German · Exclamations & Outbursts
Autsch!
OWTCH · /aʊtʃ/
Ouch! / Ow!
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"Ouch"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The stubbed-toe reflex — utterly innocent, listed because travellers reach for the English "ow" and it doesn't quite read. Also used figuratively for a painful bit of news ("Autsch, das war teuer"). The shorter, sharper variant is just "Au!"
Heard in the wild
Autsch! Das war mein Fuß!
Ouch! That was my foot!
Where it lands
Germany, Austria, Switzerland — universal
Quick answers
- What does "Autsch!" mean?
- In German, "Autsch!" means "Ouch! / Ow!". Literally it's "Ouch". The stubbed-toe reflex — utterly innocent, listed because travellers reach for the English "ow" and it doesn't quite read. Also used figuratively for a painful bit of news ("Autsch, das war teuer"). The shorter, sharper variant is just "Au!"
- Is "Autsch!" 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 "Autsch!"?
- Say it "OWTCH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: aʊtʃ.
Related in German
Ach du Scheiße! AKH doo SHY-suh Oh shit! / Oh crap! Was zum Teufel? VASS tsoom TOY-fel What the hell? / What the devil? Mein Gott! MINE GOT My God! / Oh my God! Heilige Scheiße! HY-lig-uh SHY-suh Holy shit! Scheiße! SHY-suh Shit! / Damn! — the all-purpose German expletive Verdammt! fair-DAMT Damn! / Damn it!
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