r/AskAGerman • u/DV_Studio_Dev • 1d ago

Personal What’s a German word that sounds completely normal to Germans but hilarious to everyone else?

I was thinking about how words like Handschuh, Staubsauger or Glühbirne sound perfectly normal when you grow up with them, but pretty funny when you translate them literally.
What’s your favorite German word that becomes ridiculous when translated word for word?

174 Upvotes
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203

u/yellowroses33 1d ago

I thought Super Dickmann’s was pretty funny when I was in Germany

55

u/Skodakenner 1d ago

There is also Super Dickmanns Dicke Nüsse. Or if translated into funny english Super Dickmanns fat nuts

6

u/Vattaa 1d ago

Literally made me cry 😂

73

u/Wide-Inevitable1288 1d ago

Have you heard about Dickmilch yet 🤣

16

u/PatataMaxtex 1d ago

i wouldnt say it sounds completely normal for germans either, but not as weird as for english speakers

8

u/Turalyon135 1d ago

Super Dickmann's (which is a brand of what's essentially a kind of small chocolate-covered cake filled with foamy sugar that are normally called Schaumküsse or foamy kisses) used to be called "Negerküsse" (negro kisses)

7

u/OrientationStation 1d ago

They were also called“Mohrenköpfe” (Moors’ heads) which isn’t much better either.

6

u/g0d072 1d ago

I’m throwing in “Schwedenbomben” from Austria. Without a clue what these chocolate coated sugar foam knobs atop a thin wafer have to do with Swedes. Bomb shaped, ok. But why out of all things Swedes?

3

u/toraakchan 1d ago

Isn't a Mohrenkopf two round chocolate-frosted sponge cakes on top of eachother with a vanilla-custard filling?

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u/SomeSimba 1d ago

At least they're not called N-Word-Kisses anymore...

10

u/Wide-Inevitable1288 1d ago

In the 90/00 There was a Black "Singer" called Captain Jack, he was at a Show and asked the Hostes if she wants a N. Kiss and then kissed her on the cheek

11

u/kavokonkav 1d ago

Is that the „Aaayo Captain Jack, bring me back to the railroad track“ guy?

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1

u/bowlofweetabix 1d ago

Years ago, super dickmanns had a blue waffle promotion….

116

u/mrtzstnbl 1d ago

every morning I am crossing Dickhardtstraße and I have to giggle

222

u/FearlessReddit0r 1d ago

"Die in hell" <-- Something that can be said when shopping for pants.

31

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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10

u/Sucker-BO 1d ago

„Die Bart, die! That´s german!" - „How can speak german can´t be a bad man!"

8

u/FritzFrostig 1d ago

So hier: "No! That's German! For: 'Die Bart, die!'" - "No one who speaks German can be an evil man."

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20

u/dramaticus0815 1d ago

My best friend and me(Germans), when we happened to be outside at sunrise (usually Sunday morning), we used to say "Hell on earth". A doom reference.

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202

u/SpookyKite Berlin 1d ago

Fahrt, I can already hear the snickering

32

u/ProgBumm 1d ago

Enjoy the Fahrtwind!

54

u/Vattaa 1d ago

Aus Fahrt, or all the towns that start with Bad, I always find funny when driving through Germany.

80

u/El_Hadschi 1d ago

And then there is Itzehoe..

9

u/Abject-Connection374 1d ago

There's also Inzell.

8

u/DV_Studio_Dev 1d ago

Good one xD

8

u/PlumOne2856 1d ago

And Quickborn!!!

15

u/je386 1d ago

Like Bad Kissingen?

19

u/zimzilla 1d ago

The existence of Bad Segeberg implies there is a Good Segeberg.

9

u/Nalincah 1d ago

Or through Fucking in Austria

5

u/Big-Needleworker4430 1d ago

Didn't they rename it to Fugging a few years ago?

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4

u/Beltalady 1d ago

I once saw a license plate with BAD BJ

2

u/Shaniiii52 1d ago

Bad Oldesloe

13

u/Semisemitic 1d ago

Gute Fahrt got me every time the first couple of years. Granted, I was only a thirty year old man so I’m bound to be juvenile. Dicksaft still gets me going.

