11 German slang terms to make you sound like a local
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When learning a new language, it’s easy to sound a bit like you’ve eaten a foreign dictionary. But, there’s a simple solution. Using colloquialisms and slang can help you go from a learner to a local, or from ‘needs classes’ to a native speaker.
Why learn slang terms?
If you really want to be fluent in German (or at least, sound a bit more fluent), you’ve got to learn slang and use it the right way. Languages continually evolve, so keeping up with the phrases and words used every day will elevate your conversation skills and help keep you culturally relevant.
Whether you’re traveling through Germany or studying abroad in bustling Berlin, getting German slang right will help you fit in. Throw these slang terms into your next conversation to sound like a local.
1. Hammer
Adjective
Meaning: Cool
The name given to the tool you would use to hit a nail into a wall has a special place in German slang. Use Hammer to describe something as cool, or good. Say, “Das ist der Hammer!”
2. Jein
Adverb
Meaning: Yes, and no
A quirky combination of the German words for yes (ja) and no (nein), jein can be used to represent indecision, and say something like “yes, but…” It’s a simple, single-syllable way to add nuance, allowing you to explain yourself when you partly agree and disagree with something.
3. Futtern
Verb
Meaning: To scoff your food, or devour a meal like an animal
You know that feeling when you’re so hungry you practically inhale your food? Well, the act of stuffing one’s face has been immortalized in German slang. Brb, off to futter some schnitzel.
4. Krass
Adjective
Meaning: Cool, extremely good, or very bad
Krass is a versatile word. It is used in many different situations and its meaning differs with the context, so it's handy to get familiar with. Often, krass is used to say ‘cool’ but it can also describe something as either fantastic or terrible.
5. Karre
Noun
Meaning: A car
Translating as cart, or wheelbarrow, Karre is a slang word used to describe someone’s ride. While it could be used if your mate has an unimpressive, or beat-up car, it can just as easily be used when expressing admiration: “krasse Karre!”
6. Schlappen
Verb or noun
Meaning: To walk with a shuffle
Schlappen can mean slipper, but in slang terms, it refers to a general sluggishness or limpness. It can be used to describe a person or a thing that’s walking with a shuffling gait. It’s also a fun one to say.
7. Kohle
Noun
Meaning: Money
Kohle might directly translate as coal, but when used in its colloquial form, means money. Feeling broke? You could say, “Ich habe keine Kohle.”
8. Labern
Verb
Meaning: To ramble, or babble
If you’ve got a pal who loves to waffle (think: long and rambling, nonsensical stories that feel like a stream of consciousness, with lots of extra words and unnecessary detail, a bit like this sentence), then this German verb has got you. Ask, “Was laberst du da?”
9. Verbocken
Verb
Meaning: Screwed up
Botched an exam? Bungled the punchline of a joke while trying to impress your friends? Use the verb verbocken, to describe a mistake, or something that you have messed up. “Ich habs verbockt.”
10. Chillen
Verb
Meaning: To hang out, relax
No, there are no points available for guessing what chillen means. This German slang term refers to the act of taking it easy, relaxing at home or with friends, with no pressure — just chilling out.
11. Stabil
Adjective
Meaning: Cool, impressive, solid
Stabil in the German word for stable, or sturdy and robust. And, as the word solid in English became synonymous with cool, stabil became a slang term meaning impressive, cool or nice.