The Road to Fluent German is Paved with Thorns, They Say…
Breaking through the challenging grammar, bizarre word order, and truly unusual words that seem like someone randomly decided to mash together into a ‘lexical patchwork’ takes work. But!
The reward for your effort is the fantastic ability to express everything and anything in new and unique ways—take a bit of this, mix it with a bit of that, and voilà, you’ve got a single word that expresses something which, in other languages, would take an entire (and often lengthy) sentence.
Is this connected to the Germans’ eternal need for efficiency and saving wherever possible? Well, that’s a topic for another day. Some of these compound words have made their way into the wider world, so we’ve all heard of Wanderlust, Weltschmerz, or Schadenfreude.
Here are a few more that still live in the German language—see for yourself what you think of them:
- Ohrwurm – (literally, “ear worm”) You know when you hear a song on the radio, and it sticks with you all day, so you end up humming or whistling it non-stop, even though it’s starting to annoy both you and others? That’s an *Ohrwurm*!
- Fernweh – (literally, “far-sickness”) This word describes the feeling or desire to be somewhere else, kind of like reverse nostalgia. It’s the longing for a place—any place—that isn’t where you are right now. It’s also why we often book our vacations months in advance.
- Kummerspeck – (literally, “grief bacon”) You’ve just gone through a breakup, lost your job, hit a financial slump, or made a big mistake and are now dealing with the consequences. In short, you’re sad, angry, or worried, and some people in these situations tend to gain a few extra pounds by eating their emotions. So, if you find yourself on the couch with a pizza and ice cream after a breakup or argument, you’re gathering *Kummerspeck*.
- Treppenwitz – (literally, “staircase joke”); Ever think of the perfect comeback or witty remark long after the moment has passed? Maybe hours or even days after a heated discussion or missed flirtation opportunity? That moment of clarity is what Germans call a Treppenwitz.
- Weichei – (literally, “soft egg”) This one isn’t culinary. It’s the German word for a man who might be described as a “softy” or “wimp” in other languages.
- Sitzfleisch – (literally, “sitting meat”) Again, not a culinary term (unlike the story of the Tatars placing raw meat under their saddles to create the perfect steak tartare). *Sitzfleisch* refers to someone’s ability to endure something incredibly difficult, tedious, or demanding—basically, it means someone who’s diligent, resilient, hard-working, and persistent.
- Schattenparker – (literally, “shadow parker”) This term belongs to a series of derogatory words used for men who exhibit “unmanly” behavior. In this case, it’s for a man who parks his car in the shade to avoid overheating the interior. Other similar terms include *Warmduscher* (someone who only takes warm showers), *Sitzpinkler* (someone who pees sitting down), or *Turnbeutelvergesser* (someone who always forgets their gym bag).
This is just a small sample of the fantastic compound words you can find in the German language. The great part is, once you’ve mastered the basics and laid the grammatical foundation, you can start joining in on the fun and creating new words of your own.
*The author, Dora Ječmenjak, is a professor of German and English. This article was created in collaboration with the foreign language school ‘Smart’.*
