Are there any pretty German words?

Here are some of our, admittedly subjective, favorite pretty German words. ... Beautiful German words. German IPA English Libelle [liˈbɛlə] dragonfly Schmetterling [ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ] butterfly Qualle [ˈkvalə] jellyfish Papagei [ˌpapaˈɡaɪ̯ parrot 39 more rows •

berlitz.com - 131 Quirky, Cool & Beautiful German Words [+8 of the Longest!] - Berlitz

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While learning German and building your vocabulary, you’ve already learned all about the beautiful German words for flowers, birds and colors, but you still haven’t found your favorite German word, yet?

Look no further. We have collected some of the prettiest and quirkiest German words for you that will absolutely make you fall in love with the language.

Here are three reasons why German words are so amazing.

They’re versatile Some German words are surprisingly soft and easy like “lila” (purple), while others sound more like “Geschirrklirren” (the clinking of dishes). They’re very logical In German, a fridge is a “cool-cabinet” (Kühlschrank) and a lightbulb is a “glow-pear” (Glühbirne). Now you can’t deny, that makes a lot of sense! They’re hilariously long Get ready for “Rechtsschutzversicherung”, “Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit” and some even longer ones. We’ll teach you words with up to 57 letters, plus the true reason why German words are so long.

Beautiful German vocab

You can find some of the most beautiful German words and meanings when you learn all the ways to say I love you and how to give the nicest compliments in German. German may not be known as a particularly pretty language, but you’ll find a subtle beauty in many German words, even where you wouldn’t expect it. For example, the German word for “butterfly” is “Schmetterling”. “Schmettern” means “to dash” or to “shatter”, and “ling” means “something small”. After all, the butterfly effect says that one “Flügelschlag” (the flap of a wing) can cause a hurricane at the other end of the world through a chain reaction. So the German word “Schmetterling” may not match the pretty looks of the butterfly, but it does match its hidden power. That’s the true beauty of the German language. Its words are packed with subtle meaning. That makes it so precise and powerful.

Beautiful German words

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone is going to find these unique German words beautiful - but we do!

Here are some of our, admittedly subjective, favorite pretty German words.

German IPA English filigran [filiˈɡʁaːn] delicate lila [ˈliːla] purple glasklar [ˈɡlaːsˈklaːɐ̯] crystal clear putzig [ˈpʊt͡sɪç] cute schnucklig [ˈʃnʊklɪç] cozy, cute zauberhaft [ˈt͡saʊ̯bɐhaft] enchanting märchenhaft [ˈmɛːɐ̯çənhaft] fairytale-like sorgenlos [ˈzɔʁɡn̩loːs] carefree flattern [ˈflatɐn] to flutter kleckern [ˈklɛkɐn] to spill food zerspringen [t͡sɛɐ̯ˈʃpʁɪŋən] to burst summen [ˈzʊmən] to hum verstecken [fɛɐ̯ˈʃtɛkn̩] to hide Mirabellen [miʁaˈbɛlən] cherry plums Flügelschlag [ˈflyːɡl̩ˌʃlaːk] flap of a wing Libelle [liˈbɛlə] dragonfly Schmetterling [ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ] butterfly Qualle [ˈkvalə] jellyfish Papagei [ˌpapaˈɡaɪ̯ parrot Himmel [ˈhɪml̩] sky Kastanie [kasˈtaːni̯ə] chestnut Lichtung [ˈlɪçtʊŋ] clearing Flieder [ˈfliːdɐ] lilac Sternschnuppe [ˈʃtɛʁnˌʃnʊpə] shooting star Kuddelmuddel [ˈkʊdl̩ˌmʊdl̩] mess Kristall [kʁɪsˈtal] crystal Goldstaub [ˈɡɔltˌʃtaʊ̯p] gold dust Perlentaucher [ˈpɛʁlənˈtaʊ̯xɐ] pearl diver Gemütlichkeit [ɡəˈmyːtlɪçkaɪ̯t] coziness Flummi [ˈflʊmi] bouncy ball Glassplitter [ˈɡlaːsˌʃplɪtɐ] splinter of glass Waschtisch [ˈvaʃˌtɪʃ] vanity Wirrwarr [ˈvɪʁvaʁ] huddle Allee [aˈleː] avenue Winterwald [ˈvɪntɐvalt] winter forest Brieftaube [ˈbʁiːfˌtaʊ̯bə] letter pigeon Erdreich [ˈeːɐ̯tˌʁaɪ̯ç] earth Pfefferminze [ˈp͡fɛfɐˌmɪnt͡sə] peppermint Schneeengel [ˈʃneːˌʔɛŋl̩] snow angel Kronleuchter [ˈkʁoːnˌlɔɪ̯çtɐ] chandelier Elfe [ˈɛlfə] pixie Ananas [ˈananas] pineapple Symphonie [zʏmfoˈniː] symphony

Beautiful German phrases, sayings, and quotes

Some German phrases and sayings may sound confusing if you try to translate them word by word but those are especially fun. Can you guess what it means if someone is “stepping on your cookie” or “saying something through the flower”?

