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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Geflasht

This colloquial German - or rather, Denglish - word is a great one to have up your sleeve whenever you're feeling impressed or a bit overwhelmed.

German word of the day
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know geflasht

Because it’s not only pretty fun to say, but is also a handy way to describe that specific type of feeling you get when something makes a big impression on you.

What’s more, it’s not a word that you’re likely to read in traditional German textbooks, so you’ll definitely impress your German friends if they hear you using this trendy colloquialism. 

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Digga

What does it mean?

Geflasht means to be bowled over, shocked, amazed or excited by something – whether that’s the taste of an incredible meal, the experience of watching an intensely violent film or a heavy techno beat in a Berlin club. 

Like much of Germany’s youth slang, it has its roots in an English word – the noun “flash” or the verb “to flash” – though the meaning has become a tiny bit garbled in translation.

That said, you can think of it a bit like a flash of lightning – a sudden emotion that flares up and overwhelms you with its intensity. Alternatively, you might think of the word “flashy”, which is used in English to describe things like expensive cars or clothes that are designed to make a big impression on people.

Anything else I need to know? 

As well as the adjective geflasht and the verb flashen, you can also use the noun Flash to describe that something that makes you feel surprised, overwhelmed or excited. Though there isn’t a super easy English equivalent, saying something is “ein Flash” is a bit like saying it’s a trip – or totally mindblowing.

If something’s particularly funny, you can also be struck by a “Lachflash” – which is the German equivalent of a laughing fit.

And don’t be surprised if you occasionally see an anglicised spelling of geflasht with “-ed” instead of “-t” at the end. Given that the slang has been borrowed from English, either spelling is considered acceptable.

Use it like this: 

Warst du schon mal beim Fusion Festival? Das Line-up dieses Jahr hat mich total geflasht.

Have you ever been to Fusion festival? I was totally blown away by the lineup this year. 

Der neue Christopher Nolan Film hat mich wirklich geflasht. Du musst es unbedingt sehen! 

The new Christopher Nolan film really impressed me. You absolutely have to see it!

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

This German word marks the changing of seasons, and the longest day of the year.

German word of the day: Sommersonnenwende

Die Sommersonnenwende, pronounced like this, is the German term for the summer solstice, which is the day that marks the meteorological beginning of summer in Germany and the northern hemisphere.

Alternative names for the day are Sommer Solstitium, which comes from the Latin term, and Mittsommer.

Like so many great German words, the term for the summer solstice is a compound noun which translates quite literally. It’s made up of three simple words: Sommer (summer), Sonnen (sun) and Wende (turn or turnaround).

So the name for the summer solstice in German is meant to remind you that this is the day that the sun ends its journey northward in the sky, and turns around.

As you can probably guess, the winter solstice is called die Wintersonnenwende.

You might recognise the term Wende from another compound noun that got a fair amount of attention in recent years – Energiewende, which means energy transition, has also been used to describe Germany’s big picture plans to phase out fossil fuel use.

The summer solstice usually falls on June 21st or 22nd. But it fell on June 20th this year, due to 2024 being a leap year.

How is ‘die Sommersonnenwende’ observed in Germany

Humans have taken note of, and celebrated, the summer solstice for thousands of years.

Archaeologists suggest that Stone Age cultures were already able to determine the day. Evidence of this was uncovered in 2004 at the site of a 7000-year-old solar observatory found in Goseck in Saxony-Anhalt.

Among Germanic tribes, the summer solstice was celebrated with pagan folk festivals that often included fire rituals.

After Christianization of the region, the Catholic Church tried to abolish the pagan solstice traditions – eventually designating the day for a memorial day for John the Baptist (June 24th), and adopting the fire as a symbol for Jesus Christ. 

Most of the original solstice traditions have been lost, but some are being reinvigorated for tourism, especially on the Baltic Sea coast.

More broadly, the long daylight hours experienced in the weeks before and after the summer solstice, offer a chance to stay out or do outdoor activities late into the evening. There are also a number of music festivals around Germany at this time of year.

READ ALSO: How to make the most of Germany’s long summer days

Use it like this:

Die Sonne geht so spät unter, es muss die Sommersonnenwende sein.

The sun is setting so late, it must be the summer solstice!

Haben Sie dieses Jahr Pläne, die Sommersonnenwende zu feiern?

Do you have plans to celebrate the summer soltice this year?

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