It’s a bit of a crazy bet to try to identify the funniest English and German words out of a vocabulary of 750,000 words, but since we have already covered the prettiest and weirdest words already, it We thought it would be wise to take up this challenge as well.
If you are probably familiar with German words and concepts that have entered the vocabulary of many countries, such as ersatz or kitsch, you will probably be happy to learn that this lovely language has more than one trick up its sleeve. Even though most of those who learn German have a conflicted relationship with this one, we promise that these ten words will make you love it. Learn them and you’ll be dying to practice speaking German to use them asap!
Read below and find out which are the most funniest words in English and German language.
Table of Contents
Funny German words
There is nothing like knowing its expressions and sayings to make a language your own. The images and humor that are there are one of the nicest aspects of the language and the cultures that are expressed there. Sometimes, we find the same expression in two languages, as if they described a universal experience. Sometimes, on the contrary, it is impossible to understand the origin of an expression. German is not lacking in original and surprising proverbs and expressions. Here is a best-of! Don’t forget that you can use this funny words on a road trip games when playing with your family.
Feierabend
If you ever work in Germany, don’t be surprised to hear your colleagues wish you a schönen Feierabend when the day is over. Contrary to what one might suppose since Feier means party, they don’t want you to have an incredible, memorable and… a little fuzzy evening stringing beers at the local Biergarten.
No, no. You are going to be disappointed but they just wish you had a good evening – if your working day ends in the late afternoon or evening, at least. Note that the word is used to describe the few hours that take place after the end of the working day, regardless of whether they really take place in the evening (Abend) or not.
Warmduscher
Anyway, going to drink a Feierabendbier after work is the perfect opportunity to meet beautiful and tall Germans. However, be careful not to end up with Warmduscher. Literally, this word translates to “someone who is showering with hot water.” In German, this word refers to people who find it difficult to get out of their comfort zone. There are other fun synonyms for Warmduscher in German such as Schattenparker, which literally means “the one who parks in the shade” or Weichei which translates verbatim to “soft egg”.
Kummerspeck
Okay … let’s say your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you unexpectedly. What do you do? You start to gulp ice cream right out of the pot, of course. Or you decide to eat beer exclusively after dark. Whichever you choose, you may gain a bit of weight around your waist. If you were German you would use the word Kummerspeck (literally bacon of grief) to describe these new love handles. Okay, maybe you wouldn’t use that expression about yourself, but your mom might since she’s the only one who believes that you need to be told when you gain weight – like you don’t. hadn’t noticed anything!
Hüftgold
No winter on the horizon and you’ve escaped heartache? Do not rejoice too quickly, the Hüftgold may be waiting for you. “Gold of hips” you say? Yep, one more word to describe love handles. Never say that German is not a poetic language again!
Fremdschämen
If you want to get rid of your Hüftgold, it might be a good idea to move on to the gym. On this occasion, you might see one of these aspiring bodybuilders making a fool of himself. And even if you’re not friends with him, you might get into “ fremdschämen. ” This verb describes being embarrassed when someone else is making a fool of themselves – a feeling we’ve all experienced at least once!
Zechpreller
A Zechpreller is someone who is guilty of Zechprellerei. Zechprelle-what? Simply put, that means going to a bar or restaurant, ordering food or drink, and leaving without paying. Obviously this is very rude and no one should do this but now you will know what to call your friend who him, hmm, does this often.
Verschlimmbesserung
Remember the last time you tried to fix or improve something and ended up making it worse? It was a Verschlimmbesserung – an attempt at improvement that makes things worse than they initially were. This phrase is often used by those who share their opinion after the last update of their favorite app, phone or computer, as can be seen by doing a Twitter search containing this word.
Kopfkino
Kopf means head and Kino means cinema. Can you guess the meaning of this word? The Kopfkino is what happens when you use your imagination to think of something in great detail. You may lose track of time for a few seconds and really have the impression of watching a movie that takes place … in your head!
