From ′Wellenbrecher′ to ′Abwrackprämie′: Germany′s words of the year from 2010 to 2021 | All media content | DW | 03.12.2021

Visit the new DW website

Take a look at the beta version of dw.com. We're not done yet! Your opinion can help us make it better.

Go to the new dw.com

We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration.

More info OK
  1. Inhalt
  2. Navigation
  3. Weitere Inhalte
  4. Metanavigation
  5. Suche
  6. Choose from 30 Languages

Culture

From 'Wellenbrecher' to 'Abwrackprämie': Germany's words of the year from 2010 to 2021

"Wellenbrecher," or pandemic "wave breaker," is the word of the year 2021. A look at some terms that have been honored, ridiculed or lampooned by the Association for the German Language.

  • Large wave in blue ocean

    2021: 'Wellenbrecher'

    A plausible choice in times of an ongoing pandemic, "Wellenbrecher" (literally wave breaker) is a term that comes from coastal protection — it means breakwater. But these days, it stands for all the measures that have been and are being taken to break the fourth COVID-19 wave, says the German Language Association, which unfailingly selects the word of the year every year.

  • A stylized depiction of a coronavirus

    2020: 'Corona-Pandemie'

    The COVID-19 pandemic was, of course, the leading topic of the year 2020, and that's why the German word of the year was none other than "Corona-Pandemie" (corona pandemic). The runner-up word selected by the jury was also related to the pandemic: "Lockdown."

  • Word cloud for German words of the year in 2019

    2019: 'Respektrente'

    Planned changes in German pension laws were set to put many workers at a disadvantage by retirement (Rente), so the bill was disparagingly dubbed "Respektrente." The term won over the expressions "Rollerchaos," referring to the chaos created by the sudden invasion of electric scooters in German cities, and "Fridays for Future," the English name for a worldwide school strike for climate movement.

  • Dried soil with low river and a bridge in the background

    2018: 'Heisszeit'

    The term "Heisszeit," or warm age — as opposed to an "ice age," which sounds quite similar in German, "Eiszeit" — was chosen as the Word of the Year in 2018, reflecting not only Germany's extreme summer that year, but climate change as as whole.

  • The word Jamaika-Aus with a Jamaican flag in the background

    2017: 'Jamaika-Aus'

    "Jamaica coalition" refers to the symbolic colors of three parties in German politics: black for the conservative CDU/CSU, yellow for the business-friendly FDP and green for the Green Party. In 2017, coalition talks went on for weeks, but then came to an abrupt halt. This was "Jamaika-Aus," or Jamaica Out.

  • A piece of paper with the word of the year 2016, postfaktisch

    2016: 'postfaktisch'

    During the United States presidential election campaign, and after Donald Trump's victory in the fall of 2016, the word "postfaktisch" or post-factual came into common usage to denote the spread of fake news. Even then-Chancellor Angela Merkel used it. The term comes into play when public opinion is formed by emotion and resentment rather than objective facts.

  • Masses of refugees at a fence at the border between Austria and Slovenia

    2015: 'Flüchtlinge'

    Refugees — undoubtedly, no other issue had a bigger impact in Germany in 2015, when the Syrian civil war brought nearly a million refugees into the country. Runner-up was "Je suis Charlie," for expressing solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack against the French satirical journal Charlie Hebdo. No. 3 was "Grexit," which referred to the possible expulsion of Greece from the Eurozone.

  • The Berlin Wall murals with the light installation for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall

    2014: 'Lichtgrenze'

    The winning word in 2014 was "Lichtgrenze," or border of light, which referred to a light installation on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was followed by "schwarze Null," or black zero, describing government efforts to avoid new debts. Another favorite was "Götzseidank," a mash-up of "Gott sei Dank" (thank God) and the legendary goal of soccer star Mario Götze in Brazil.

  • Chancellor Angela Merkel and SPD politician Sigmar Gabriel

    2013: 'GroKo'

    "GroKo" is short for Grosse Koalition, a grand coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Recalling "Kroko" or crocodile, the word also expresses derision. The runner-up was "Protz-Bischof," or braggy bishop, referring to Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, who came under fire for his prestigious construction projects. The term was followed by "Armutseinwanderung," poverty-driven migration.

