German Basic Emotions Vocabulary
This set covers the everyday words Germans use to talk about feelings and reactions, from mild ones like interessant to strong ones like unerträglich. It also includes false-friend traps: aufregend means exciting, not "upsetting" as its root might suggest, and das Pech (bad luck) has nothing to do with the sticky substance "pitch" that English borrowed from the same word. Note too that all five nouns here, das Gefühl, die Lust, das Pech, die Reaktion, and die Rührung, split across two different genders, so there's no shortcut: you have to learn each article individually.
Learn these 15 words
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All 15 words
exciting
Die letzte Woche war sehr aufregend. — Last week was very exciting.
fantastic, great
Dein neues Kleid sieht fantastisch aus! — Your new dress looks fantastic!
terrible
Er hat furchtbare Schmerzen. — He has terrible pain.
interesting
Ich lese gerade ein interessantes Buch. — I am currently reading an interesting book.
- schlimmA2
bad, serious
Kein Problem, das ist nicht so schlimm. — No problem, it's not that bad.
terrible, awful
Ich finde ihren Rock schrecklich. Er sieht furchtbar aus! — I think her skirt is terrible. It looks awful!
- spannendA2
exciting; thrilling
Ich finde den Film sehr spannend. — I find the film very exciting.
plural: die Gefühle
feeling, emotion
Ich glaube, ich schaffe die Prüfung. Ich habe ein gutes Gefühl. — I think I'll pass the exam. I have a good feeling.
plural: die Lüste
desire, pleasure
Ich habe keine Lust zu grillen. — I have no desire to grill.
plural: die Pechs
bad luck
Es regnet. Unser Picknick fällt leider aus. – So ein Pech! — It's raining. Our picnic is cancelled unfortunately. – What bad luck!
plural: die Reaktionen
reaction
Diese Reaktion ist typisch für ihn. — This reaction is typical for him.
to startle / shock
Der Lärm scheucht mich auf. — The noise startles me.
plural: die Rührungen
emotion (not used often)
Eine Rührung erfüllte sein Herz bei dieser Nachricht. — An emotion filled his heart at this news.
to overpower / overwhelm
Eine plötzliche Traurigkeit übermannte ihn völlig. — Sudden sadness overwhelmed him completely.
unbearable / intolerable
Die Hitze ist im Sommer unerträglich. — The heat is unbearable in summer.
How to learn this set
Group the adjectives by intensity rather than by meaning alone: interessant and aufregend sit at the mild-to-positive end, schlimm is moderate-negative, and furchtbar, schrecklich, unerträglich escalate from bad to unbearable. Notice that spannend and aufregend both translate as "exciting" but spannend leans toward suspenseful (ein spannender Film) while aufregend leans toward thrilling or agitating (ein aufregender Tag) - drill them in those fixed phrases rather than in isolation. For the two verbs, aufscheuchen and übermannen, learn them with a typical subject: Angst übermannt jemanden (fear overwhelms someone) is the pattern you'll actually encounter, so practice the verb glued to that noun rather than as a standalone infinitive.
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Frequently asked questions
Is schlimm the same as schrecklich in German?
They overlap but schlimm is milder, more like 'bad' or 'serious' (eine schlimme Erkältung, a bad cold), while schrecklich and furchtbar are stronger, closer to 'terrible' or 'awful'. All three can describe news, weather, or situations, so context and tone decide which one a native speaker reaches for.
Why is die Lust translated as desire but also shows up in phrases like keine Lust haben?
Lust in German covers a wider range than English 'desire': it's the general word for wanting to do something, so Ich habe keine Lust just means 'I don't feel like it', with no romantic or intense meaning required. Its narrower, more charged sense only shows up depending on context, similar to how 'appetite' can be literal or figurative in English.
What's the difference between das Pech and simply having bad luck in a sentence?
Das Pech is a noun, so you need a verb with it: Pech haben means 'to have bad luck'. English speakers often try to use it as an adjective, but you always frame it as having or bringing Pech, never as something being Pech directly.
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