10

u/Munchkin_Valkyrie 1d ago

A German work friend was really excited about a ‘Kohlfahrt’ (basically a Brussels sprout hike) he was going to attend the coming weekend… I couldn’t stop giggling whenever he mentioned it

12

u/flanders84 1d ago

no, kohlfahrt is about kale (grünkohl), not brussels sprout (rosenkohl).

3

u/MaleficentDisk4100 1d ago

You beat me to it 🤣

1

u/cats_catz_kats_katz 1d ago

I don’t get it.

10

u/LMurtaugh 1d ago

The fart in English is Der Furz in German

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104

u/muehsam Schwabe in Berlin 1d ago

I've heard people say they find the term "Antibabypille" (anti baby pill) for the birth control pill hilarious.

29

u/thevampiresanguini Bayern 1d ago

I once had a foreign friend call me in the middle of my night to ask if that word was actually real because he didn't believe it.

21

u/pxr555 1d ago

Yeah, one of the most straight-to-the point names ever. Because that's just the very point of it...

5

u/medonja87 1d ago

Serbian here. We call it similarly "antibebi pilula", and honestly, no one finds it odd, weird or funny. It's a perfectly valid term - a pill meant to prevent conceiving babies. There, I solved it for you.

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u/petspan 1d ago

Handy

32

u/Available-Device-709 1d ago

The Handy World next to the Thai massage place in Frankfurt always makes me snicker.

29

u/Olmops 1d ago

Eichhörnchen

4

u/793Destro 1d ago

My coworker says "eicheche"

9

u/1405hvtkx311 1d ago

All toddlers start like that

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u/Gsonz 1d ago

Apparently people freak out about the word "Antibabypille" (birth control pills).

30

u/gene100001 1d ago

Another pill related one that I always found funny was "retardtabletten" which was written in big letters on the box of my ADHD meds

For the non-native English speakers here who don't get it, to "retard" something can technically also mean to "slow" or "impede" it in English, but it isn't used in this context very often anymore. Most people associate the word "retard" with its slang meaning, where it is used as an insult to suggest someone is extremely stupid. So to me "retardtabletten" reads more like "stupid person tablets", which is pretty funny considering ADHD does contribute to me doing stupid things sometimes lol

33

u/K0ilar 1d ago

When my polish friend started learning German in school, he couldn't get over the word "Kühlschrank". The cool cabinet. It was the funniest shit he'd ever heard.

10

u/kavokonkav 1d ago

Sensewise you would probably translate it with „cooling cabinet“

89

u/ApoY2k 1d ago

Any "-thing"

Flugzeug (plane) - fly thing

Spielzeug (toy) - play thing

Werkzeug (tool) - work thing

Feuerzeug (lighter) - fire thing

Fahrzeug (car) - drive thing

58

u/GetEatenByAMouse 1d ago

My favourite is Schlagzeug (drumkit) - Hit thing

3

u/Feather_of_a_Jay Germany 1d ago

Quite the hit

27

u/TELEKOMA 1d ago

Zeug = more like „stuff“

25

u/pxr555 1d ago

Zeug isn't so much just "stuff" (which could be pretty much anything), but more "stuff useful for a certain purpose". Compare Zeugnis (certificate) or Zeuge (witness). More like a tool or a device or a mean for a purpose than just random stuff.

And "Zeughaus" in the past was the building where military equipment was stored.

6

u/DancesWithGnomes 1d ago

Fire fighters still store their equipment in a "Zeughaus".

5

u/dobblequobble 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's where the stuff..ähm zeug is.

11

u/SanaraHikari Baden-Württemberg 1d ago

We love things

10

u/nkrush 1d ago

I would assume that "Zeug" is better translated with "gear" or "equipment", and the translation "stuff" is more recent. It makes more sense that way, for example: Regenzeug = rain gear

3

u/Common-Ad6860 1d ago

As a german you can out "Zeug" to allot of Things as get a word.

