Mastering German Slang: Speak Like a Local!
Speak German like a local with our slang guide!
To sound like a native German speaker using slang and colloquial expressions, it is important to learn common informal words and phrases that Germans use in everyday conversations. Some popular slang includes:
- Alter (dude) — Used to address friends casually, often pronounced “Alta” or “Alda.”
- Geil — Means awesome or cool (originally means horny).
- Kohle — Slang for money.
- Bescheuert — Means stupid or crazy.
- Läuft bei dir — Means things are going well for you.
- Dicht — Means drunk or very tired.
- Faxen machen — Means to fool around or make jokes.
- Servus — A casual greeting like “hi” or “bye” used in southern Germany and Austria.
- Assi — Short for “asozial,” meaning antisocial or low-class behavior.
- Mach’s gut — A casual way to say goodbye, like “take care.”
- Auf etwas Bock haben — To be up for something or want to do something.
- Spinnen — Means to be crazy or acting foolish.
Also, getting the pronunciation right and practicing natural sentence structure (such as topicalizing main clauses properly) is key to sounding native. Engaging with native speakers and getting feedback on pronunciation helps enormously, too.
Using these phrases with the appropriate casual tone and pronunciation will make German sound more natural and native-like.