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cursing.in curse like a local

German · 8 phrases

The Basics

The first-hour words: Scheiße, Mist, verdammt, Quatsch. Learn these and you can already react like a local to a missed train or a dropped Brötchen. Nothing here will start a fight — but Scheiße and Arsch are the seeds of the whole compound system, so this is where German cursing really begins.

Mist! MIST Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn' Quatsch! KVATCH Nonsense! / Rubbish! / No way! Arsch ARSH Arse / ass — and the second great compound-engine of German Halt die Klappe! HALT dee KLAP-uh Shut your trap! / Shut up! Hau ab! HOW AP Get lost! / Clear off! / Beat it! Scheiße! SHY-suh Shit! / Damn! — the all-purpose German expletive Verdammt! fair-DAMT Damn! / Damn it! Verdammt nochmal! fair-DAMT NOCH-mahl God damn it! / For crying out loud!