How do you say Joke in German?

Today’s word walks the line between funny and cheeky. The German noun Scherz means joke, prank, or jest, and it pops up in both lighthearted conversation and formal writing - sometimes playful, sometimes ironic. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, too!

Scherz is a masculine noun, so the correct article is der - der Scherz. Not sure how to handle German noun genders confidently? Check out our quick and incredibly helpful 5-minute video lesson that gives you everything you need to know - no memorization, no nonsense.

Real conversations where Scherz might come up

You’ll hear Scherz when someone’s trying to be funny - or pretending to be. It’s a slightly more formal or dramatic way to say Witz (joke), often used when clarifying that something wasn’t serious or when calling out someone else’s joke.

- Ich heirate morgen.- Was?! Ernsthaft?!- Nein, war nur ein Scherz.(“I’m getting married tomorrow.” - “What?! Seriously?!” - “No, just a joke.”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Lina: Dein Pulli ist… äh… grün wie ein Frosch!Mika: Sehr witzig. War das ein Scherz?Lina: Natürlich! Ich mag deinen Pulli wirklich.

(Lina: Your sweater is… um… green like a frog!Mika: Very funny. Was that a joke?Lina: Of course! I really do like your sweater.)

Grammar in action: How to use Scherz

Let’s go through Scherz in all four German cases:

• Nominative: Der Scherz war unpassend.(The joke was inappropriate.)

• Accusative: Ich habe den Scherz nicht verstanden.(I didn’t understand the joke.)

• Dative: Mit einem Scherz lockerte sie die Stimmung.(She lightened the mood with a joke.)

• Genitive: Die Pointe des Scherzes war ziemlich gemein.(The punchline of the joke was rather mean.)

Want to finally understand what nominative and dative really mean - and how to get them right without overthinking? Try our super-practical German grammar course - all in English, built for learners who just want to speak and understand.