German IPA Literal meaning Actual meaning Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof [ɪç fɛɐ̯ʃte:ə nu:ɐ̯ ba:nho:f] I only understand train station. I don’t understand what’s going on. Aus allen Wolken fallen [aʊ̯s alən vɔlkən falən] To fall from all clouds. To be shocked. Das ist mir Wurst [das ɪst mi:ɐ̯ vʊɐ̯st] That’s sausage to me. I don’t care. An dir ist Hopfen und Malz verloren [an di:ɐ̯ ɪst hɔp͡fən ʊnt ma:lt͡s fɛɐ̯lo:ʁən] Hops and malt is lost on you. You’re hopeless. Du gehst mir auf den Keks [du: ge:st mi:ɐ̯ aʊ̯f de:n ke:ks] You’re stepping on my cookie. You’re annoying me. Bis über beide Ohren grinsen [bɪs y:bɐ baɪ̯də o:ʁən gʁɪnzən] To smile above both ears. To give a big smile. Strahlen wie ein Honigkuchenpferd [ʃtʁa:lən vi: aɪ̯n ho:nɪçku:xənp͡ffe:ɐ̯t] To shine like honey-cake-horse. To look very happy. Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift [ɪç glaʊ̯p maɪ̯n ʃvaɪ̯n p͡faɪ̯ft] I think my pig is whistling. I can’t believe this. Über seinen Schatten springen [y:bɐ zaɪ̯nən ʃatən ʃpʁɪŋən] To jump over one’s shadow. To do something you’re afraid of. Da haben wir den Salat [da: ha:bən vi:ɐ̯ de:n saˈlaːt] There we have the salad. As expected, something bad happened now. Sich aus dem Staub machen [zɪç aʊ̯s de:m ʃtaʊ̯p maxən] To get away from the dust. To take off, leave. Jetzt sitzen wir in den Tinte [jɛt͡st zɪt͡sən vi:ɐ̯ ɪn de:n tɪntə] Now we’re sitting in the ink. Now we have a problem. Auf dem Schlauch stehen [aʊ̯f de:m ʃlaʊ̯x ʃte:ən] To stand on the hose. To not understand something obvious. Mir fällt ein Stein vom Herzen [mi:ɐ̯ fɛlt aɪ̯n ʃtaɪ̯n fɔm hɛɐ̯t͡sən] A stone is falling from my heart. That takes a load off my mind. Jetzt mal Butter bei die Fische [jɛt͡st ma:l bʊtɐ baɪ̯ di: fɪʃə] Put butter on the fish now. Get to the point. wie Kraut und Rüben [vi: kʁaʊ̯t ʊnt ʁy:bən] Like weeds and turnips. Higgledy-piggledy, messy. Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben [nɪçt alə tasən ɪm ʃʁaŋk ha:bən] To not have all the mugs in the cabinet. To be not right in the head. Das kannst du dir abschminken [das kanst du: di:ɐ̯ apʃmɪŋkən] You can wipe that off your face like make-up. You can forget about that (plan, idea etc.) Etwas durch die Blume sagen [ɛtvas dʊɐ̯ç di: blu:mə za:gən] To say something through the flower. To hint at something. Da steppt der Bär [da: ʃtɛpt de:ɐ̯ bɛ:ɐ̯] That’s where the bear is tapping. There are a lot of people there having a good time. Sich wie ein Elefant im Porzellanladen benehmen [zɪç vi: aɪ̯n e:le:fant ɪm pɔɐ̯t͡sɛlanla:dən bəne:mən] To act like an elephant in the porcelain shop. To be clumsy. Nah am Wasser gebaut sein [na: am vasɐ gəbaʊ̯t zaɪ̯n] To be built close to the water. To cry easily. Süßholz raspeln [zy:shɔlt͡s ʁaspəln] To ooze charm. To shred licorice. Eine treulose Tomate [aɪ̯nə tʁɔʏ̯lo:zə tɔma:tə] A traitorous tomato. Someone disloyal.