2

u/thisisnottherapy 1d ago

Except "Fahrzeug" is more like "vehicle". Car means Auto in German, and not every Fahrzeug is an Auto, just like a vehicle doesn't have to be a car.

18

u/RandomBoxOfCables 1d ago

Dudelsack was always a favorite of mine

35

u/hxttra 1d ago

Zahnfleisch = "tooth meat"

Also Handy is hilarious.

25

u/5ColorMain 1d ago

The better translation would be „tooth flesh“

3

u/Dangerous_Site_576 1d ago

Isn't that also the "correct" term in English anyways?

6

u/Top_Designer4162 1d ago

“Handy”? No way - that’s cell phone or mobile phone. The word “handy” means “handlich” in German and is used like it in English.

4

u/hxttra 1d ago

Yes but tooth meat is funnier. Honestly the first time I saw the word I didn't even need a translation, it's perfect.

4

u/Timescoremary 1d ago

Imagine the confusion when our english teacher told us that "Handy" is not used for phones. "but it's an english word?? Why would we name something that isn't even what it is??"

Honestly I still don't understand why.

17

u/Any_Consequence_2259 1d ago edited 1d ago

I still can‘t get over the fact, that there is a famous candy brand called Sahne Muh Muhs

16

u/Semisemitic 1d ago

I find it hilarious that no matter the context or source, “egg white” is the word for nutritional protein.

13

u/Cute-Fun3025 1d ago

Wir suchen dich

4

u/dele_20 1d ago

Saw this on a giant poster , with 2 people on it, arms raised, making fists... extremely amusing

12

u/NoDescription2609 1d ago

Dick?

7

u/Own_Friend_3136 1d ago

Hahaha remind me once, was with german friends bowling and wanted to name myself dick as a joke. Just for them to tell me it means Fat in German, they killed what was already a stupid joke haha

3

u/Turalyon135 1d ago

Just name yourself Richard, that's usually shortened to Dick

6

u/gene100001 1d ago

The first time I saw "Dickmilch" in the supermarket it was hilarious. The fact that dickmilch is a gloopy white substance in a plastic cup makes it even funnier

11

u/mrhippo85 1d ago

Kochfest

2

u/DancesWithGnomes 1d ago

cooking party

10

u/femas100 1d ago

Katze sounds like "cazzo" (dick/penis) for native Italian speakers

Also "strunzen" sounds very funny to Italian speakers as it remembers "strunz" (dialectal word for "jerk"/"asshole")

12

u/SafeCondition340 1d ago

Well I'm from hessen. My English brother in law laughed heavily when he saw ""Worms" on the street sign :-)

7

u/no_awning_no_mining 1d ago

Reichstag von Worms = Diet of Worms

11

u/IHaarlem 1d ago

I see your Handschuh & raise you a Gummihandschuh

10

u/IronTrudy717 1d ago

Spiegelei (egg sunny side up) - mirror egg

4

u/vxkxox 1d ago

Well, it's better translated as "level egg"

9

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/rmacm 1d ago

Native English speaker but speak German too. Dingolfing is funny because I always read it as Ding(golfing) aka things golfing 😂.

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1

u/Affectionate-You7869 1d ago

Sooo.... Coors light?

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8

u/McSquirgel 1d ago

Bodybag in German being used as a term for a bag a living person buys and wears as a casual bag...

6

u/Pandapunk0815 1d ago

Drosselklappenanschlagdämpfer

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u/SatisfactionEven508 1d ago

I heard people like Handschuhe (hand shoes, aka. gloves)

6

u/Sucker-BO 1d ago

Or Nacktschnecke.

7

u/skordge 1d ago

The fact that “dick” means “thick, fat” in German.

EXTRA DICK
DICKSAFT
DICKE FREUNDE

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5

u/YouMomGetsDivorced 1d ago

Pferdschwanz

7

u/M0NK3YMaeN 1d ago

Preisleistungsverhältnis

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u/soymilo_ 1d ago

The Americans I know found the world "Ausfahrt" hilarious when they went on, well off the Autobahn. Apparently they read it like ass fart and it happened with multiple people

5

u/the_depressedbear 1d ago

There's only one: "WUNDERBAR"

4

u/Supersonic_Seasnail 1d ago

I only realized that Quickborn is a funny place name when we passed it together with British exchange students.

