20 Funny German Words That Will Motivate You to Start Learning German - Justlearn (2023)

FAQs

What are the 100 most common German words? ›

The longest word in the standard German dictionary is Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung – which is the word for motor vehicle liability insurance. But at 36 letters, it's rather puny. Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften, a touch longer at 39 letters, is the language's longest non-dictionary word.

1. Eichhörnchen (Squirrel) Although squirrel is also tough to pronounce in English, it's a classic when it comes to difficult German words to pronounce. Many English speakers struggle, and some even consider this the hardest German word to pronounce.

So, if you're wondering how to learn the German language if you're a complete beginner, we recommend you start with the alphabet. The German language has 26 letters, just like English.

In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.

“All beginnings are hard.” “He who chases two rabbits at once will catch none.” “Starting is easy, persistence is an art.”

What is German slang for pretty? ›

Süß which means “cute” in German can be used for women, children, and pets. Hübsch “pretty” is used for women but can also be used for objects such as clothing.

A word of warning… the “word” takes about 3.5 hours to say. The word is 189,819 letters long. It's actually the name of a giant protein called Titin. Proteins are usually named by mashing-up the names of the chemicals making them.

On the other hand, Northern Germany is considered to be the region that speaks the purest Standard German, and in everyday life, little influence of dialect is heard.

The longest English word

The longest word in English has 189,819 letters and takes 3 hours to pronounce. This is a technical term for the chemical composition of titin. Titin is the largest known protein responsible for maintaining the passive elasticity of the muscles.

The German letter ß is a ligature and is also called a “scharfes s” (sharp s). But it's simpler than it sounds–it actually just means “ss”. The best thing about this letter? It sounds exactly like the “s” sound in English!

Geil is one of the most common and useful German slang words you will hear when visiting Austria, Switzerland, or Germany. It generally means "cool", but can also be used for "horny", so make sure you understand the context!

A better tactic is to learn 3-6 new German words every day and invest time in understanding them very well. This way, you can learn almost 2000 words a year - 5 words per day x 365 days = 1800+ new words. Think about it. Within 2 years, you will know enough words to communicate freely in any context.

With plenty of straightforward rules, German is not actually as hard to learn as most people think. And since English and German stem from the same language family, you might actually be surprised at the things you pick up without even trying! And on top of it all, it's definitely a useful one, too.

Is 2 years enough to learn German? ›

Language students who practice a method of complete immersion, with eight hours of practice per day, could learn German to a high level in a matter of months. Those who dedicate at least one hour per day to language learning can achieve an intermediate level within two years.

Learning a new language can be accomplished in a relatively short time if you are taking individual classes. With three 60-minute courses per week, you might be able to learn German in one to two years. This approach is excellent for people with hectic schedules, even if it is more expensive.

Yes, it is possible, that is if you have dedicated many hours of German language learning without distractions. Language experts mention that learning German beginner level (or German A1 level) takes at least 75 hours to fully grasp. That takes at least 10 hours or more a day to really finish your language lessons.

Because there are few pronunciation rules

Unlike English, for instance, where every word is pronounced in its own way or French, where to rules are so severe and dictations are done even in the most progressed course levels.

According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!

On average there are 450 words in a 3 minute speech. This is based on the average speech rate of 250 words per minute. At the 3 minute mark, even a novice speaker could keep going at the rate they started – with some practice.

The official German A1 vocabulary includes, according to the German Goethe Institut, 650 words – that's the bad news. Wow, that's a lot, you may think. The good news is: You're already on the way, and we're am here to help you.

Funny German names

Bierhals (meaning beer-neck), Trinkenschuh (drink-shoe), Eierkuchen (egg cake) and Kitzler (tickler) are some of the funniest German names that have appeared on birth certificates.

In German, there are several ways to express pain: the already mentioned "aua" (ow-ah), which is used mostly in children's language (perhaps for the corresponding consolation word "eia" (i-ah)); well, yes, "autsch" (ouch), also used for the expression of disapprovement; and, perhaps most commonly used, the simple "au" ...

What was Germany's motto? ›

Germany: No official motto, de facto: Unity and justice and freedom (German: Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit).

Prost! Translation: Cheers! Toss on an “Ein Toast!” at the end to encourage a celebratory “bottoms up!” before drinking your Märzen with friends. Fun fact: if you find yourself in Switzerland with a beer in hand, you can substitute “Broscht!” for “Prost!” This is the Swiss-German way to say “Cheers!”

Prost, it rhymes with toast! Prost us a quick and easy way to toast your drinks, while still adding a bit of German flair to the occasion. You can also say, “ein Prost!” which means, “a toast!”

Practice and memorize these ten terms of endearment, study up on your romantic German phrases and learn a romantic song in German. You'll be wooing your new Freund (boyfriend) or Freundin (girlfriend) in no time at all.

silly little girl {noun}

Dummerchen {n} [coll.]

1. methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylalanyl…isoleucine. You'll notice there's an ellipsis here, and that's because this word, in total, is 189,819 letters long, and it's the chemical name for the largest known protein, titin.

The indefinite article a is only capitalized when it begins a sentence, but the pronoun I is always capitalized. Another single-letter word that is always capitalized is O. It's not common in everyday writing, but it appears as an interjection in poetry.

Saying Ich drücke dir die Daumen (my thumbs are pressed for you) expresses wishes of good luck. If someone says this, it is often accompanied by wrapping all the fingers around the thumb in a gesture that looks like the speaker is giving a “thumbs up” - only the thumb stays in the fist.

What language is closest to Low German? ›

Low German is most closely related to Frisian and English, with which it forms the North Sea Germanic group of the West Germanic languages.

1. Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylarginyl… isoleucine (189, 819 letters)

Aequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolic. This is the longest word in English which is composed of seven words. This 52-letter word was coined by Dr. Edward Strother to describe the spa waters in Bath, England.

The longest English word is also the longest word in the world, with almost 190,000 letters. It is the chemical name for titin, the largest protein known. The longest word in the English dictionary however, is the 45-letter word "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis", which refers to a lung disease.

In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

There are several levels to cursing in Swedish, and the expressions seen as less naughty are those made up by numbers. In Sweden, bad words mostly have a religious origin and in the past it was common to amplify them with numbers, such as 'sjutton' (17), 'attans' (an old word for 18), and 'tusan' (meaning 1,000).

Is shut up a bad word? ›

Its use is generally considered rude and impolite, and may also be considered a form of profanity by some.

Frick is a German shortening of the surname "Frederick". Notable people with the surname include: Albert Frick (theologian) (1714–1776), German theologian.

And since an average adult native speaker knows around 20-35 thousand words, you 20%-target would be to cover 4,000-7,000 words. And if we quickly refer back to the Rivenc's vocabulary sun we will see that core and frequent vocabulary altogether comprise exactly around 5,000-7,000 words.

The German language consists of about 5.3 million words – with a rising trend. About one third of those words was added in the last 100 years.

The FSI estimates that German takes approximately 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours to learn. This study was conducted on a group of language students who spent 25 hours per week in class, and three hours daily on individual practice.

Yes, it is possible, that is if you have dedicated many hours of German language learning without distractions.

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) estimates that learning German will take about 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours, as it is rated as a category two language similar to English.

You need more than 3 months to be fluent. But even with such a short time, if you adjust your strategy, you can actually learn German and get really close to being fluent. And I don't mean being able to say, 'I'm doing fine' in German as fast as a native speaker or being able to combine words you learned on Duolingo.