  • A illuminated phone symbol with the word SOS and the Euro sign

    2012: 'Rettungsroutine'

    "Rescue routine" reflected repeated efforts to stabilize the European economy. "Kanzlerpräsidentin," chancellor-president, came second: It derided Merkel for acting as neutral as the German president. Third was "Bildungsabwendungsprämie," education-refusal-bonus, derogatorily used for stay-at-home moms who seek a financial reward from the state for not sending their kids to school.

  • A child with head dropped on school desk, symbol of frustrated high school student in classroom

    2011: 'Stresstest'

    "Stresstest" so superbly expressed the prevailing spirit of 2011 that it became part of everyday speech. Beyond the financial stress test banks faced, it referred to stress surrounding train stations, governments and nuclear power stations. This was followed by the verb "hebeln," to lever, associated with efforts to rescue the euro, as well as "Arabellion," in reference to the Arab Spring.

  • Face of angry man with steam coming out of his ears

    2010: 'Wutbürger'

    "Wutbürger," or angry citizen, reflected the impression that political decisions were being made without consulting the population. It was followed by "Stuttgart 21," the heavily criticized reconstruction of Stuttgart's main station, and "Sarrazin-Gen," referring to Thilo Sarrazin, a racist and antisemitic politician and author. He had said Jews share a particular gene, but that was turned on him.


  • Large wave in blue ocean

    2021: 'Wellenbrecher'

    A plausible choice in times of an ongoing pandemic, "Wellenbrecher" (literally wave breaker) is a term that comes from coastal protection — it means breakwater. But these days, it stands for all the measures that have been and are being taken to break the fourth COVID-19 wave, says the German Language Association, which unfailingly selects the word of the year every year.

  • A stylized depiction of a coronavirus

    2020: 'Corona-Pandemie'

    The COVID-19 pandemic was, of course, the leading topic of the year 2020, and that's why the German word of the year was none other than "Corona-Pandemie" (corona pandemic). The runner-up word selected by the jury was also related to the pandemic: "Lockdown."

  • Word cloud for German words of the year in 2019

    2019: 'Respektrente'

    Planned changes in German pension laws were set to put many workers at a disadvantage by retirement (Rente), so the bill was disparagingly dubbed "Respektrente." The term won over the expressions "Rollerchaos," referring to the chaos created by the sudden invasion of electric scooters in German cities, and "Fridays for Future," the English name for a worldwide school strike for climate movement.

  • Dried soil with low river and a bridge in the background

    2018: 'Heisszeit'

    The term "Heisszeit," or warm age — as opposed to an "ice age," which sounds quite similar in German, "Eiszeit" — was chosen as the Word of the Year in 2018, reflecting not only Germany's extreme summer that year, but climate change as as whole.

  • The word Jamaika-Aus with a Jamaican flag in the background

    2017: 'Jamaika-Aus'

    "Jamaica coalition" refers to the symbolic colors of three parties in German politics: black for the conservative CDU/CSU, yellow for the business-friendly FDP and green for the Green Party. In 2017, coalition talks went on for weeks, but then came to an abrupt halt. This was "Jamaika-Aus," or Jamaica Out.

  • A piece of paper with the word of the year 2016, postfaktisch

    2016: 'postfaktisch'

    During the United States presidential election campaign, and after Donald Trump's victory in the fall of 2016, the word "postfaktisch" or post-factual came into common usage to denote the spread of fake news. Even then-Chancellor Angela Merkel used it. The term comes into play when public opinion is formed by emotion and resentment rather than objective facts.

  • Masses of refugees at a fence at the border between Austria and Slovenia

    2015: 'Flüchtlinge'

    Refugees — undoubtedly, no other issue had a bigger impact in Germany in 2015, when the Syrian civil war brought nearly a million refugees into the country. Runner-up was "Je suis Charlie," for expressing solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack against the French satirical journal Charlie Hebdo. No. 3 was "Grexit," which referred to the possible expulsion of Greece from the Eurozone.

  • The Berlin Wall murals with the light installation for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall

    2014: 'Lichtgrenze'

    The winning word in 2014 was "Lichtgrenze," or border of light, which referred to a light installation on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was followed by "schwarze Null," or black zero, describing government efforts to avoid new debts. Another favorite was "Götzseidank," a mash-up of "Gott sei Dank" (thank God) and the legendary goal of soccer star Mario Götze in Brazil.

  • Chancellor Angela Merkel and SPD politician Sigmar Gabriel

    2013: 'GroKo'

    "GroKo" is short for Grosse Koalition, a grand coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Recalling "Kroko" or crocodile, the word also expresses derision. The runner-up was "Protz-Bischof," or braggy bishop, referring to Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg, who came under fire for his prestigious construction projects. The term was followed by "Armutseinwanderung," poverty-driven migration.

