23 Fun German Interjections: from Ätsch to Igitt!

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How can you express happiness in German? What is the right replacement for ‘damn’ when you’re speaking German? How can you say ‘ouch’ like a German would?

The answer is to use German interjections.

Learning a new language is always a challenge: you have to keep in mind so many new rules and words. However, a language is not only grammar and vocabulary, it is also the culture and how you express yourself.

Every language has its own tonality, emotions and gestures. In many languages (including German), one of the best ways to express your emotions is to use interjections. Interjections make your speech livelier and help you react without building a full sentence. What’s more, interjections are standalone words, so you don’t need to know about sentence structure before you start using them.

By learning German interjections, you’ll have an authentic way to express yourself in the language, even if you’re a beginner.

I’d like to share some of the most important German interjections related to specific feelings.

Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online German course, here’s the course I recommend: German Uncovered – Learn German Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!

German Interjections to Express Joy

Let’s start with one of the most pleasant emotions: joy. In English you can express joy by saying “Hooray!”, “Yay!”, or if you’re feeling traditional, “Yippee!” German also has several words for “hooray”: Hurra, Jippie and Juhu.

Oh My Goodness! Expressing Surprise in German

A common German expression of surprise is Ach du meine Güte!, close to “Oh my goodness!”

German Interjections for Teasing

Ätsch! is a teasing taunt, often close to “Ha!” or “Serves you right!” depending on the situation. Written laughter such as ha ha, ho ho and hi hi also appears in German.

Wow! Expressing Amazement in German

An English speaker might say “Really?” or “Oh!” if given a free glass of beer. Echt?, Oho! or even Na so was (meaning “My, my”) are what Germans would say if this happened to them.

Just You Wait… Making Threats in German

German has the direct warning Na warte!, meaning “Just you wait!” Its force depends on tone and context.

Oh Crap! Here’s How Germans Express Frustration (Explicit!)

German has Mist!, literally “dung”, as a mild expression of frustration. Stronger options include Verdammt noch mal!, Zum Teufel! and the explicit Scheiße!.

Eww! Disgust in the German Language

Germans have a lot of simple ways to express disgust. You can say Pfui or Bäh, or at least Igitt or Ih! The English equivalents to these are ‘pshaw’, “yuck”, “eww” or “ugh”.

How to Say “Ouch!” in German

The English “ouch” has become international, and will be understood in Germany. However, Aua! is a common German equivalent.

How do Cats “Meow” in German? German Animal Sounds

Now for some fun! While animal sounds in German aren’t strictly speaking interjections, it’s fun and useful to know them. And it’s an interesting topic. Given that animals sound the same whichever country they’re from, how do different languages end up with different animal sounds? Languages settle on different conventional spellings for similar sounds, so the written forms are worth learning.

That is why if you forgot how to say “frog” in German and wanted to explain it with the help of sounds, you would probably fail, because the German frogs don't croak, they ‘quak’.

• “Croak/Ribbet”: Quak (frog)
• “Cock-a-doodle-doo”: Kikeriki (rooster)
• “Buzz”: Summ (bee)
• “Tweet-tweet”: Piep (bird)
• “Baa”: Mäh (sheep)
• “Squeak”: Piep (mouse)

Why German Interjections Matter

Many people think that interjections are not really an important part of language learning. You’re unlikely to find them in a beginner’s language course or textbook.

I disagree. In fact, you could go so far as to say interjections are integral to being human. They are equal to the emotions in that they express emotion in a raw, open way. And when you start using interjections, you’ll recognise reactions that ordinary vocabulary lists often miss.

What’s more, interjections are easily understood, especially with the use of gestures. So, when you’re learning a new language, notice interjections that can help your reactions sound more natural.