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German · The Basics

Mist!

MIST · /mɪst/

Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn'

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"Manure / dung"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The word you reach for when the boss, your mother, or a child is in earshot. Literally barnyard muck, but it lands about as hard as "shoot." Completely daytime-TV safe. If even this feels too much, Germans downgrade to "Menno" (a whiny teenage groan).

Heard in the wild

Mist, ich hab meinen Schlüssel vergessen.

Crap, I forgot my key.

Where it lands

Germany, Austria, Switzerland — universal

Quick answers

What does "Mist!" mean?
In German, "Mist!" means "Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn'". Literally it's "Manure / dung". The word you reach for when the boss, your mother, or a child is in earshot. Literally barnyard muck, but it lands about as hard as "shoot." Completely daytime-TV safe. If even this feels too much, Germans downgrade to "Menno" (a whiny teenage groan).
Is "Mist!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "Mist!"?
Say it "MIST" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: mɪst.

Related in German

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! Verdammte Scheiße! fair-DAM-tuh SHY-suh God-damn shit! / Bloody hell! Herrgott nochmal! HAIR-got NOCH-mahl For God's sake! / Good Lord! Oh Mann! OH MAHN Oh man! / Ugh, come on!

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Damn".

how to say "Damn" →how to say "Tough luck" →

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