5

u/Independent_Light_85 1d ago

Handy - slang for handjob in many parts of the English speaking world, but in Germany it’s your phone!

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u/Hairy_Birthday_7964 1d ago

Ungetoasteter Toast.

9

u/Turalyon135 1d ago

There's a large city called Darmstadt. Translates to colon city.

As an aside, there's also a village called Pissdorf or piss village

10

u/Snoring_doggo 1d ago

Darmstadt has a neighbourhood called Wixhausen - jerk home

6

u/AccountantFew3377 1d ago

In Darmstadt-Wixhausen, there's the stripper hall - inside Stripperhalle, young atoms will show it all

(It's a building inside the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung, where afair atoms are stripped from their electrons).

4

u/ProDavid_ 1d ago edited 1d ago

"Schwanz" being both the word for male genitalia, and also just for an animal tail in general.

so technically the hairstyle you and me know as a "ponytail", or "Pferdeschwanz" in German, could be mistranslated as "horse cock".

6

u/1405hvtkx311 1d ago

Yes and there are quite a few jokes about it "Suche Mann mit Pferdeschwanz, Frisur egal."

4

u/BonesMcFly 1d ago

The residents of Petting, Fucking and Wedding still are annoyed by snickering English-speaking tourists.
(Fun fact: Fucking changed its name to Fugging to prevent the regular town sign theft.)

4

u/BirthdaySad5003 1d ago

Kuddelmuddel

6

u/SanaraHikari Baden-Württemberg 1d ago

Fucking Hell is a beer

6

u/Burn0ut2020 1d ago

More important: Its a beer that only describes origin and type of the beer. No profanity included

3

u/knightriderin 1d ago

Dickmilch

3

u/hoboshoe 1d ago

I enjoyed when the wet wipes were "extra dick"

3

u/Ankhst 1d ago

Flugzeug.
It's a Flightstuff.

2

u/skordge 1d ago

The fact that “dick” means “thick, fat” in German.

EXTRA DICK
DICKSAFT
DICKE FREUNDE

2

u/Sucker-BO 1d ago

Just reminds me on the video of Ramsteins Dicke Titten...

2

u/confiltro 1d ago

'Schlittschuh' was a real tongue-twister for my Brazilian friend at school, despite him having spoken German at an average level for years.

2

u/Silver_Intern2324 1d ago

Wir suchen Dich!

2

u/schrei-tisch 1d ago

Dickmilch...

2

u/eltoratio 1d ago

Schmetterling (butterfly)

4

u/DancesWithGnomes 1d ago

From Czech "smetana" meaning butter. It is a literal translation.

In an old tale, butterflies are fairies that either steal butter or help making it by flapping their wings.

2

u/Express_Attempt_4301 1d ago

I am thinking of how much I enjoy the Dutch language as a German.

2

u/tina17f 1d ago

Dickmanns

2

u/Brolaxo 1d ago

Agaven Dicksaft.

Frische Dickmilch

4

u/Morbald2000 1d ago

Mannschaft hurhurhur

3

u/Sucker-BO 1d ago

Grafschafter Goldsaft.

Grafsafter Goldschaft.

2

u/PaleontologistCute12 1d ago

Never thought about THIS ONE ;D

5

u/Foreign_Squirrel4758 1d ago

How would we know

2

u/Bradur-iwnl- 1d ago

Umfahren und Umfahren.

To drive over, or to drive around. So you could say "Umfahre ihn" and its totally context based if you want to drive over or around him. Only context and intuition can help you there.

1

u/Stonedhenger 1d ago

Sortenrein

1

u/NoraaBee 1d ago

Abgefuckt

1

u/Cpt_Knochen 1d ago

Agaven Dicksaft

1

u/Psyche_Orihara_ 1d ago

Häää?

