Let’s get one thing straight before we start: no German word is truly untranslatable. Every one of them can be explained in English, usually in a sentence. What English often lacks is a single, tidy word for the same idea, and German, which loves gluing small words together into big ones, fills that gap constantly.
That’s why lists like this one are so popular. They show how a language thinks. Some of these words name feelings you’ve had but never labeled. Others are simply funny. All of them are worth knowing, and a surprising number show up in everyday German conversation. Pronunciations below are rough respellings to get you started.
Feelings You Didn’t Know Had Names
1. Fernweh (FAIRN-vay)
Literally: “far-sickness.” A longing to be somewhere far away. Many languages have a word for homesickness (Heimweh), but Fernweh is the opposite: homesickness for places you haven’t been yet.
“Ich habe Fernweh und träume von fernen Ländern.” (I have Fernweh and dream of distant lands.)
2. Sehnsucht (ZAYN-zookht)
Roughly: “yearning.” A deep, aching longing that can be directed at a person, a place, a time in your life, or even something you’ve never experienced. It’s considered one of the most profound words in the language.
“Wenn ich alte Fotos anschaue, überkommt mich eine tiefe Sehnsucht.” (When I look at old photos, a deep Sehnsucht washes over me.)
3. Weltschmerz (VELT-shmerts)
Literally: “world-pain.” The weary sadness you feel when the world doesn’t live up to what it could be. The word was coined by the Romantic author Jean Paul in his 1827 novel Selina, and it made it into the Brothers Grimm’s dictionary in 1854. Today it’s a common loanword in English too.
“Beim Lesen der Nachrichten packt mich der Weltschmerz.” (Reading the news fills me with Weltschmerz.)
4. Torschlusspanik (TOHR-shloos-pah-nik)
Literally: “gate-closing panic.” The anxiety that time is running out and opportunities are slipping away. It’s often said to come from the medieval city gates that closed at night, leaving latecomers outside.
“Viele Leute bekommen Torschlusspanik, wenn sie dreißig werden.” (Lots of people get Torschlusspanik when they turn thirty.)
5. Vorfreude (FOR-froy-duh)
Literally: “pre-joy.” The pleasure of looking forward to something. Germans will tell you that it’s half the fun, and sometimes the better half.
“Die Vorfreude auf den Urlaub ist fast schöner als der Urlaub selbst.” (The anticipation of the vacation is almost nicer than the vacation itself.)
6. Schadenfreude (SHAH-den-froy-duh)
Literally: “damage-joy.” Pleasure at someone else’s misfortune. English borrowed it whole, which is the most flattering thing one language can do to another.
“Seine Schadenfreude war nicht zu übersehen.” (His Schadenfreude was impossible to miss.)
7. Fremdschämen (FREMD-shay-men)
Roughly: “to be ashamed on behalf of another.” The secondhand embarrassment you feel when someone else makes a fool of themselves, and they don’t seem to notice.
“Bei dieser Rede musste ich echt fremdschämen.” (During that speech, I really cringed on his behalf.)
People and Awkward Moments
8. Backpfeifengesicht (BAHK-pfy-fen-guh-zikht)
Literally: “slap face.” A face that seems to be begging for a slap. It’s less about looks than about a smug, irritating expression. A humorous insult, best used with care.
“Dieser Typ im Meeting hatte ein echtes Backpfeifengesicht.” (That guy in the meeting had a real Backpfeifengesicht.)
9. Drachenfutter (DRAH-khen-foo-ter)
Literally: “dragon fodder.” A gift, traditionally flowers, given to a partner or relative to calm them down after you’ve done something wrong. The “dragon” is the angry person, and the “food” is whatever appeases them.
“Ich war zu lange in der Kneipe. Jetzt brauche ich Drachenfutter.” (I stayed at the pub too long. Now I need some dragon fodder.)
10. Treppenwitz (TREP-pen-vits)
Literally: “staircase joke.” The brilliant comeback that only occurs to you on the way out, when it’s too late to use it. The word is also used today for an ironic twist of fate.
“Der Treppenwitz der Geschichte ist, dass beide den gleichen Plan hatten.” (The irony of it is that both had the same plan.)
