ɡəˈdøːns] | Thingies |
Jungspund | [ˈjʊŋʃpʊnt] | Youngster |
Kauderwelsch | [ˈkaʊ̯dɐˌvɛlʃ] | Gibberish |
Klackermatsch | [ˈklakɐmat͡ʃ] | Mudd |
Schlafittchen | [ʃlaˈfɪtçən] | Scruff of one’s neck |
Schlawiner | [ʃlaˈviːnɐ] | Rogue |
Unfug | [ˈʊnfuːk] | Mischief |
Sich beömmeln | [zɪç bəˈʔœml̩n] | To laugh out loud |
Mit Schmackes | [mɪt ˈʃmakəs] | Energetically |
Pudelnärrisch | [ˈpuːdl̩ˈnɛʁɪʃ] | Droll |
Possierlich | [pɔˈsiːɐ̯lɪç] | Cute |
Meschugge | [meˈʃʊɡə] | Bonkers |
Zuzuzurren | [ˈt͡suːt͡suˌt͡sʊʁən] | To bind together |
Funny German phrases and things to say in German
Idiomatic language can be a lot of fun - from “the very first cream” to “the very last thing”.
German | IPA | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Das ist allererste Sahne | [das ɪst ˈalɐˈeːɐ̯stə ˈzaːnə] | That’s the very first cream | That’s fantastic |
Klar wie Kloßbrühe | [klaːɐ̯ viː ˈkloːsˌbʁyːə] | Clear as dumpling-broth | Crystal clear |
Dumm wie Bonenstroh | [ˈdʊm viː ˈboːnənˌʃtʁoː] | Dumb as bean-straw | Dumb as a stump |
Als Versuchskaninchen dienen | [als fɛɐ̯ˈzuːxskaˌniːnçən ˈdinən] | To serve as try-bunny | To act as a guinea pig |
Kleinvieh macht auch Mist | [ˈklaɪ̯nˌfiː maxt aʊ̯x ˈmɪst] | Small livestock craps, too | A penny saved is a penny got |
Um den heißen Brei herumreden | [ʊm deːn ˈhaɪ̯sn̩ ˈbʁaɪ̯ hɛˈʁʊmˌʁeːdn̩] | To talk around the hot pulp | To beat around the bush |
Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof | [das ˈleːbn̩ ʔɪst ˌkaɪ̯n ˈpɔniˌhoːf] | Life is not a pony farm | Life isn’t always easy |
Was ist denn das hier für ein Saftladen? | [vas ɪst dɛn das hi:ɐ̯ fy:ɐ̯ aɪ̯n ˈzaftˌlaːdn̩] | What kind of juice shop is this? | Why is this business run so poorly? |
Hast du einen an der Waffel? | [hast du: aɪ̯nən an de:ɐ̯ ˈvafl̩] | Do you have one at the waffle? | Are you crazy? |
Lügen haben kurze Beine | [ˈlyːɡn̩ ˌhaːbn̩ ˈkʊʁt͡sə ˈbaɪ̯nə] | Lies have short legs | Lies don’t travel far |
Halt die Ohren steif | [ˈhalt diː ˈoːʁən ˈʃtaɪ̯f] | Hold the ears stiff | Keep your chin up |
Da schaust du dumm aus der Wäsche | [da: ʃaʊ̯st du: dʊm aʊ̯s de:ɐ̯ ˈvɛʃə] | There you look stupid out of your laundry | Now you look stupid |
Das bringt mich auf die Palme | [das bʁɪŋt mɪç ʔaʊ̯f diː ˈpalmə] | That brings me on top of the palm | That drives me nuts |
Das ist mir schnurzpiepegal | [das ɪst miːɐ̯ˌʃnʊʁt͡sˈpiːpʔeˈɡaːl] | I don’t schnurz-peep care | I couldn’t care less |
Das ist kein Zuckerschlecken | [das ɪst kaɪ̯n ˈt͡sʊkɐˌʃlɛkn̩] | That’s no sugar licking | That’s not easy |
Das ist das allerletzte | [das ɪst das ˈalɐˌlɛt͡stə] | That’s the very last thing | That’s the worst |
Schwamm drüber | [ʃvam ˈdʁyːbɐ] | Sponge on top of it it | Forget it, no hard feelings |
Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen | [ˈfʁiːdə ˈfʁɔɪ̯də ˈaɪ̯ɐˌkuːxn̩] | Love, peace, pancake | Happy-go-lucky |
Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei | [ˈaləs hat aɪ̯n ˈɛndə nuːɐ̯ diː vʊʁst hat t͡svaɪ̯] | Everything has an end, only the sausage has two | All good things come to an end |
Free and fun quiz to make you laugh out loud!