Other cool and quirky German words

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Here are some of those very literal German words, guaranteed to evoke a distinct picture in your mind. A slug, for example, is a“naked snail” (Nacktschnecke) and gloves are “hand shoes” (Handschuhe) - a little quirky but a lot of fun! German IPA Literal meaning Actual meaning Wortschatz [ˈvɔʁtˌʃat͡s] word-treasure vocabulary Kühlschrank [ˈkyːlˌʃʁaŋk] cool-cabinet fridge Glühbirne [ˈɡlyːˌbɪʁnə] glow-pear lightbulb Angsthase [ˈaŋstˌhaːzə] fear-bunny scared person Erbsenzähler [ˈɛʁpsn̩ˌt͡sɛːlɐ] pea-counter nitpicker Schlittschuhe [ˈʃlɪtˌʃuːə] slide-shoes ice skates Sehenswürdigkeit [ˈzeːənsˌvʏʁdɪçkaɪ̯t] see-worthiness sight Meerschweinchen [ˈmeːɐ̯ˌʃvaɪ̯nçən] sea-piggy guinea pig Nacktschnecke [ˈnaktˌʃnɛkə] naked-snail slug Seehund [ˈzeːˌhʊnt] sea-dog seal Drahtesel [ˈdʁaːtˌʔeːzl̩] wire-donkey bike Kunstflug [ˈkʊnstˌfluːk] art-flight stunt flying Gänsefüßchen [ˈɡɛnzəfyːsçən] little geese feet quotation marks Himmelbett [ˈhɪml̩ˌbɛt] sky-bed canopy bed Zahnfleisch [ˈt͡saːnˌflaɪ̯ʃ] tooth-flesh gums Zeitlupe [ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌluːpə] time-magnifying glass slow motion Handschuhe [ˈhantˌʃuːə] hand-shoes gloves Vorfreude [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌfʁɔɪ̯də] pre-joy anticipation augenblicklich [ˌaʊ̯ɡn̩ˈblɪklɪç] like the blink of an eye instant blickdicht [ˈblɪkˌdɪçt] sight-dense non-transparent Pusteblume [ˈpuːstəˌbluːmə] blow-flower dandelion Im Schneckentempo [ɪm ˈʃnɛkn̩ˌtɛmpos] at snail pace slow Leidenschaft [ˈlaɪ̯dn̩ʃaft] sufferingship passion Neugier [ˈnɔɪ̯ˌɡiːɐ̯] new-greed curiosity Sehnsucht [ˈzeːnˌzʊxt] crave-addiction desire Eifersucht [ˈaɪ̯fɐˌzʊxt] zeal-addiction jealousy Gaumenschmaus [ˈɡaʊ̯mənˌʃmaʊ̯s] gum-feast culinary delight Windschatten [ˈvɪntˌʃatn̩] wind’s shadow slipstream Zuckerwatte [ˈt͡sʊkɐˌvatə] sugar-cotton cotton candy Wackelpudding [ˈvakl̩ˌpʊdɪŋ] wobble-pudding jello Spiegelei [ˈʃpiːɡl̩ˌʔaɪ̯] mirror-egg fried egg

Untranslatable German words

Untranslatables are words that are unique to a specific language - so unique that it can be hard to translate them. Some, like “Hinterland” and “Zeitgeist”, have made it into the English language. Others might be new for you, so grab your vocabulary book. Sometimes you don’t realize you need a word until you know it exists. German IPA Literal meaning Actual meaning Weltschmerz [ˈvɛltˌʃmɛʁt͡s] world-pain World weariness and suffering from the world and its inadequacy Fernweh [ˈfɛʁnˌveː] far-sore The ache to see far-flung places, being homesick but for somewhere far away Hinterland [ˈhɪntɐˌlant] behind-land A rural area downstream from a city and inhabited by only a few residents Hüftgold [ˈhʏftˌɡɔlt] hip-gold Lovable extra pounds around the hips Zeitgeist [ˈt͡saɪ̯tˌɡaɪ̯st] time-spirit The cultural and intellectual climate of a specific era Gassi gehen [ˈɡasi ˈɡeːən] to go “Gassi” To walk your dog sich etwas vergegenwärtigen [zɪç ˈɛtvas fɛɐ̯ˈɡeːɡn̩ˌvɛʁtɪɡn̩], to be-present something to yourself To refresh a past idea in your mind Kopfkino [ˈkɔp͡fˌkiːno] head-cinema A fictional film that’s screening in your head if you have a very lively imagination Luftschloss [ˈlʊftˌʃlɔs] air-castle A dream that only exists in your head Wollmaus [ˈvɔlˌmaʊ̯s] wool-mouse A knot of dust Staubfänger [ʃtaʊ̯pˈfɛŋɐ] dust-collector A useless piece of art that basically only collects dust schwarz fahren [ʃvaʁt͡s ˈfaːʁən] to ride black To ride without a ticket Lampenfieber [ˈlampn̩ˌfiːbɐ] lamp-fever Severe stage fright as if the heat of the spotlights actually gave you a fever Fingerspitzengefühl [ˈfɪŋɐʃpɪt͡sn̩ɡəˌfyːl] fingertips-feeling Having the right combination of tact and instinct Kummerspeck [ˈkʊmɐˌʃpɛk] grief-fat Extra weight that you gained through comfort eating while you were sad Innerer Schweinehund [ˈɪnəʁɐ ˈʃvaɪ̯nəˌhʊnt] Inner pig-dog One’s weak inner self that is responsible for poor decision-making Eselsbrücke [ˈeːzl̩sˌbʁʏkə] donkey-bridge A memory aid to help you remember something new by connecting it to something familiar Ohrwurm [ˈoːɐ̯ˌvʊʁm] ear-worm That song stuck in your head fuchsteufelswild [ˌfʊkstɔɪ̯fl̩sˈvɪlt] fox-devil-wild Extremely furious Waldeinsamkeit [ˈvaltˌʔaɪ̯nzaːmkaɪ̯t] forest solitude A feeling of quiet serenity while being alone in the woods Zweisamkeit [ˈt͡svaɪ̯zaːmkaɪ̯t] l-TWO-liness While it doesn’t work as well in English, the word takes the “one” (ein) in “lONEliness” (EINsamkeit) and replaces it with a “two” (zwei), creating a word that means togetherness or the direct opposite of loneliness. Schadenfreude [ˈʃaːdn̩ˌfʁɔɪ̯də] harm-joy A mischievous joy at the failure or misfortune of others Schnapsidee [ˈʃnapsʔiˌdeː] a Schnapps-idea A crazy idea, sometimes under the influence of alcohol. Torschlusspanik [ˈtoːɐ̯ʃlʊsˌpaːnɪk] gate-closing-panic The feeling that time is running out, especially for opportunities in terms of one’s career, marriage or having children. verschlimmbessern [fɛɐ̯ˈʃlɪmˌbɛsɐn] to worsenbetter To accidentally make something worse while trying to improve it.

