"If you're raising children in Germany, you will have noticed that the language they use with their friends sounds like a completely different dialect. Teens are constantly inventing and popularising new slang, and in Germany this often means blending German with English in unexpected ways. Since 2008, Langenscheidt Publishing tries to keep up with the latest trends by organising an online vote each year exclusively for people between the ages of 11 and 20."
"1) Das crazy A mix of German and English, this term is a real "all-purpose weapon of speechlessness", according to Langenscheidt. The expression is used when something is surprising, unbelievable, or when you just don't know what else to say. It's a humorous, all-purpose filler that breaks grammar rules on purpose: You got tickets to the concert? Das crazy!"
"2) Goonen This verb, which was only narrowly beaten by Das crazy began as a way of saying that someone was watching porn for far too long, but has evolved into more of an all-purpose verb for masturbation. The word is considered explicit and not appropriate in all contexts: Ich glaube es nicht. Er hat wieder goonen gesagt (I don't believe it. He said "goonen" again)."
Langenscheidt has run an online youth-word vote since 2008 for people aged 11 to 20. Nearly two million votes were recorded since the end of May, making the 2025 poll highly participated. German teens frequently invent and popularise slang by mixing German and English. Top entries show a range from playful fillers to explicit verbs. 'Das crazy' functions as a versatile expression of surprise and speechlessness. 'Goonen' evolved from describing prolonged porn-watching to an all-purpose masturbation verb and is marked as explicit. Other popular forms include conversational tags like 'Checkst du?' and address terms such as 'Digga(h)'.
Read at The Local Germany
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