We all have different reasons for learning German. For some, it’s rooted in ancestry, friendships, or romantic partners. For others, it’s aimed at landing a university or work opportunity in a German-speaking country. Regardless of our motivation to learn, we all share something in common. We want to ‘wow’ or impress the language’s native speakers. We want to speak like the rest, using expressions that will make a native question whether or not you have a German background. That’s exactly what this post is for: teaching you everyday, general, and regional expressions that will surprise the native speakers you encounter. You will be leaving them thinking: “Are they secretly German?”

• Everyday Expressions: 

  • Hallo Alter (Hah lo All teh) – literally, “hello old guy,” this is the German equivalent of “hey dude”; it’s a very common greeting amongst German natives, so if you use it too, they won’t even know that you’re a foreigner
  • Das geht/Das geht nicht (Dahs gayt/Dahs gayt neecht) – literally “that goes/that does not go,” this is possibly the most common daily expression; it connotes “yeah, that works!” or “no, that does not work” and can be used in practically any situation
  • Ich habe einen Kater (Eech hahbuh i nen Kah teh) – literally “I have a tomcat,” this is a very common, colloquial way to say ‘I have a hangover’; use this with your fellow native German speakers while in recovery mode after a long night of partying and they will be very pleased
  • Stimmt so (Shtimmt zoh) – difficult to translate literally, this expression means “Keep the change” and is commonly used with waiters/waitresses, bartenders, etc. For instance, if the bill is 16 Euro, you can hand the server a 20 Euro bill and say “stimmt so.” This will put a smile on their face, both because of your generosity and your impressive German skills
  • Das ist super geil (Dahs isst zoopah gile) – this expression has multiple meanings and can be used in many situations; since “geil” can mean awesome, cool, terrific, or wicked, this phrase most commonly connotes “That is wicked awesome!” Warning: this can also have a sexual meaning, so just keep this one amongst your friends; don’t use with elders or authorities
  • Es/Das ist sau___ (Es/Dahs isst zow ___) – adding the prefix “sau” to the beginning of an adjective places great emphasis on it; some examples are: “saugut – very good,” “saukalt – super cold,” “blöd – incredibly stupid”; while you can replace “sau” with “total – totally” or “ganz – entirely,” as in “ganz gut” or “total blöd,” Germans will be more impressed and entertained if you use the prefix “sau”
  • Darf ich mal vorbei? (Dahf eech mahl four bye) – literally, “may I please get by?” this is a great expression to use when you are pushing through a crowd on a street, in the train, or any other situation where you are trying to get past someone; think of it like the more advanced version of “Entschuldigung”

• General Expressions:

  • Das ist mir Wurst (Dahs isst meer voorst)- literally, “that is sausage to me,” this expression is the purest form of irony; it indicates that you absolutely do not care about something; however, we all know the deep love that Germans have for sausage, although this expression misleadingly states that the opposite is true
  • Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (Eech fair shtaya noor Bahn hoff) – literally, “I only understand the train station,” this expression is best used when you have are very confused by something; a close English equivalent is “this looks like gibberish to me,” but is a lot more fun as it points to the fact that Germans fully understand their train stations, if nothing else
  • Eselsbrücke (Ehzels brookeh) – literally “donkey bridge,” this refers to a mnemonic device to help you remember new words or phrases; for instance, if you hear a hard word or expression and would like a trick to help you remember it, “Gibt es eine Eselsbrücke dazu?”
  • Kein Bier vor vier (Kine beer for feer) – literally “no beer before four,” this is one of those social protocols that is often broken; this common expression indicates that German’s love for beer, as strong as it may be, still has its limitations; however, in Bavaria (south Germany), it is very common to drink beer before noon – specifically, hefeweizen beer
  • Sie/Er hat einen Vogel (Zee/Air haht i nen fohgel) – literally, “she/he has a bird,” this expression is very similar to calling someone “cuckoo” in English; it implies that someone has a bird in his/her head and is therefore a little crazy. Why a bird? Well, legend says that ‘the crazies’ have little animals living in their heads
  • Klappe zu, Affe tot (Klahppe tsoo, Ahfeh toht) – literally “close the lid, monkey’s dead,” this is a great expression to use with your friend who just went through a bad breakup; it’s a funny (and very German) way to reassure your friend that it’s time to move on. There are many more opportunities out there!
  • Es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt (Es isst neecht alless Gohld, wahss glehnzt) – literally “all that glitters is not gold,” this term reminds us not to judge things or people based on their outward appearance; the English equivalent of this expression is “don’t judge a book by its cover”

• Regional Expressions

  • Rhineland
    • Isch han disch jaen (Ish hahn dish jehn) – literally “I love you,” this is the equivalent to the common German phrase “Ich liebe dich”; so if you hear this expression next time you’re in Cologne, know that the speaker is very fond of you
    • Et es wie et es – literally “it is what it is,” this expression is one of the most common in Cologne; it is reflective of the relaxed atmosphere of the city and is a perfect way to bring a smile to a native’s face
  • Bavaria
    • Servus (Sehrvoos) – originating from the Latin phrase for “I am your servant,” Servus is probably the most common greeting in the South; very similar to the Italian “ciao,” this Bavarian slang term can be used to say “hello” or “goodbye”
    • Gruss Gott (Grooss Gohtt) – literally “Greet God,” this phrase is so southern that Germans in any state other than Bavaria find it very strange; in the south, you will often hear this greeting used in casual encounters with store clerks, cashiers, bus drivers, or other service professionals
  • Hanseatic North (Bremen, Luebeck, Hamburg)
    • Moin (Moyn) – the origins and literal meaning of this word are undefined; one explanation is that Moin comes from “Mooi,” the Dutch word for “beautiful”; another claims that it’s simply a shortened version of the German word for “morning – Morgen”; whatever its origins, this term is a common daytime greeting in the North
    • Mmmm – meaning “Right, okay. What’s next?”, this expression can easily misinterpreted; while in the English-speaking world, “mmmm” implies that you are thinking about your response before you deliver it, North Germans use this as a punctuation mark. A mark that expresses comprehension, while trying to move on to the next topic. With a slightly different tone, it can be used to express disapproval
  • Saarland
    • Unn – meaning “What’s up? How are you?”, this short phrase is very easy to remember; simply 3 letters to replace the 12-letter Hochdeutsch equivalent: “Wie geht es dir?”
    • Hä – meaning “Excuse me?”, this interjection is very similar to the English expression “huh?”; while “huh?” may be considered an inappropriate phrase to use in many conversations, the 2-letter Saarland expression is seldom viewed as inappropriate, despite its short length
  • Saxony
    • Wie gehdsn? (Vee gaydzn) – meaning “How are you?”, this Sächsisch greeting is surprisingly similar to the standard German “Wie geht’s dir?”; this is rarely the case, as Sächsisch and standard German are in many cases very distinct from one another
    • Schulldnsä (Shoold zeh) – meaning “Excuse me,” this expression is incredibly distinct from the standard German “Entschuldigung”; to this point, you will not find many native Germans who can comprehend and speak Sächsisch Deutsch

Any cool expressions we missed on this list? Feel free to share them in the comments below!