The longest German words

People love making fun of how ridiculously long German words can be. You’ll read something like “Sozialversicherungsfachangestelltenauszubildender” and think we’ve lost our minds. And I would absolutely agree with you if that word meant something like “table” or “in” but the truth is, most of those words are simply compound nouns.

So the longest German words are technically a whole bunch of words.

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That particular one means “social security technical employee trainee”. (Yes, that sounds like a very German job position. After all, the only thing longer than our nouns are our bureaucratic ways.) If you break the word apart, though, it’s not that crazy anymore. We just like to glue words together, as you can see with these other extra long German words. German IPA English Schornsteinfeger [ˈʃɔʁnʃtaɪ̯nˌfeːɡɐ] chimney sweeper Erdbeermarmeladenglas [ˈeːɐ̯tbeːɐ̯maʁməˌlaːdənɡlaːs] strawberry jam jar Unabhängigkeitserklärung [ˈʊnʔaphɛŋɪçkaɪ̯t͡sʔɛɐ̯ˌklɛːʁʊŋ] declaration of independence Rechtsschutzversicherung [ˈʁɛçt͡sʃʊt͡sfɛɐ̯ˌzɪçəʁʊŋ] legal expenses insurance Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit [ˈnaːʁʊŋsˌmɪtl̩ˈʊnfɛɐ̯ˌtʁɛːklɪçkaɪ̯t] food intolerance Straßenverkehrszulassungsordnung [ˈʃtʁaːsn̩fɛɐ̯keːɐ̯sˈt͡suːlasʊŋsˌʔɔʁdnʊŋ] traffic licensing regulations Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-Hyperaktivitätsstörung [ˈaʊ̯fˌmɛʁkzaːmkaɪ̯tsˈdeːfit͡sɪt-ˌhypɐʔaktiviˈtɛːtsˈʃtøːʁʊŋ] attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Neunhundertneunundneunzigtausendneunhundertneunundneunzig [ˈnɔɪ̯nˌhʊndɐt ˈnɔɪ̯nʔʊntˈnɔɪ̯nt͡sɪç ˈtaʊ̯zn̩t ˈnɔɪ̯nˌhʊndɐt ˈnɔɪ̯nʔʊntˈnɔɪ̯nt͡sɪç] nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

Language learning is a treasure hunt

So we found some soft and nice sounding German words for you, but to be honest, they’re the exceptions. More often than not, German words are quite the “ Zungenbrecher” ( tongue twisters). They can be spiky and long but somehow that’s part of their beauty. It’s what makes them so precise and rich in meaning. There’s a reason why the German word for vocabulary is “Wortschatz”, which means “word treasure”. The vocabulary of a language truly is like a treasure box full of unique words - and learning a new language is like going on a treasure hunt and collecting them all. Some words simply sound pretty, some have wonderfully weird meanings and others are 57 letters long, but all of them are true gems. If you love language and want to explore some more magically, unique German words, check out these 10 untranslatable unique German words that don't exist in English. Otherwise, keep adding to your treasure trove of words via our free German vocabulary blog.

berlitz.com - 131 Quirky, Cool & Beautiful German Words [+8 of the Longest!] - Berlitz

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