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10 German Slang Phrases to Sound Like a Native

Do you have cups in your cabinet?
Is your nose full?
Have no idea what Im talking about? Then its time to learn some German slang!
By adding more everyday phrases to your useful German greetings and World Cup German words, youll sound less
like a textbook and more like a native.
Here are ten German slang phrases that will give you instant street credibility in Germany.

1. Auf dicke Hose machen

Literally, this phrase means, To act as if you have fat pants.. It is used to describe someone who is boasting,
bragging, or generally pretending to be better than they really are, especially when it comes to possessing money or
wealth.
Where does this phrase come from? Is there a contest among the German people to possess the largest pants? No,
though it sometimes seems like that among hip-hop aficionados.
The fat pants refer to the bulge in ones pocket made by a well-filled wallet. Auf dicke Hose machen is therefore
used to describe those who feign that their money pouch takes up more space than it really does.
Its worth noting that auf dicke Hose machen is frequently used in combination with the accusative in the phrase
einen auf dicke Hose machen (see examples below). However, it is just as well to use it without.
Examples:
Mach mal nicht so einen auf dicke Hose.
(Dont be such a braggart!)
Paul macht auf dicke Hose und gibt eine Lokalrunde.
(Paul acts like he has money to spend and buys drinks for the whole bar.)

2. Gebongt sein
In German a Bon (pronounced bong) is the receipt you get after making a purchase. Therefore, in common parlance
the verb bongen refers to ringing something up on a register (literally putting something onto a Bon), thereby settling
the transaction.
If something is gebongt, it means it is booked, decided, or agreed upon. In almost all cases this phrase is used in the
form of Ist gebongt to signify that a matter is settled or that you have come to an agreement.
Examples:
Treffen wir uns morgen um drei? Ok, ist gebongt.
(Can we meet tomorrow at three? Ok, agreed.)
Pass auf, dass Du den Alarm anstellst, bevor Du gehst. Gut, ist gebongt.
(Make sure you switch the alarm on before you leave. Ok, I will.)

3. Was geht ab?

Was geht ab? is the German equivalent of Whats up? or Whats happening?. It is used as a greeting and to
inquire after the other persons wellbeing in a very informal way. If you are a teenager, you might also be able to pull
off the even shorter Was geht? but anyone nearing thirty should stay away from it.
If asked in the aforementioned fashion, common replies are either nicht viel (not much), alles gut (everything is
fine) or einiges (a lot). Keep in mind that this is a very casual expression. If you cant pull off whats up in English,
you should probably stay away from the German equivalent as well. The phrase can also be combined with other
greetings (see Na?).
Examples:
Was geht ab? Nicht viel.
(Whats happening? Not much.)
Was geht ab? Viel. Bei mir ist derzeit einiges los.
(Whats up? A lot. Theres a lot going on with me right now.)

4. Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben

I can only imagine the confusion in your face if, while on a visit to Germany, a native strode up to you and asked if you
still had all your cups in the cabinet. Is that person just a socially awkward tableware enthusiast trying to make
conversation?
Unfortunately, no. Instead, the person is expressing doubt about your mental faculties. It is the beautiful German way
to ask if youve lost your marbles. As to why the loss of dishes or colorful glass balls signifies a deterioration of your
senses, beats me.
Examples:
Tausend Euro fr ein T-Shirt? Hast Du nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank?
(A thousand bucks for a t-shirt? Have you lost your mind?)
Er sagt, dass ich schuld bin? Der hat doch nicht alle Tassen im Schrank!
(He says its my fault? I think hes not right in the head!)

5. Na?
Na? might be the shortest way of asking about someones well being in any language. It is a way to say both hello
and how are you doing? in one. Many confused foreigners have found themselves under the expectant gaze of a
German speaker after this well-meaning monosyllabic greeting.
To express your intentions a little clearer, Na? can also be combined with other forms of greeting, like in Na,
alles gut?, Na, wie gehts?, or the previously mentioned Na, was geht ab?.
The best thing, however, is that Na? also serves as a reply to itself. Na? Naaa? is a complete conversation in
which both parties have said hello and asked how life is going. There is a special intonation to it, so it might be best to
ask a native speaker to teach you the correct way.
Examples:
Na, alles klar? Ja und bei Dir?
(Hey, everything good? Yes, you?)
Na, Du? Naaa?

(Hi, how are you doing? Hey, and you?)

