It's just better in German

As time goes by I notice there are words which just seem better in German and I end up using the even when talking in English.

The main one is Stau, just so much better than 'traffic jam'.

Do others do this with other words?

"Kaputt" is better than "broken".

"Stammstrecke" is better than any imaginable English alternative.

"Genau," which seems more exact than "exactly."

There are also those German words which have crept into English, so much so that they are almost considered English:

Schadenfreude
ersatz
Delicatessen (although misspelled with a "c")

I agree with genau. Also "echt" rather than authentic or bona fide.

as a yoof in the south east of scotland i often used/heard 'staued out' when somewhere was packed full of people. Not sure if this a local thing or where is came from.

Oder at the end of a sentence, oder?

'knapp'

Handy

bischen Besoffen...

Try saying that when you are a bit drunk!

Hammer-geil is exceptional, imho.

Doch!

I use "Stau" all the time too - yes, traffic jam is just way too complicated. Even the english army radio station uses it.

Tja. Tchya. Na naaaa!

The last one even sticks out when you're talking in German to a Preiss... I spose that's another thread though, what German dialect terms do you use that the natives recognize as being from some particular region? "How to know when you're assimilated..."

I like to use the word 'Jein' when I mean 'yes and no' or 'sort of', but it's not technically a word in either language.

Überfordert is a word that I have never quite found an exact translation for, and that I use quite a lot.

"Da bin ich überfragt" is also good. It's not my fault I don't know, it's your fault for asking too many questions!

Oops sorry, I don't say that in English, more a phrase for the "favorite German phrases" thread that's around somewhere...

When talking with my English speaking colleagues about our work we almost never use the English words for the parts we're working on e.g. it's never a boot/trunk lid it's always a heckklappe.

There's the classic *Doppelgänger". And it is funny, because yesterday I got on the tram and saw a guy who looked just like Putin, and when he actually started talking to his friend, he spoke Russian! Now that is a real Doppelgänger.

Angst is another one that has been taken over in English.

Edit: I quite like Konto instead of bank account, or spazieren rather than going for a walk. I still much prefer ATM to Geldautomat, though.

abseil, kaputt, zeitgeist, heroin, kindergarten, aspirin, angst, ersatz, leitmotif, kitch, realpolitik, wanderlust...

woof.

That one's disturbing.

I used to hate it when my wife used it. Just ground. Now I catch myself using that one in English.

Guilty with all of these! Especially genau, Stau, doch and jein. :D

Seems like 'Genau' is one of the most popular with native-english speakers.

Makle- is also another word. It even sounds dirtier in German and expresses the fact that all Makles are c*nts.

I also use 'Einbaukuch' instead of 'built in kitchen'

I forgot the legendary ach so...!!!

Then again, on the other side of it, you have curb (kerb?) for "Bordsteinkante". Yowks!

I find it easier to swear in German. While my upbringing prevents me from saying "Shit" or "Asshole" in English very often, I have been known to say "Scheisse" and "Arschloch" with alarming frequency.

(I know this is a tangent, but I've also noticed that, since associating with non-USAan English speakers, I've picked up the habit of saying "Shite!" and "Jesus Christ!")

Tiefgarage

I think you mean 'Makler' and 'Einbauküche'.

Off topic but I did hear a German colleague use the phrase "ring a bell gemacht"

No, really.

geil

Supi!!

Spießbürger. I can't find a decent English replacement for that word.

genau was the first German word that I heard repeated so often I had to ask what it meant.
that and
gruss gott
was the second 'phrase' I had to ask about.

nebenbei

Preisleistungsverhältnis (love that word)

Agreed. Spießig is a great word, although I've heard it used in varying and somewhat contradictory ways. Sometimes I've heard it used as the equivalent of 'bourgeois', and other times as a similar term for 'preppy' or 'yuppie'.

zwar

dauerregen

Doch.

There is no word for it in the English language!

Definitely uttered on a daily basis!

Surethereis!

Persönlichkeitsentwicklungsprogram

Now that should be Jesus Christ on a bike and/or Jaysus Mary & Joseph.

I prefer 'Keine Ahnung' to 'I don't know'.

You never heard "Jesus Christ!" from americans? I did all the time.. Shite still sounds funny..

Is there a german expression for it (jesus christ)?

Quatsch
and unfortunately I seem to have taken a liking to having or not having Lust to do something.. *sigh*

Himmiherrgotzaggrametzefixallelujamilextamarschscheißglumpfaregtz

I use this one all the time.

Sheißenhausen - shithouse

I know it's probably not quite right (in spelling and meaning), but its purpose is perfect for me!

Makes me think, off topic for a moment, why do so many english speakers think lederhose is pronounced lederhausen?

Lecker!

"Stowed/staued" out is indeed a common scots expression and like many words in Scots is closer to German than English in derivation (eg kirk, forby, siccer, lowp etc)

Schleim. Cos it is slimy.

Dingsbumps instead of thingamejig occasionally.

Schmarrrrrrn!

Dooof.