Zweisamkeit
Let’s try once again to show you that German really is a beautiful language – we would even go so far as to say that it is rather romantic. Have you ever heard of Zweisamkeit? It is a word that describes the voluntary isolation of a loving couple, when their intimacy creates a kind of loneliness around them. This word derives from Einsamkeit which means solitude, but obviously the Zweisamkeit is much more attractive!
Jein
One of the main stereotypes about Germans is probably that they are very direct and organized. If one looks at the word Jein, however, one can’t help but think that this prejudice is a bit out of date. As you might have guessed, jein simultaneously means yes and no. We are sure you did not know that the Germans were actively fighting for the demise of the black / white dichotomy from this world!
The 12 funniest English words
English is the type of language that everyone knows more or less, masters a little, or is familiar on a daily basis. According to Le journal du Net, it is the most widely used language in the workplace and for communication around the world. An official language in more than 75 countries, it is spoken as a foreign language by more than 750 million people.
Like all foreign languages, as spoken as they are, English has facets that we know less about, more atypical, funnier, more unique, often known by people who speak the language fluently, or whose meaning of the word is known by a native British Englishman for example.
Shenanigans
Meaning: covert or dishonest activity or maneuver, mischief. Funny because this word is as sharp, light and fun as the harmless hoax it describes.
Bamboozle
Meaning: to deceive by resorting to underhand methods Funny because hard to imagine saying this bamboozled word with a serious air.
Bodacious
Meaning: excellent, remarkable, attractive. Funny because do you remember Jeff Scipoli in the movie It Heats Up at Ridgemont High School? Yeah, this guy was “bodacious.”
Hubbub
Meaning: a loud and overexcited reaction or response. Funny because: it literally already contains the onomatopoeia “haha”. Saying this word out loud without a smile is practically impossible!
Canoodle
Meaning: lovingly kissing and cuddling. Funny because, if you’ve had a very traditional grandma, that’s probably the word she used to describe romantic affection. That word made you giggle back then and you still find it so funny today.
Gnarly
Meaning: difficult, bad, cool or good. Funny because, this is a popular word in the extreme sports community, used to describe extreme actions (insert your sarcasm here).
Goggle
Meaning: Tight fitting glasses with side shields or staring with wide open eyes, usually in amazement. Funny Because, when used as a verb, Goggle means to gaze wide-eyed while looking a little silly. Having your mouth open further reinforces this effect. LOL!
Gubbins
Meaning: various and varied items, a gadget. Funny because, the pronunciation of “gubbins” is particularly strange and guttural. It is actually a really weird old word. Apparently over 400 years old.
Malarkey
Meaning: nonsense, hogwash. Funny because, a hilarious and absurd word for something stupid or absurd.
Nincompoop
Meaning: a foolish or stupid person. Funny because, once again, could we have invented a more ridiculous word to describe a fool? Although this is an insult, it is way too funny not to use it once in a while.
Phalanx
Meaning: plural of the English word “phalanx”, corps of troops or police, stationary or moving in close formation, or a fictitious surname popularized by Phoebe in Friends. Funny because: watch the airplane scene in Friends and you’ll have a good laugh. It is also and above all a completely crazy word. But seriously, where does it come from?
Badger
Meaning: omnivorous nocturnal mammal of the weasel family or annoyingly repetitively asking someone to do something. Funny because, in the past, English television broadcast the series “Bodger and Badger,” which featured a badger looking utterly ridiculous. Badgers are generally hilarious anyway.
30 untranslatable words from other languages
“Did you know that the Eskimos, or rather the Inuit, have 15 different terms for what we call snow?” Many have heard this sentence, but let’s dwell on it for a moment: what is the use of calling a single entity (in this case the snow, in fact) with such a large number of terms? An acceptable explanation is the one that illustrates how the fact that this population is in contact with the snow for a longer period than our Christmas season, a situation that has led over the centuries to the creation of terms capable of defining what is indeed snow but it varies in density, appearance, level of compactness and so on.
●Mbuki-mvuki (bantu) Desire to undress to have more freedom while dancing.