6. Bock haben
Bock haben means to be in the mood for or up for something. In the negative it means to be uninclined to engage
in a certain activity. Its the same as Lust haben (to have a lust for something), only in a more colloquial form.
Whats confusing about the phrase is that Bock is actually the German word for male goat. No kidding. But before
you ask yourself what is wrong with Germans and their metaphors, let me point out that it probably derives from the
Romani word bokh which means hunger. It seems that over time not only was the spelling adapted to German, but
its meaning came to denote a metaphorical hunger for anything not just food.
Today Bock haben is a common way of expressing your inclination or disinclination for doing something. It is also
entirely possible to have null Bock, when your enthusiasm is so low it arrives at zero. Some people even
have Bcke, meaning more than one Bock, but its not very common.
Examples:
Wir gehen heute Abend ins Kino. Hast Du auch Bock?
(We are going to the movies tonight. Wanna come?)
Da habe ich berhaupt keinen Bock drauf.
(I absolutely do not want to do that.)

7. Die Nase voll haben

This phrase literally means to have your nose full. However, it is neither a way to describe someone with a
headcold, nor a person with an expensive drug habit. Instead, in German if you have your nose full, it means that you
are fed up with or sick of something.
Its origin is probably found in the slang of criminals in earlier times who, after being delivered to prison, sometimes
also received a few punches to the nose (a nose full of punches) from the guards. Thats a situation that most of us
would probably be fed up with very quickly.
If you want to emphasize the severity of your discontent, you might even speak of having your nose filled to the
brim. Die Nase bis obenhin voll haben states that you are entirely fed up with the situation. And finally, you might
replace die Nase with its less polite cousin, die Schnauze.
Examples:
Ich habe die Nase voll von der lauten Musik.
(Im sick of the loud music)
Ich habe sowas von die Nase voll!
(Im so very fed up!)

8. Chillen
The German verb chillen comes from the English to chill. It shares the meaning of its anglophone counterpart: to
hang out, rest, and generally take it easy. Be aware, however, that chillen is not used in the sense of cooling or to
give someone the chills.
The word also has an adjective form, chillig, which is mostly used to describe a laid-back atmosphere or relaxing
surroundings you would encounter while having a chill night.
Interestingly, in German you often chill in rounds, though usually just one. Eine Runde chillen is an important part of

the weekend activities for many younger Germans. But dont worry, once the first one is done, you can usually just
chill another round.
Examples:
Wir wollen an den See fahren, eine Runde chillen.
(We want to go to the lake and chill for a bit.)
Nach der Arbeit muss ich erstmal chillen.
(After work I will have to chill first.)
Wir sind beide mde, deswegen machen wir uns eher einen chilligen Abend.
(We are both tired so we will rather go for something relaxing tonight.)

9. Einen dicken Hals haben / bekommen

Have you ever been so angry that you could feel your neck muscles tensing and the veins at its front pulsing?
Because thats exactly what this phrase is describing.
Its an expression of anger, rage, and general annoyance. Whether someone already has or is on the verge of getting
a swollen neck, you had better stay out of their way.
You can even forgo to mention your necks thickness and instead say Ich bekomme so einen Hals while showing its
future dimensions with your open hand held in front of it. It is also completely possible to leave out any further
description and use Einen Hals auf jemanden haben.
Example:
Ich krieg hier gleich nen dicken Hals!
(In a second here, Im gonna bust!)
Ich bekomme so einen Hals, wenn ich das hre!
(Im getting so angry when I hear this stuff!)
Mann, hab ich einen Hals auf den wegen letzter Woche.
(Boy, am I angry at him for last week!)

10. Aus der Reihe tanzen

This last phrase is used to describe someone who stands out by getting out of line or acting different from everyone
else. It literally means to dance outside the line.
Aus der Reihe tanzen can be used in both a negative and a positive way. It can describe a troublemaker, or someone
who is simply doing their own thing. Just like in real life, there is a fine line between the two.
The origin of this saying is unclear. Though Germans like to be organized, they do not in fact make everyone dance in
a line at the club no matter what others might be claiming.
Examples:
Sie muss immer aus der Reihen tanzen!
(She always has to get out of line!)
Er tanzt gerne etwas aus der Reihe.
(He likes to do things a little different than everyone else.)
Und das mir keiner aus der Reihe tanzt!

(There better be nobody getting out of line!)

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