The German language excels in capturing entire concepts in just one word. Here, we present 5 German words that defy easy translation.

By Hendrik Werner

1. Kabelsalat

You have the ingredients for a cable salad at home: as many electrical cables as possible, preferably from different devices. All you have to do is put them together in a drawer or box and leave them there for as long as possible. If you need a certain cable at some point, it’s guaranteed to be tangled up with all the others as if by magic. Have fun untangling them.

2. Verschlimmbessern

You know the saying “Well-intentioned is not always well-done?” The verb verschlimmbessern expresses something similar, that is, a noble intention that ends in disaster. Imagine you’ve painted your room. But you’re so disappointed with the result that your roommate says, “Hey, we can fix that.” And at the end, the walls look even worse than before – all streaked and spotted.

3. Kopfkino

You know how it is when good music creates images in your head? Or when you’re riding a train for a long time and thinking about something wonderful? Then a movie starts to play, right? That’s exactly what is meant by Kopfkino: head cinema. No screen necessary and always free of charge – only your own imagination can do that.

4. Fremdschämen

When someone says or does something inappropriate, they might feel embarrassed about it shortly afterward. But there are people who don't realize when they do such things. They say foolish stuff and believe they're fantastic. You can see this on reality TV shows, for instance. And if you end up feeling embarrassed on their behalf, it's called "Fremdschämen" - feeling embarrassed for someone else's actions!

5. Kuddelmuddel

You only have to say the word Kuddelmuddel a few times in a row to recognise from the sound what it means: a big, well, muddle or a large mess. But the sound reveals something else. The onomatopoeic Kuddelmuddel goes back to verbs that sound North German or, more precisely, Low German. Koddeln used to mean something like washing clothes too hastily. And muddeln means something like “to stir up mud.”