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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

German word of the day: Frühlingsmüdigkeit

Feeling low or energy or even a little down right now? Then this German word could hold the answer to your sluggishness. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 1 April 2019 11:06 CEST
Updated: 19 April 2023 16:41 CEST
German word of the day
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash + Nicolas Raymond / flickr

Why do I need to know Frühlingsmüdigkeit? 

Because as spring gets fully underway, you may need to reach for this German word to describe a strange condition that sometimes crops up around this time of year.

What does it mean?

This German word combines the word for spring (der Frühling – said like this) and tiredness (die Müdigkeit – said like this) and refers to what is sometimes called “springtime lethargy” or “spring fatigue” in English. 

Symptoms of Frühlingsmüdigkeit (also known as Frühjahrsmüdigkeit) include everything from general tiredness to mood swings and irritability, or even headaches and problems sleeping. In other words, it’s kind of the flip side to the childish glee we usually feel once spring rolls around. 

What are the causes?

This is still disputed territory but a hormone imbalance (or hormone rebalancing) may play a role. According to this theory, spring fatigue is a war of hormones as the body switches from the winter production of the ‘sleep’ hormone melatonin to the daylight-inspired production of the ‘happiness’ hormone serotonin.

Read also: 10 ways to celebrate springtime in Germany

Some also say it’s a symptom of getting out and about and doing more as soon as the weather gets better, following your long Winterschaf (hibernation). Others point to the fact that rising temperatures makes the body work harder, so you feel that bit more sluggish around this time of year.

None of this is helped by the changing of the clocks. When the evenings get longer, people stay up later and the alarm clock seems to ring that much earlier every morning.

Is there a cure?

If you feel like you’ve been hit by a case of spring fatigue, both Swiss health insurance Swica and German insurance TK recommend getting plenty of light, doing exercise outdoors, eating light, healthy meals and going to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep.

The good news is Frühlingsmüdigkeit doesn’t tend to last too long – and you have the pleasant sunny evenings and cheery spring flowers around to get you through it. 

READ ALSO: Nine expressions that perfectly sum up spring in Germany

Use it like this:

Die Arbeit fällt mir so schwer momentan. Es ist wohl die Frühlingsmüdigkeit! 

I’m finding work so hard at the moment. It’s probably spring fatigue!

Leidest du unter Frühlingsmüdigkeit? Du scheinst, ein bisschen antriebslos zu sein.

Are you suffering from spring fatigue? You seem a little listless. 

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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Eight unique words and phrases that tell us something about Germany

Whether they relate to a love of beer or bureaucracy, these uniquely German words give an insight into the idiosyncrasies of life in Germany. Here are a few of our favourites.

Published: 10 June 2021 17:36 CEST
Eight unique words and phrases that tell us something about Germany
One of Germany's most famous staircases, at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Martin Schutt

Das Sitzfleisch – You may be familiar with this term if you have ever had to apply for Anmeldung (city registration) in Germany. Sitzfleisch, literally meaning ‘sit meat’ is the ability to sit still, particularly through long and tedious events. 

Although we all know the stereotype that Germans love efficiency, the country’s love affair with bureaucracy suggests the opposite might be true, and it means Germans and expats alike often have to be quite patient when sorting out anything to do with rent, tax or education. 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What you need to know about dealing with German bureaucracy online

Der Aufschnitt – At first, you might be wondering what is so special about this German word, which we would translate to ‘cold cuts’ in English. In Germany, however, this is not just a snack but a whole cuisine.

Some of the staples of traditional German cuisine are meat, cheese, and most importantly bread. To have a meal of Aufschnitt means to sit down to an array of these things, and is a particularly popular meal for most Germans to prepare when no-one feels like cooking. 

Eine Extrawurst bekommen – In a land famous for its sausages, you should not be surprised that Würste appear in so many common German sayings. One of the most common of these is eine Extrawurst, which means special treatment. If a person immer eine Extrawurst bekommt (always gets an extra sausage), it means they are being given an unfair advantage. 

There is often an expectation of fairness and equity in many parts of German life, and Germans will not hesitate in pointing out when something is amiss. The idea of a teacher’s pet is much less likely to go unchallenged here than in other cultures. 

Das Weichei – This term may confuse you at first, and you might expect to see it on a breakfast menu rather than hurled as an insult. The term Weichei literally means ‘soft egg’ but it is used to refer to someone who is a bit of a wimp, or a sheep. 

Germans can often be quite forthcoming with their opinions, and look down on those who merely follow the crowd, or who are easily influenced. 

READ ALSO: Nerdy flowers to alcoholic birds: The 12 most colourful German insults

Das Luftschloss – Germans are often fairly realistic when it comes to their hopes and expectations, but there are of course still some dreamers about. These people would be guilty of having Luftschlösser, or pipe dreams. The word translates to ‘air castle’ in English, referring to unreachable fantasies. 

Die Schnapsidee – In English, we’ve borrowed the word Schnapps, which we tend to use to mean a fruity alcoholic beverage, from the German Schnaps, which refers to any kind of alcoholic spirit. A Schnapsidee is an outlandish or crazy concept, perhaps one that you would have to be drunk to come up with.

It is fairly well known that Germans like to drink, though beer is usually their beverage of choice. It is therefore apt that the word for a foolish idea has something to do with drunkenness. This term is fairly common, and is also used in cases when there is no alcohol in sight. 

Der Treppenwitz – Germans aren’t famed for their humour, and this concept suggests their comedic timing could be the problem. A Treppenwitz (staircase joke) is a quip that you think of after the opportunity to tell it has passed.

 If you have ever been left speechless by a conversation, only to think of the perfect witty response on your way out of the situation, this would be your Treppenwitz.

READ ALSO: A laughing matter: Looking beyond the stereotype of the serious German

Das ist nicht mein Bier – Beer is part of the fabric of life in Germany, so it is not surprising to find it in this common idiom. In English, we might say something is ‘not our bag’ if it is not quite our cup of tea. In German, however, if a food, activity or style is not for you, you would say it is not your beer.

The phrase in itself is not overly negative, and more an insight into a culture that is fairly accepting of individual opinions and preferences, even those having to do with more important matters than beer. 

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