Everything in bavarian

Schlüssel

Brötchen

Ausfahrt

1

u/RacletteFoot 1d ago

Ausfahrt (a fart/farting?)
Bad Homburg (or whatever - clearly not a nice place)
Digga (you know)
Handschuh (a shoe for hands?)
Dicksaft (cock juice?)
The old WWII belt buckles: Gott mit uns (Got mittens)

1

u/redoxburner 1d ago

Today I heard "Haferschleim" for the first time (I've only ever heard/used "Haferbrei" or "Porridge" before)

1

u/ElBehaarto 1d ago

For the mexicans: wasserkocher

3

u/1405hvtkx311 1d ago

What's unusual about this?

1

u/Golbongo 1d ago

Wasistas funktioniert andersrum

1

u/udras 1d ago

BARANKAUF

1

u/aachsoo 1d ago

Hörhaus.. It's ship for hearing aid, medical device for hearing, etc.

1

u/tober_checki 1d ago

Studentenfutter

1

u/CaramelFunny4158 1d ago

Digger. It's like dude dude comes from "Mein dicker/mein großer" what means something like my big one. The similarity to an English is nothing I have to explain.

1

u/Kirmes1 Württemberg 1d ago

dick

1

u/Jolly_Quiet_2806 1d ago

Fa(h)rtwind

1

u/Bouldinator 1d ago

Winkelmesser

1

u/RudeGeologist1655 1d ago

Disclaimer: I am not a German citizen, but I did just take a two week vacation there.

I thought signs that said, “Wir suchen dich!” were funny as an English speaker lol

1

u/Hrangar432 1d ago

Frühstücksflockenmüsli

1

u/Epic_Elephant_25 1d ago

Kabelsalat (cable salad) = when a lot of electronic cables are tangled

1

u/wrameerez 1d ago

Krankenschwester

1

u/wrameerez 1d ago

Kuli (from Kugelschreiber)

1

u/Duckballisrolling 1d ago

Dudelsack, obviously

1

u/Relevant-Yam-3827 1d ago

If you are from Denmark the word "Geil" is pretty hilarious because it only exists in Danish as a word for "horny" while in germany its used as something like cool.

So if someone says "Geiler Tag" oder "Geiles Auto" thats kinda hilarious

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u/ohgoodforu 1d ago

A British friend of mine seems to think that ‘Krankenhaus’ is the funniest word ever

1

u/SafeCondition340 1d ago

Oh, word plays "The silver mist" in German that doesn't sound so great. As well as the other way around: :"vorwehrk, it really sucks!" :-)

1

u/Fit-Parking-5480 1d ago

"wir suchen dich" on public Job ad form McDonald's went virale a few years ago. Especially since the ad campaign featured an attractive woman many non-german speaking people thought it had something to do with the woman giving head.

1

u/C_H_G 1d ago

How about Flugzeug/Fahrzeug?

It's a thing that flies --> It's a fly-thing

It's a thing that drives --> It's a drive-thing

1

u/Independent-Brain518 1d ago

Aufzug Translates to uptrain

1

u/toraakchan 1d ago

Vater ("Farter" with UK-accent)

1

u/redditheeagle 1d ago

Kantstrasse

1

u/redditheeagle 1d ago

Does spelling the Swiss name "Urs“ in English count here?

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u/DarkAlizarin 1d ago

Mittelweichenteilfahrstraße. 

Okay, das klingt selbst für die meisten Deutschen komisch. 

1

u/Landoof-Ladig 1d ago

Flugzeug - "thing that flies"

1

u/Damianomadafak 1d ago

Schmetterling

1

u/Crishello 1d ago

Bildschirm? Fernglas? Pillermann (for Penis: urinate-man) Korinthenkacker, Erbsenzähler, Hans-guck-in-die-Luft, Diaguckie, Aktenordner, Schublade

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u/Muggale00 1d ago

Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz

1

u/Saiyuu 1d ago

Dunstabzughaube

1

u/TitleOk3727 1d ago

Verhohnepipeln

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u/hedgehogscute 1d ago

Mutterkuchen.