Word of the Week

A collection of the most beautiful and untranslatable German words \u2014 Fernweh, Schadenfreude, Ohrwurm and more \u2014 each with its literal meaning, real meaning and audio.

Weltschmerz — “world-pain” — is the German word for a wistful melancholy about the state of the world. Meaning, pronunciation and examples.

Fingerspitzengefühl — “fingertip feeling” — is the German word for the intuitive tact to handle any situation just right. Meaning and examples.

Sturmfrei is the German word for that glorious freedom of having your home all to yourself. Meaning, pronunciation and real examples.

Torschlusspanik — “gate-closing panic” — is the German word for the anxiety that time is running out to reach life’s milestones. Meaning and examples.

Ohrwurm — literally “ear worm” — is the perfect German word for a catchy tune stuck on loop in your head. Meaning, pronunciation and examples.

Kummerspeck — literally “grief bacon” — is the German word for the weight gained from comfort-eating through a hard time. Meaning, pronunciation and examples.

Fernweh is the beautiful German word for the aching longing to be somewhere far away — the opposite of homesickness. Meaning, pronunciation and examples.

Schadenfreude is the guilty joy at someone else’s misfortune — so universal that English borrowed the German word whole. Meaning, pronunciation and examples.

German Word of the Week: Feierabend — the German word for clocking off and the sacred free time after work. Meanings, sentences you can hear, and the culture behind it.