Why Germans Can Say Things No One Else Can

German is a wonderfully inventive and bold language, full of gloriously long compound words for emotions and ideas that most languages struggle to allow us to express.

FURTHER READING

“We’re hugely dependent on language to help us express what we really think and feel. But some languages are better than others at crisply naming important sensations. Germans have been geniuses at inventing long – or what get called ‘compound’ – words that elegantly put a finger on emotions that we all know, but that other languages require whole clumsy sentences or paragraphs to express…”

MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE

Watch more films on SELF in our playlist:

SOCIAL MEDIA

Feel free to follow us at the links below:

CREDITS

Produced in collaboration with:

Martin Stacey

[banchnotok]

"Doch!" - Most important German word.

[hango]

IN GERMANY WE DON’T SAY “I HAVE TO GO NOW”, WE KLATSCHEN THE HANDS ON THE OBERSCHENKEL AND SAY “SO!” AND I THINK THAT’S BEAUTIFUL.

[fermintenava]

And even though we can describe so many feelings, we still have problems to distinguish "friend" from "girlfriend" or "boyfriend".

[georgGeiloMat]

Man I am german and i think i can speak for nearly every german that he or she never heard 'ruinenlust' before :D

[Iceworker]

Well, this moment when you're german and never heard Ruinenlust xD

[hannabe]

I'm german and really impressed by the pronounciation of the german words in this video

[schnaddeli]

What about "Kopfkino" (head or mind & cinema): That is what happens to you if someone says something and your mind unwillingly comes up with a pleasant or unpleasant picture of that situation or thing.

[shadowghost]

Danke für die Erinnerung, wie schön die Deutsche Sprache sein kann. Mein Lieblingswort: Feierabend.

[frankweienbach]

Menschen die dieses video schauen:
90% deutsche
10% rest der welt

[francis]

You forgot 'Ohrwurm'
That's a word for a song that is stuck in your head and you can't get rid of it

[loral]

I love how literal the german language is.
Example: "Gloves" are called "hand shoes", and a "Slug" is called "naked snail" because it has no house on it's back

[emilfantastic]

And if Germans don't know how to call something, they named it "Zeug". Flugzeug, Spielzeug, Bettzeug, Fahrzeug, Grünzeug. You don't need difficult words, if you can say it easy and more understandable.😂👌

[ImmerIchGewesen]

Being a German and living in Germany, I've never heard the word "Ruinenlust", but there are way more stranger words like "Penisneid" :D

[lisabuchling]

Ruinenlust habe ich wirklich noch nie gehört xD

[Larrypint]

Some of my favorite German words
Fingerspitzengefühl
Einfühlungsvermögen
Durchsetzungsvermögen
Geradlinigkeit
Selbsterklärend
Schmetterling
Warteschlange
Lebensbaum
Merkzettel
Wahrheit
Überlebensinstinkt

[mayahofer]

As a German listening to this I have no idea how English speaking people manage without these words

[justineleconte]

I am French, living in Germany & I agree so much with this video: the way the German language puts words together to create new words is unique... but also very practical for foreigners! If you don't know a word, try to "invent" it with this method & chances are high people will understand 😁 In French, you would have to learn a new word for each new thing... 😂

[prince-solomon]

Germany's favorite word though is " ZEUG " (stuff)

car = Fahrzeug (drive-stuff)
airplane = Flugzeug (fly-stuff)
toy = Spielzeug (play-stuff)
tools = Werkzeug (build-stuff)
snacks = Knabberzeug (nibble-stuff)
bathing suit = Badezeug (bath-stuff)
raincoat = Regenzeug (rain-stuff)
desk set = Schreibzeug (write-stuff)
lighter = Feuerzeug (fire-stuff)
drum = Schlagzeug (hit-stuff)
sewing kit = Flickzeug (mend-stuff)
knitting = Strickzeug (rope-stuff)
greens = Grünzeug (green-stuff)
shoe shine kit = Schuhputzzeug (shoe-clean-stuff)
bedding = Bettzeug (bed-stuff)
horse harness = Zaumzeug (birdle-stuff)
skivvies = Unterzeug (under-stuff)

convince [somebody] = überzeug [jemanden] (über-stuff)
witness = Zeuge
to beget/procreate = zeugen <3

[urtctftv]

"Weltschmerz" - world pain, not world sadness.

[dripchef]

Ruinenlust? Im german and never heard that word nor did I understand the explanation 😅