German Words We Should Be Using in English

When you learn a new language, you're bound to find some great words with no English equivalents. That, or some really great translations. German is especially great when it comes to inventing words or expressions. I thought I would share with you 10 German words we should be using in English!

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Fremdschämen (exterior shame)
The shame you feel on someone else's behalf. Like secondhand embarrassement.

Muskelkater (muscle hangover)
The soreness you feel after exercise.

Warteschlange (wait snake)
A waiting line.

Feierabend (party or free evening)
This means being done with work.

Ohrwurm (ear worm)
You know when you have a song stuck in your head? This is the word.

Fernweh (far pain)
The opposite of "Heimweh" or homesickness. A longing for a place far away.

Kummerspeck (grief bacon)
When you're emotional and "eat your emotions".

Schnappsidee (schnapps idea)
A really dumb idea, just like the ones you have when you're drunk.

Backpfeifengesicht (slap face)
A face that deserves to be slapped or punched.

Treppenwitz (stairecase joke)
That clever joke or witty response you only think of after you leave.

Another great thing about learning German is that many of the words are simple! Add a "zeug" at the end, and you can get away with just about anyting. "Zeug" means thing and has eben used to describe many, many things. Flugzeug (airplane, or fly-thing), Spielzeug (toy, or play-thing), Feuerzeug (lighter, or fire-thing) and the list goes on.