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German words you are probably already using

February 6, 2017

You might know more German than you think. These German terms have been borrowed by English-speakers - and some of them have been slightly adapted. Not surprisingly, they tend to be academic or philosophical expressions.

https://p.dw.com/p/2WgbT
Wooden letters that spell "German"
Image: Colourbox

You're probably already speaking a little bit of German without even knowing it. There are dozens of words strewn throughout the English language that come from the land of poets and thinkers. While many German words adopted by the English language are academic or - at the very least - abstract in nature, some have made it into everday parlance.

Do you send your "wunderkind" to "kindergarten?" Is your "weltschmerz" slowly turning into full-on, existential "angst"? Are you constantly searching for the "leitmotif" of the "zeitgeist?" Then you are speaking German already. Congratulations - or rather, wunderbar!

Click through the gallery above to learn more about these terms. If you are a pro at German already, click through the gallery below to discover some German words that the English language has not yet adopted - but should.

Sertan Sanderson Moderation
Sertan Sanderson DW journalist & human seeking to make sense of the world and understand what motivates other humansSertanSanderson