●Kilig (Tagalog)Feeling the butterflies in the stomach.
●Uitwaaien (Dutch) Take a walk to clear your head.
●Gigil (Tagalog) Feeling an irresistible urge to pinch someone affectionately.
●Desbundar (Portuguese) The act of losing inhibition while having fun.
●Yuan bei (Chinese) A perfect and complete feeling of self-realization.
●Iktsuarpok (Inuit) The feeling of waiting for someone, which induces those who wait to continually check if the person expected has finally arrived.
●Sehnsucht (German) Intense and yearning longing for something unattainable.
●Pihentagyú (Hungarian) Brilliant people who are able to make subtle jokes or give solutions to a problem.
●Desenrascanço (Portuguese) The act of extricating oneself from an uncomfortable situation.
●Orenda (huron) Power of willpower to change mighty destiny
●Wabi-sabi (Japanese) Appreciation for transient and imperfect beauty, destined to fade soon but appreciated as long as it lives.
●Cafuné (Portuguese) Pass your fingers affectionately through the hair of someone you love.
●Hygge (Danish) The style of an intimate and welcoming place, useful for protecting yourself from the Danish cold.
●Sobremesa (Spanish)In-between conversation with people you just shared a meal with.
●Cynefin (Welsh) A feeling of a place that is so special to ourselves that it is considered our home.
●Esprit de l’escalier (French) The act of ruminating continuously thinking about the phrases that we could have said during an event that is now past.
●Feierabend (German) The pleasant feeling of arriving at the end of a working day.
●Fylleangst (Norwegian) Fear of having committed acts that are not remembered during a heavy intoxication.
●Gjensynsglede (Norwegian) Happiness felt in meeting someone after a long period of time.
●Gumusservi (Turkish) Reflection of the moon on the water of a lake or the sea.
●Gunnen (Dutch) Feeling happiness following a positive event that affects someone we believe deserves joy.
●Fika (Swedish) Meeting people in a place to chat and have a coffee, staying long.
●Jayus (Indonesian) A funny joke for not being funny and being told badly.
●Fernweh (German): nostalgia for places you’ve never been to.
●Komorebi (Japanese): the particular effect of sunlight when it filters through the leaves of trees.
●Tingo (Pascuense, Easter Island): stealing a neighbor’s objects one by one, asking for a loan and not returning them.
●Pochemuchka (Russian): a person who asks too many questions.
●Gökotta (Swedish): wake up at dawn to hear the first birdsong.
●Bakku-shan (Japanese): a beautiful girl… until you look at her face.
Foreign words that are unique in the world
Tim Lomas, English psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of East London, has collected an expanding number of expressions in as many languages spoken around the world to express untranslatable concepts in English (as well as in Italian) except through sentences capable of explaining the concept comprehensively. Lomas himself created a site with the aim of collecting all these terms and promoting their adoption by the English language to summarize in a word, borrowed from another language, a much more complex concept.
●Backpfeifengesicht (German): a face that really has to be punched
●Aware (Japanese): the bittersweet sensation you get when you are experiencing a moment of great beauty
●Tsundoku (Japanese): the habit of buying books and stacking them in piles without ever reading them
●Shlimazl (Yiddish): a chronically unfortunate person
●Rire dans sa barbe (French): grin mysteriously thinking about things from the past
●Waldeinsamkeit (German): the feeling of being alone in a forest
●Hanyauku (Rukwangali, Namibia): tiptoe walking on hot sand
●Gattara (Italian): older woman who lives alone and with many cats
●Prozvonit (Czech): ring the phone, hoping that the other will call and not make us spend money
●Iktsuarpok (Inuit): The frustration of expecting someone late
●Papakata (Cook Islands Maori): having one leg shorter than the other
●Friolero (Spanish): a person particularly sensitive to cold
●Schilderwald (German): when a street is full of road signs and nothing is understood
●Utepils (Norwegian): being outdoors on a sunny day, having a beer
●Mamihlapinatapei (yaghan, indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego): the game of glances of two people who like each other and would like to take the first step, but are afraid
●Culaccino (Italian): the mark left on a table by a wet glass
●Ilunga (tshiluba, Central Africa): a person who forgives everything the first time, the second time is tolerant, but the third has no mercy
●Kyoikumama (Japanese): mother who presses her children to have great results in school
●Age-otori (Japanese): Feeling worse after cutting your hair
●Chai-Pani (Hindi): giving money to someone for a successful paperwork
●Won (Korean): a person’s difficulty in giving up an illusion to face reality
●Tokka (Finnish): a large herd of reindeer
●Schadenfreude (German): enjoy the misfortunes of others
●Wabi-Sabi (Japanese): Accepting the natural cycle of life and death
Words to describe happiness in 10 languages
Agape
(Unconditional, disinterested and boundless love Greek) There are three types of love in Greek: eros, linked to physical attraction; philos, a fraternal feeling of profound sharing and, in fact, agape. The highest point of love, experienced by those who give all of themselves without expecting anything in return. Like Jesus: in the Christian tradition, in fact, the term indicates God’s love for men.
