German Humour & Fun Vocabulary
This set covers the German words for joking around, from plain lachen (to laugh) up to sharper-edged words like die Stichelei (a dig or wisecrack) and der Sarkasmus. It also draws a line English usually blurs: komisch can mean funny, but just as often it means strange, so a German saying "das ist komisch" about you isn't necessarily paying you a compliment. You'll also meet verschmitzt, which describes a sly, mischievous look rather than anything actually funny happening.
Learn these 20 words
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All 20 words
- lachenA1
laugh
Die Kinder lachen viel. — The children laugh a lot.
- lustigA1
funny, amusing
Frau Mertens ist lustig. Sie lacht immer. — Mrs Mertens is funny. She is always laughing.
- komischA2
funny, strange
Der Film war sehr komisch. Wir haben viel gelacht. — The film was very funny. We laughed a lot.
plural: die Witze
joke
Wir haben Witze erzählt und viel gelacht. — We told jokes and laughed a lot.
- witzigA2
funny, amusing
Warum lachst du? Ich finde das nicht witzig. — Why are you laughing? I don't find that funny.
plural: die Humoren
humor
Wir mögen Paul, weil er so viel Humor hat. — We like Paul because he has so much humor.
laughter
Das Gelächter der Kinder erfüllte das Haus. — The laughter of the children filled the house.
plural: die Hänselei
teasing
Die Hänselei in der Klasse war verletzend. — The teasing in class was hurtful.
hilarity
Die Heiterkeit im Saal war ansteckend. — The hilarity in the hall was contagious.
sarcasm
Sein Sarkasmus war manchmal schwer zu verstehen. — His sarcasm was sometimes hard to understand.
plural: die Scherze
joke / jest / kidding
Der Scherz hat alle zum Lachen gebracht. — The joke made everyone laugh.
joking / jesting / playful
Er machte eine scherzhaft gemeinte Bemerkung. — He made a playfully intended remark.
plural: die Sticheleien
a jibe / dig / wisecrack
Seine Sticheleien waren manchmal verletzend gemeint. — His jibes were sometimes meant to be hurtful.
plural: die Streiche
prank / trick
Er spielte seinem Freund einen Streich. — He played a prank on his friend.
hilarious
Sein urkomischer Witz brachte alle zum Lachen. — His hilarious joke made everyone laugh.
enjoyable / pleasurable / amusing
Der vergnügliche Ausflug war ein voller Erfolg. — The enjoyable trip was a complete success.
mischievous / sly
Mit verschmitztem Lächeln erzählte er die Geschichte. — With a mischievous smile he told the story.
plural: die Witzeleien
a quip / wisecrack
Seine Witzelei über den Chef war nicht angebracht. — His quip about the boss was inappropriate.
- ulkigC1
funny / odd / comical (wenig benutzt)
Seine ulkige Art machte alle zum Lachen. — His funny manner made everyone laugh.
- verulkenC1
to make fun of / josh (wenig benutzt)
Er verulkte seinen Freund auf lustige Weise. — He joshed his friend in a funny way.
How to learn this set
Several of these nouns share the same abstract-noun pattern with -ei: die Hänselei, die Stichelei, die Witzelei. All three are feminine and all three describe a repeated, often mildly annoying behavior (teasing, jibing, quipping) rather than a single event, which is why they don't translate as one clean English word each. Drill lachen next to its close relative feixen (to smirk, usually with a sly or superior edge) so you feel the difference between open laughing and a knowing smirk. For the adjectives, group lustig, witzig, komisch, urkomisch, and ulkig together and rank them by strength in your head, from mildly amusing (ulkig) to genuinely hilarious (urkomisch), since German doesn't hand you that scale automatically.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lustig and komisch in German?
Lustig is the safe word for funny in a good way, like a joke or a funny movie. Komisch also means funny, but it slides into meaning strange or odd depending on context, so 'Das ist komisch' often means 'that's weird', not 'that's hilarious'.
What is the difference between der Witz and der Scherz?
Der Witz is a joke in the sense of a joke you tell, like a one-liner with a setup and punchline. Der Scherz is more about kidding around or jesting in the moment, closer to English 'jest' than a scripted joke.
Is Humor in German masculine or neuter?
Der Humor is masculine, which trips up a lot of English speakers who guess das since the word looks so close to the English 'humor'.
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