Certain German swear words may be used in similar situations but with different frequency, or may be harsher or milder in their meaning than their English equivalents, so be careful when using them. Literal translations of German curse words into English may not always be accurate. Some German words used as swearwords are harmless when part of regular vocabulary but can also be used offensively while others only occur in foul language. To decode the German street jargon it helps to be familiar with the most common German curse words as they represent a major part of the slang vocabulary. This term he notes as meaning 'independencedeclarations' (sic), which is perhaps a parchment-saving way our own Declaration of Independence could have been titled.One of the biggest challenges faced by distance learners of German is the comprehension of German slang and foul language. Twain's frustrations with learning German are well documented in his book A Tramp Abroad. And to think we English language speakers consider it a feat to verbalize 'antidisestablishmentarianism' without stumbling.Īs David Sedaris noted in his New Yorker article about learning German, this word is most astutely described as another option for 'partner' or 'lover,' but with a more transient twist: 'the person I am with today.' A more elegant, proper version of the term is lebensabschnittgefährte. What follows are 10 of our favorite seemingly-never-ending German words, which earn a spot on our list thanks to characteristics like technicality, definition, adaptation, or sheer perseverance in length.

As Mark Twain put it, 'Some German words are so long that they have perspective.' As a result, the language is rife with lanky terms. Compound words exist in many languages, but German's grammar construction in particular lends itself to easily tacking on parts to make single words stretch across a page.

Common german words in english