German · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 9 of 12
Humour and informal language
Locker gesagt
Understand colloquial German and everyday humour: common informal words, irony like Na super, and how to switch between casual and polite German.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand common colloquial words like krass, pennen and Bock haben
- Recognise irony and gentle teasing
- Switch from casual to polite German when the situation changes
Listen
On a Sunday morning in a café in Berlin, Dilara (30) meets her old friend Ole (31), who has had a long night. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Dilara
Na, alles klar? Du siehst ja total fertig aus.
Hey, all right? You look totally wiped out.
Ole
Frag nicht. Ich hab die ganze Nacht kaum gepennt. Mein Nachbar hat bis vier Uhr Party gemacht.
Don't ask. I hardly slept all night. My neighbour had a party until four o'clock.
Dilara
Krass. Hast du dich nicht beschwert?
Wow. Didn't you complain?
Ole
Doch, klar. Und da hat er mich gleich zur Party eingeladen.
Of course I did. And he immediately invited me to the party.
Dilara
Und? Du bist doch nicht etwa mitgegangen?
And? Don't tell me you went along?
Ole
Na ja, schlafen konnte ich eh nicht, und irgendwie hatte ich dann doch Bock. Ich wollte nur fünf Minuten bleiben. Um vier war ich der Letzte auf der Party.
Well, I couldn't sleep anyway, and somehow I did fancy it after all. I only wanted to stay five minutes. At four I was the last one at the party.
Dilara
Du bist echt unmöglich. Musst du heute wenigstens nicht arbeiten?
You're impossible. You don't have to work today at least, do you?
Ole
Nee, zum Glück nicht. Aber heute Abend kommt mein Vermieter vorbei, weil sich jemand über den Lärm beschwert hat. Na super.
No, luckily not. But this evening my landlord is coming round because someone complained about the noise. Great.
Dilara
Oh, dein Telefon. Ist er das?
Oh, your phone. Is that him?
Ole
Guten Tag, Herr Schröder. … Ja, selbstverständlich. 18 Uhr passt mir sehr gut. Vielen Dank, dass Sie Bescheid gesagt haben. Auf Wiederhören.
Hello, Mr Schröder. … Yes, of course. 6 pm suits me very well. Thank you very much for letting me know. Goodbye.
Dilara
„Selbstverständlich“? „Auf Wiederhören“? So kenn ich dich ja gar nicht.
“Of course”? “Goodbye”? I've never heard you talk like that.
Ole
Tja, beim Vermieter muss man sich halt benehmen. Ich hoffe, er kriegt nicht mit, wer um vier noch auf der Party war. Und jetzt brauch ich erst mal 'nen Kaffee.
Well, you have to behave yourself with your landlord. I hope he doesn't find out who was still at the party at four. And right now I need a coffee.
Understand
Colloquial German: what friends say
Among friends, Germans use many informal words (). You'll hear them everywhere, in films, on the street and at work between colleagues who use . They aren't rude, but they don't belong in a job interview, an email to an authority or a conversation with someone you call .
Many of these words have a neutral partner. It's safest to understand the informal word and use the neutral one until you feel sure of the situation.
| Informal | Neutral | English |
|---|---|---|
| to sleep, to kip | ||
| wow, crazy, extreme | ||
| () | () | to fancy (doing something) |
| to get | ||
| to notice, to find out | ||
| no, nope | ||
| anyway | ||
| money, cash | ||
| mate, buddy | ||
| to chat, to natter | ||
| well (with a shrug) |
Irony and teasing
German humour among friends is often dry. Irony says the opposite of what is meant, and the tone makes it clear: or (great) usually means “that's annoying”. (that's all I needed) is another classic.
Friends also tease each other gently: (you're impossible) sounds harsh, but with a smile it's affectionate. A question like (you didn't go along, did you?) shows that you already suspect the answer.
- Es regnet, und ich habe keinen Schirm. Na super.It's raining and I haven't got an umbrella. Great.
- Mein Zug hat eine Stunde Verspätung. Das hat mir gerade noch gefehlt.My train is an hour late. That's all I needed.
Switching register
When Ole answers his landlord's call, his German changes at once: instead of , full forms instead of and , and formal words like and (goodbye on the phone). No slang, no , no .
Being able to switch like this is an important B2 skill. Listen to how people talk to each other and match their register. If you're not sure, choose the more polite form: being a little too polite rarely causes problems, but being too casual can sound disrespectful.
More in the grammar: Modal particles: doch, ja, mal, halt, eben, denn
New words
- fertigexhausted, wiped out (informal) · also “finished, ready”
- kaumhardly, barely · = I hardly slept.
- pennento sleep, to kip (informal) · neutral:
- krasswow, crazy, extreme (informal) · used for good and bad surprises
- sich beschwerento complain · + accusative:
- Bock haben (auf)to fancy (doing something) (informal) · neutral: ; = I don't feel like it.
- irgendwiesomehow
- unmöglichimpossible · = You're impossible!
- wenigstensat least
- der Vermieter / die Vermieterinlandlord / landlady · plural: / ; = rent
- vorbeikommento come round, to drop by · separable:
- Na super.Great. (usually ironic) · also:
- sich benehmento behave · ; Perfekt:
- mitkriegento notice, to find out (informal) · separable; neutral: ,
Practise
1.Ole says: “” What does he mean?
2.Write the neutral word for “”.
I couldn't sleep.
3.Complete with the reflexive pronoun.
You have to behave yourself with your landlord.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Someone complained about the noise.
5.Match the informal words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Your train is cancelled, and a friend says “” What does she mean?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Krass, das hätte ich nicht gedacht.
Wow, I wouldn't have thought that.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.