German words with no English equivalent
German glues words together until they say what English needs a whole sentence for. From Kopfkino to Verschlimmbessern, each with its meaning and the story behind it.
- Kopfkino27 Oct 2026the film that runs behind your eyes — the private screening nobody else sees
- Frühjahrsmüdigkeit14 Oct 2026the flat, heavy tiredness that arrives with the first warm weeks of the year
- Verschlimmbessern18 Sept 2026to make something worse by trying to improve it — a fix that backfires
- Brückentagblind worda working day taken off to bridge a public holiday and the weekend
- Feierabendblind wordthe moment work ends, and the evening that follows — knocking off
- Fernwehpractice wordan ache for far-off places you've never seen — wanderlust
- Kummerspeckblind wordthe weight you gain from comfort eating — literally 'grief bacon'
- Sitzfleischblind wordthe ability to sit still until the job is done — sheer stamina
- Torschlusspanikpractice wordthe fear that time is running out to do what you meant to do
- Zugzwangpractice wordbeing forced to move when every move makes things worse