Download this free quiz and try to guess the funny German words and phrases. Once you've completed the quiz, scan the QR code... you'll be amazed at the answers!
Funny German slang
If you’ve read our article about the 180 best German slang expressions, you’re already a pro when it comes to German slang, but in case you just can’t get enough, here are a few more funny German slang expressions for you.
German | IPA | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Dreikäsehoch | [dʁaɪ̯ˈkɛːzəhoːx] | Three-cheeses-high | A small child |
Rampensau | [ˈʁampn̩ˌzaʊ̯] | Ramp-pig | Stage-hog |
Pantoffelheld | [panˈtɔfəlˌhɛlt] | Slipper-hero | A henpecked man |
Hanswurst | [ˈhansˌvʊʁst] | Hans-sausage | Buffon |
Kabelsalat | [ˈkaːbl̩zaˌlaːt] | Cable salad | A jumble of cables |
Backpfeifengesicht | [ˈbakp͡faɪ̯fn̩ɡəˌzɪçt] | A slap face | A punchable face |
Spaßvogel | [ˈʃpaːsˌfoːɡl̩] | Fun-bird | Jokester |
Affenkram | [ˈafn̩kʁaːm] | Monkey-stuff | Silly behavior |
Gurkentruppe | [ˈɡʊʁkn̩ˌtʁʊpə] | Cucumber troup | A bunch of newbies |
Fressalien | [fʁɛˈsaːli̯ən] | Munchables | Food |
Schnabulieren | [ʃnabuˈliːʁən] | To beak-ulate | To nibble |
Waschbrettbauch | [ˈvaʃbʁɛtˌbaʊ̯x] | Washboard stomach | Six-pack |
Putzwunderlich | [pʊt͡sˈvʊndɐlɪç] | Clean-wonderly | Wonderful |
Sturmfrei | [ˈʃtʊʁmˌfʁaɪ̯] | Storm-free | To have a place for oneself when the parents or roomates are gone |
Goldig | [ˈɡɔldɪç] | Goldy | Sweet |
Splitterfasernackt | [ˌʃplɪtɐfaːzɐˈnakt] | splinter-fiber-naked | Completely naked |
Mucksmäuschenstill | [ˈmʊksˌmɔɪ̯sçənʃtɪl] | Mouse-peep-quiet | Completely quiet |
Funny German insults
What better language than German to insult someone? With the right pronunciation, these German insults may sound really mean, but in reality they’re all very tame.
German | IPA | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Weichei | [ˈvaɪ̯çʔaɪ̯] | Soft-egg | Weakling |
Schattenparker | [ˈʃatn̩ˈpaʁkɐ] | Shadow-parker | Weakling |
Warmduscher | [ˈvaʁmˌdʊʃɐ] | Warm-showerer | Weakling |
Sitzpinkler | [ˈzɪt͡sˌpɪŋklɐ] | Someone who sits down peeing | Weakling |
Quatschkopf | [ˈkvat͡ʃˌkɔp͡f] | Nonsense-head | Blatherer |
Trantüte | [ˈtʁaːnˌtyːtə] | Bag of fish oil | Slow mover |
Schnarchnase | [ˈʃnaʁçˌnaːzə] | Snore-nose | Slow mover |
Miesepeter | [ˈmiːzəˌpeːtɐ] | Lousy Peter | Someone who is always in a bad mood |
Stinkstiefel | [ˈʃtɪŋkˌʃtiːfl̩] | Smelly boot | Rude man |
Tollpatsch | [ˈtɔlpat͡ʃ] | Great-touch | Klutz |
Labertasche | [ˈlaːbɐˌtaʃə] | Babble-bag | Chatterbox |
Blödian | [ˈbløːdi̯aːn] | Dumb-ian | Idiot |
Rotzlöffel | [ˈʁɔt͡sˌlœfl̩] | A spoon of snot | A brat, cheeky child |
Funny German exclamations and interjections
In English, too, interjections can be pretty funny - from “Boo-yah” to “Holy mackerel”, they convey a certain level of absurdity.