11. Erklärungsnot (air-KLAIR-oongs-noht)
Literally: “explanation emergency.” The uncomfortable situation of having to explain yourself, usually because something looks suspicious.
“Nach dem Vorfall geriet er in Erklärungsnot.” (After the incident, he found himself having to explain himself.)
12. Fingerspitzengefühl (FIN-ger-shpit-sen-guh-fuel)
Literally: “fingertip feeling.” Tact, instinct, and a delicate touch for handling a tricky situation. It’s the quality diplomats are supposed to have.
“Für diese Verhandlung braucht man Fingerspitzengefühl.” (This negotiation requires a delicate touch.)
13. Mutterseelenallein (MOO-ter-zay-len-ah-line)
Literally: “mother’s soul alone.” Utterly, completely alone, with not even a soul around, not even your mother’s.
“Am Strand war ich mutterseelenallein.” (I was all by myself on the beach.)
Everyday Life
14. Kummerspeck (KOO-mer-shpek)
Literally: “grief bacon.” The weight you put on from emotional eating after a bad breakup, a stressful week, or a long winter. A very relatable word with a very unglamorous literal meaning.
“Nach der Trennung hat sie ordentlich Kummerspeck angesetzt.” (After the breakup, she put on quite a bit of comfort weight.)
15. Innerer Schweinehund (IN-er-er SHVINE-uh-hoont)
Literally: “inner pig-dog.” The lazy voice in your head that talks you out of the gym, the early start, or the difficult phone call. Beating it is a heroic task.
“Ich muss meinen inneren Schweinehund überwinden.” (I have to overcome my inner laziness.)
16. Ohrwurm (OHR-voorm)
Literally: “ear worm.” A catchy song that gets stuck in your head. The English word “earworm” is widely considered a direct translation of it, which makes this a rare case where English borrowed the idea and then forgot where it came from.
“Dieses Lied ist ein richtiger Ohrwurm.” (This song is a real earworm.)
17. Kopfkino (KOPF-kee-no)
Literally: “head cinema.” The movie you play in your imagination, running through how a situation might go, often with far more drama than the real thing deserves.
“Ich hatte schon Kopfkino, bevor das Gespräch begann.” (I’d already played the whole thing out in my head before the conversation started.)
18. Verschlimmbessern (fer-SHLIM-bes-ern)
Roughly: “to make worse by improving.” To ruin something by trying to fix it. If you’ve ever “improved” a document until it stopped working, you know the feeling.
“Ich wollte den Text verbessern, aber habe ihn nur verschlimmbessert.” (I wanted to improve the text, but I only made it worse.)
How German Builds Words Like These
Almost every word above works the same way: take two or three ordinary words, and join them. Kummer (grief) plus Speck (bacon) gives you Kummerspeck. Kopf (head) plus Kino (cinema) gives you Kopfkino. German speakers don’t need a dictionary committee’s permission to coin a new word, and they do it all the time. There’s even an annual announcement of an “Un-word of the Year,” in which a panel of linguists picks the worst new coinage, which gives you an idea of how seriously the language takes the habit.
Several of these words have already crossed into English, including Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz, Zeitgeist, Doppelgänger, and Wanderlust. The linguist’s rule of thumb: a language borrows a word when it needs one.
Words for Another Day
A couple of the best German words weren’t in this list because they deserve more room. Gemütlichkeit, the feeling of cozy, unhurried comfort, runs through our guide to Kaffee und Kuchen, and Feierabend, the sacred moment when the workday ends, is a cultural institution of its own.
If you’d like to learn more German, start with our Learn German section, and for a more seasonal vocabulary, try our guide to Halloween in German.
FAQ
What is the most famous untranslatable German word?
Schadenfreude is probably the best known, since English borrowed it directly, with Fernweh and Weltschmerz close behind.
Are German words really untranslatable?
No. They can all be explained in English. The point is that English often needs a phrase where German has a single word.
What does Fernweh mean?
A longing for faraway places. It’s the opposite of Heimweh, which is homesickness.
Why does German have so many long compound words?
German freely joins words together to create new ones, so a new idea can get a name instantly, like Kummerspeck (grief bacon) or Kopfkino (head cinema).