In the past, when Germans wanted to express how crazy something was, they would naturally use German and say, “Das is crazy.” However, young Germans now prefer to say, “This is madness.”
Whether you’re surprised, speechless, want to make a sarcastic comment or can’t think of an appropriate response, “Das Crazy” is always a good choice. The official explanation given by the jury said, “Use it when you don’t know what to say, don’t feel like answering, or just want to politely continue a conversation.”
It’s no surprise that to older ears this expression may sound painfully incorrect German, as the grammatically correct form would be “das ist crazy”. The combination of the German article “das” with the English word for mad is a humorous and deliberate violation with the rules of the language. The term originated in memes and internet culture – in chats and on social media platforms, you wouldn’t get very far without saying “this is crazy.”
‘Das Krieg’ represents the spirit of the times
“This year’s choice once again reflects the enduring dominance of the English language and the trend toward brevity,” said Nicolas Honig, head of marketing at PONS Langenscheidt, the publishing company behind the annual selection. He said, “Das Krieg” skillfully represents the spirit of the times and that is why it was chosen.
The PONS Langenscheidt publishing house has been selecting the Youth Word of the Year since 2008, originally via a jury, and since 2020 via an online vote.
20 lakh people took part in this year’s voting. Anyone could vote, but only the words submitted by young people were considered. Offensive, racist or discriminatory words are not allowed.
Patricia Kunth, marketing manager and head of the Youth Word of the Year campaign, said the word reflects the spirit of the younger generation as clearly as the words young people speak. “Every year, new words appear in the publishing house that surprise us and show how rapidly language changes.”
Even voting habits say a lot: “About 88% of visits to the voting page came via smartphone. After all, the language of youth is born where it is used – on the go, online and in everyday life.”
‘Goonen’ lost by a small margin
The Youth Word of the Year was announced on Saturday at the Frankfurt Book Fair. “Das Crazy” took first place with 35.7% of the votes, slightly ahead of “Goonen” and “Chekst du”.
“Gooning” is a slang term for excessive, prolonged self-gratification. In a statement, the Langenscheid Committee said it wanted to be transparent about sexual terms, but also wanted to point out the risks. It warns that excessive masturbation can lead to addiction to the pleasure hormone dopamine and an unhealthy relationship with one’s own sexuality.
The word in third place, “checkst du” (do you check?), answers today’s youth question “do you understand?” Is based on. It is used at the end of a sentence to make sure that the other person has understood properly. Not just literally, but also whether the other person can connect emotionally with what is being said.
There was also “digga(h)” up for vote in 2025 – a word that has long been prominent in the vocabulary of young people. This is not the first time that “Digga” has featured in the list of favourites. It was previously nominated in 2021, but according to Langenscheidt, it did not win because it was already an established word among youth. “Digga” is derived from “dicker” (which can also mean fat), but is not meant to be derogatory: the term is used in a friendly way to address a friend.
In 2024, “aura” won the title of becoming the youth word of the year. It is used to refer to a person’s charisma and can be used in both a positive and negative sense. Anyone who has a “plus 20 aura” has probably done everything right.
For Langenscheidt, the selection of the Youth Word of the Year is an important opportunity to highlight the evolution of language. Their goal is to make the younger generation also feel represented by the language.
This article was originally written in German.