Balikwas
(Suddenly jumping into another situation and feeling surprised Tagalog). The term means jumping over, feeling surprised by a new situation but also going against the tide”. In other words: leaving your comfort zone.
Chrysalism
(Amniotic tranquility of being at home during the storm. English, neologism). It is one of the words conceived by designer John Koenig and collected in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The author imagines new terms with the aim of filling a linguistic void and naming emotions that are difficult to describe. Chrysalism comes from chrysalis and wants to convey the idea of feeling protected, as in an embryonic state.
Dadirri
(Act of deep and thoughtful listening. Ngangiwumirr, aboriginal language). ” Dadirri is giving a voice to spring within us. Even if someone dear has gone I can find my peace again ». Because dadirri, is a method of treatment, a practice for overcoming trauma and pain.
Engentar
(Wanting to be alone, seeking peaceful solitude). Word widespread in Mexico, indicates the desire to get away from others by enjoying one’s solitude. And for those who don’t know how to get involved, there is a guide, How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself by Robert Paul Smith, which explains everything in a farewell sentence: “Excuse me, I have an appointment with myself to sit and watch the growing grass ».
Ubuntu
(Humanity towards others, feeling part of a large community. Bantu). I am who I am by virtue of who we all are. Here is the ubuntu ethics that also inspired the name and philosophy of the Linux-based operating system of the same name, with the aim of bringing the idea of sharing to the software world as well. In fact, those who have ubuntu cannot pursue only the personal advantage. The South African activist and archbishop Desmond Tutu explained: «A person with ubuntu is open and available. When you do good it spreads, it is for all humanity “
Wabi-Sabi
(Imperfect and worn beauty. Japanese). «It is the ability to appreciate the beauty of old phenomena or broken objects – explains Lomas -. We are constantly encouraged to search for the new, words like wabi-sabi allow us to perceive the world from another perspective. It is an aesthetically relevant term but it can also be useful to consider one’s life, to accept the personal aging process and understand that there is a value there too ».
Yuán fèn
(Relationship determined by fate. Chinese). The fateful coincidence of relationships: they do not happen by chance, but depend on the actions committed in the previous life. In short, those who meet do so thanks to an innate universal connection.
Copper
(Chaotic and joyful at the same time. Balinese). Something ramé in Bali? The gamelan. It is an orchestra made up of numerous instruments, including drums, gongs, xylophones, bamboo flutes and stringed instruments. The music produced is complex and articulate, with overlapping melodies and multiple rhythmic lines played together. The result? Chaotic, cheerful, vital. In one word: ramé.
Nunchi
(Ability to interpret looks and read the emotions of others. Korean). We read on the blog of the Korean embassy in Canada: «For a Canadian, yes means yes and no means no. In Korea, on the other hand, yes it can mean: it’s a good idea but I know my boss won’t approve it and since I don’t want to worry you I prefer to say yes ». To understand the interlocutor it is necessary to read non-verbal language. That is, to develop the nunchi.