  • A illuminated phone symbol with the word SOS and the Euro sign

    2012: 'Rettungsroutine'

    "Rescue routine" reflected repeated efforts to stabilize the European economy. "Kanzlerpräsidentin," chancellor-president, came second: It derided Merkel for acting as neutral as the German president. Third was "Bildungsabwendungsprämie," education-refusal-bonus, derogatorily used for stay-at-home moms who seek a financial reward from the state for not sending their kids to school.

  • A child with head dropped on school desk, symbol of frustrated high school student in classroom

    2011: 'Stresstest'

    "Stresstest" so superbly expressed the prevailing spirit of 2011 that it became part of everyday speech. Beyond the financial stress test banks faced, it referred to stress surrounding train stations, governments and nuclear power stations. This was followed by the verb "hebeln," to lever, associated with efforts to rescue the euro, as well as "Arabellion," in reference to the Arab Spring.

  • Face of angry man with steam coming out of his ears

    2010: 'Wutbürger'

    "Wutbürger," or angry citizen, reflected the impression that political decisions were being made without consulting the population. It was followed by "Stuttgart 21," the heavily criticized reconstruction of Stuttgart's main station, and "Sarrazin-Gen," referring to Thilo Sarrazin, a racist and antisemitic politician and author. He had said Jews share a particular gene, but that was turned on him.


More in the Media Center

A selection of German 'non-words of the year'

A selection of German 'non-words of the year' 12.01.2022

Germany's Youth Words of the Year since 2009

Germany's Youth Words of the Year since 2009 25.10.2021

The top German idioms for the European Football Championship

The top German idioms for the European Football Championship 11.06.2021

Meet the Germans, Sprache via Rachel Stewart

German language: Top tips for German-learners 25.11.2020

More from German News Service

17.01.2022 | Impfgegner und Kritiker der Corona-Maßnahmen gehen während eines Protest gegen Corona-Maßnahmen und eine mögliche Impfpflicht in Deutschland vor dem Kornmarkt entlang. +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

Germany to require COVID vaccines for healthcare workers 26.01.2022

Treffpunkt Ladestation, Made.

Meet you at the charging hub! 25.01.2022

19.01.2022, Blick in den großen Verhandlungssaal im Justizzentrum in Halle/Saale. Am Dienstag (25.01.) soll hier der Prozess gegen eine junge Frau beginnen, die sich 2015 nach Syrien begeben und dort der Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat angeschlossen haben soll. +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

German woman on trial for crimes while with IS as a teen 25.01.2022

Upper Lusatia’s Rakotz Bridge, with its unusual shape, has become a social media star.

Rakotz Bridge – an Instagram Hotspot 25.01.2022

Read also

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ETIENNE BALMER A young boy of a German elementary school adjusts a picture on a blackboard during a French lesson, on February 21, 2014, in Voelklingen, western Germany. French is called to be the second official language in the Saar region in 2043. AFP PHOTO / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN (Photo credit should read JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

As kids learn English, France runs short on German teachers 23.01.2022

Bilingual schools across France are struggling to find people who can teach in German as English becomes more popular. A group of parents have set up a recruiting agency to help the government.

'Pushback' is Germany's 'non-word' of 2021

'Pushback' is Germany's 'non-word' of 2021 12.01.2022

The term borrowed from English describes forcing migrants and asylum-seekers away from a state border. The "Non-Word of the Year" is awarded for infamous language.

Close-up shot of group of partying girls looking at camera

'Cringe' chosen as 2021 German youth word of the year 25.10.2021

Some 1.2 million young people in Germany have selected "cringe" as their favorite "in" word. Two other English words made it into the top three.

Alle deutschen YouTube-Kan‰le des staatsnahen russischen Senders Russia Today RT DE wurden von YouTube gelˆscht. Der Kreml ¸berpr¸ft nun Gegenmaflnahmen. Symbolbild, Symbolfoto, Fotomontage *** All German YouTube channels of the pro-state Russian broadcaster Russia Today RT DE have been deleted by YouTube The Kremlin is now reviewing countermeasures Symbol image, symbol photo, photo montage Foto:xD.xAnoraganingrumx/xFuturexImage

YouTube again blocks German-language RT channel 16.12.2021

This is the third German-language YouTube channel run by RT to be blocked. The decision could further strain tensions between Germany and Russia.