In German, exclamations like “Heiliger Muckefuck” might sound harsher than they truly are. That holy “Muckefuck” is just a caffeine-free coffee alternative. Why, did you think it meant something else?
German | IPA | Literal meaning | Actual meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Pustekuchen | [ˈpuːstəˌkuːxn̩] | Blow-cake | Not a bit of it/ But it wasn’t the case |
Ätsch | [ɛːt͡ʃ] | Tee-hee | That serves you right |
Pfui Spinne | [p͡fʊɪ̯ ˈʃpɪnə] | Urgh spider | Ugh |
Donnerwetter | [ˈdɔnɐˌvɛtɐ] | Thunderwather | Gosh |
Kuckuck | [ˈkʊkʊk] | Cuckoo | Peekaboo |
Mannomann | [manoːman] | Man oh man | Oh boy |
Heiliger Muckefuck | [ˈhaɪ̯lɪɡɐ ˈmʊkəˌfʊk] | Holy coffee substitute | Oh my |
Ei der Daus | [aɪ̯ deːɐ̯ daʊ̯s] | Egg the ace | Oh my |
Alter Schwede | [ˈaltɐˈʃveːdə] | Old Swede | Oh my |
Heiliger Strohsack | [ˈhaɪ̯lɪɡɐ ˈʃtʁoːˌzak] | Holy straw bag | Oh my |
Holler die Waldfee | [ˈhɔlɐ diː valtfeː] | Holler the woodferry | Oh my |
Ach du dickes Ei | [ax duː ˈdɪkəs aɪ̯] | Alas, you fat egg | Oh my |
Heiliger Bimbam | [ˈhaɪ̯lɪɡɐ bɪmba:m] | Holy bimbam | Oh my |
Mein lieber Herr Gesangverein | [maɪ̯n ˈliːbɐ hɛɐ̯ ɡəˈzaŋsfɛɐ̯ˌʔaɪ̯n] | My dear mister choir club | Oh my |
Mein lieber Schwan | [maɪ̯n ˈliːbɐ ʃvaːn] | My dear swan | Oh my |
Potz Blitz | [pɔt͡s blɪt͡s] | - | Oh my |
Igitt Igitt | [iˈɡɪt iˈɡɪt] | - | Yuck |
Boah | [bɔːɐ̯] | - | Wow |
Schwuppdiwupp | [ˈʃvʊpdɪˌvʊp] | - | Bada bing |
Husch | [hʊʃ] | - | Shoo |
Kabumm | [kabʊm] | - | Kaboom |
Four fun facts about the German language
In case you’re not impressed yet, here are four fun facts about the German that will make you shake your head:
1. Somehow it’s all about the sausage.
Whether you’re “playing the insulted liver-sausage” (die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen), asking for an “extra sausage” (Extrawurst) or “throwing the ham at the sausage” (mit der Wurst nach dem Schinken werfen), there are more than 30 German expressions that include a sausage.
2. There are 5 different ways to ask why and they’re all interchangeable.
Wieso? Weshalb? Warum? Wozu? Wofür?
3. There are 5 major meanings of the word “Bitte”.
It simultaneously means “Please”, “You’re welcome”, “Here you go”, “Go ahead” and “Pardon?”
4. “Umfahren” is the exact opposite of “umfahren”.
Don’t see the difference? Yeah, the only difference is the emphasis. When you stress the first syllable (um), the word means “to drive by”. When you stress the second syllable (fahr), the word suddenly means “to run over”.
The importance of German capitalization
Just like the subtle differences in stress and pronunciation, capitalization can also have a massive effect on the meaning of a word.
In German, nouns are always capitalized. So when you see a capitalized word in the middle of a sentence, you automatically know it’s a noun. Sometimes this small detail changes the meaning of an entire sentence. Watch how these translations change just because of the capitalization.
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Guess the meaning of these German words
Christoph Waltz Gives Jimmy Fallon a German Words Quiz
Guess the meaning of these funny German words with Jimmy Fallon and the Austrian actor and two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz. If you paid attention, you already know a couple of them!
Everything has an end
…only the sausage has two. So we’ll just say one last thing. The German word for “funny” is “komisch”, a word that also means “weird” (talk about ambivalence). So what does that say about the German sense of humor? Maybe the German idea of funny includes everything that’s a little weird and special. That would make German the funniest language in the world, don’t you think?