A loanword is a word, taken from another language, that we use commonly within our own. German has tons of anglicisms (words borrowed from English) – but it also works the other way round. Proof, that my mother tongue is a prrrrretty cool language and the Brits looked at our ingenuity and went: “Yep, we want that.”

While everyone knows the classics, such as [Kindergarten]¹ or [Doppelgänger]², there are a few lesser-known, but very poetical and wonderful words that have quietly made their way into English conversations (and rightfully so, they are wonderful). Here’s the first part of your linguistic smuggling operations.

1. Kummerspeck – “Grief Bacon”

Ever eaten an entire pizza because life is unfair? Congratulations, you’ve experienced Kummerspeck! It describes the extra weight you gain from emotional eating. So next time you stress-eat a tub of ice cream after watching The Notebook, just say: “Oh, it’s only my Kummerspeck kicking in.” Sounds much fancier.

2. Verschlimmbessern – “To Make Something Worse While Trying to Improve It”

This is the perfect word for every DIY home improvement project gone wrong. Thought you could fix that leaky pipe by yourself? Now your entire apartment is underwater. You just verschlimmbessert it! It also applies to tech updates (looking at you, Windows), fashion trends, and most political decisions.

3. Sitzfleisch – “Sitting Meat”

Sitzfleisch describes the ability to sit through something incredibly boring without losing your mind. If you’ve ever survived a three-hour PowerPoint presentation at work, congratulations, you have excellent Sitzfleisch. We use this word to describe perseverance—though, let’s be honest, it’s mostly about surviving painfully long meetings.

4. Treppenwitz – “Staircase Joke”

Ever thought of the perfect comeback… five minutes too late? That’s Treppenwitz! The term literally means “staircase joke” because, naturally, the best responses always come to mind once you’ve already left the room. Next time someone insults you and you don’t think of a clever reply until later, just say: “Ah, classic Treppenwitz.” Instant sophistication.

5. Weltschmerz – “World Pain”

Feeling existential dread over climate change, capitalism, and whatever else is going on out there? That’s Weltschmerz! It’s the melancholic feeling you get when reality doesn’t meet your expectations. So next time you sigh dramatically and stare into the distance, just whisper, “Weltschmerz,” and people will assume you’re deep and intellectual (rather than just really bummed about your favorite TV show ending).

6. Ohrwurm – “Earworm”

You know when a song gets stuck in your head for hours, and no matter what you do, it just won’t leave? That’s an Ohrwurm! Yes, at some point in time we decided that the best way to describe this phenomenon was to name it after an insect crawling into your ear. Charming.

7. Schadenfreude – “Pleasure in someone else’s misfortune”

Okay, you probably have heard this one. But Schadenfreude is such a uniquely German concept that it deserves a spot here, I think. It’s the joy you feel when someone who cut you off in traffic gets stuck at a red light. Or when your overly competitive friend loses at Monopoly. We all feel it. And now you have a word for it. You’re welcome.

[Picture by Syd Wachs – thank you!]

1. Der Kindergarten – a nursery school. Literally “child” + “garden”; a garden full of kids! ↩︎
2. Der Doppelgänger – a look-alike. Split into “Doppel” (double) and “Gänger” (walker) ↩︎