Dreikäsehoch (three cheese high)Īs you certainly won’t guess what this one means, I’ll tell you right away. They can be handy if you want to learn German by yourself. This can either be a rhyme or a mental image that helps you remember complicated words, phrases, or grammar rules.
Have you ever had to memorize an insane number of facts for an exam?Ĭoming up with a funny “ Eselsbrücken” can make studying much more straightforward and even funny.Ĭan you now guess what it means? Excellent!Įselsbrücke is the German word for a mnemonic aid. Eselsbrücke (donkey bridge)Īny idea what this cool German word could mean? I can assure you that it’s got nothing to do with donkeys and bridges. That’s really annoying sometimes, isn’t it? What was your last Ohrwurm? 3. It refers to a song that you just can’t get out of your head and keep singing for days. Some of you might even know the English equivalent earworm. I’m actually talking about a highly catchy song, which is also called “Ohrwurm” in German. That’s just a strange folk tale that my mean older brother told me when I was little. I’m just kidding – earwigs only eat plant lice and fruits. I’m not talking about the insect that crawls into your ear at night and eats your brain. You can find out more about German beer culture in this article. The word is closely related to “ bitterernst”, which is more common and basically means the same thing.Įven though “ bierernst” isn’t used a lot, I think it’s hilarious that such a word exists in the German language. It can either refer to someone who’s dead severe or to a very grave situation. Germans don’t joke when it comes to beer!īierernst is mainly used as an adjective.
FUNNY GERMAN WORDS IN ENGLISH FREE
So what else have you got for me? Please feel free to comment below. The literal translation for ‘raccoon’ is ‘wash bear’. (IJs can also mean ice cream – even better.) 28. Known for their logic, the direct Dutch translation for polar bear is ‘ice bear’. Greyhound is literally translated in Dutch as ‘wind dog’. It describes someone who frets and fusses over completely insignificant and minor details. I’m (monkey) proud to have learned this word today. KangoeroewoningĪnother cute one – granny flat’s literal translation is ‘kangaroo house’. The word for toilet seat can be literally interpreted as ‘toilet glasses’. Meaning ‘slap in the face’, the direct translation is ‘mouth pear’. The cool kids don’t say that here – it’s the word for ambulance.
Alternatives include: Geluksvogel meaning ‘lucky bird’. If you’re a ‘lucky guy’ you may well get called a ‘happy bag’! Gelukzak can also mean ‘lucky sack’. It’s actually a traditional Dutch tricycle with a large box for transporting cargo, including children. ‘Bak’ has a whole heap of meanings in Dutch, but I’m gonna go with ‘bin bike’ or ‘fry bike’. To top it off, my ‘clean mother’ is named Willy. Think your Dutch friend has mental issues when they say they’ve got a monster at home? Don’t fret, it means ‘sample’. Yup, the Dutch word for gloves is ‘hand shoes’.
(Thanks to the party poopers who pointed out that pasta can also mean paste!) 14. Tand is tooth and you can guess what pasta means. Or ‘oil balls’ – a festive dough-based treat, traditionally eaten at New Year. This can mean hairdresser or tasty Dutch kebab with chips, cheese and salad. ‘Ear bells’ or earrings as we like to call them. We just learnt that oorlog means war, but oor means ear and log is cumbersome – so cumbersome ear? 10. While it literally translates into ‘war fries’ (chips in the UK), it means french fries served with peanut sauce, mayonnaise and finely diced raw onion, depending on which region of the Netherlands you live in. Meaning peanut butter but it literally translates as ‘peanut cheese’.
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