Whether it makes you laugh, groan, or roll your eyes—Germans call it a Witz. It’s a word for humor in all its forms, from clever quips to terrible puns to slightly inappropriate dinner-table moments.
The noun Witz means joke, witticism, or sometimes sense of humor, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in everyday banter, stand-up comedy, and playground taunts.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Witz.
Pronunciation
Witz is pronounced [vits]—one short, crisp syllable.
- W is pronounced like a V,
- The i is short, like in bit,
- The tz is sharp and clear, like in pizza.
- Sounds like: “vits”
It’s quick and punchy—just like a good joke should be.
Example sentences:
- Er hat einen richtig guten Witz erzählt.
He told a really good joke. - Das war wohl ein schlechter Witz.
That must’ve been a bad joke.
Nuance and usage tips
Witz comes from the old German word for wit, and originally referred to cleverness or mental sharpness. Over time, it shifted toward verbal humor.
- Literal jokes and humor
- ein lustiger Witz – a funny joke
- Witze erzählen – to tell jokes
- Witz des Tages – joke of the day
- Wit or cleverness (less common today)
- Sie hat viel Witz und Charme. – She has a lot of wit and charm.
- Geisteswitz – quick-wittedness
- Sarcasm or irony
- Das war doch nur ein Witz! – That was just a joke!
- Er versteht keinen Witz. – He has no sense of humor.
Its antonyms?
- Ernst (seriousness)
- Langeweile (boredom)
- Stille (silence—when the Witz fails)
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Der Witz brachte alle zum Lachen.
The joke made everyone laugh. - Accusative:
Ich kann den Witz nicht mehr hören.
I can’t hear that joke anymore. - Dative:
Mit dem Witz hatte er keinen Erfolg.
That joke didn’t land. - Genitive:
Wegen des Witzes war die Stimmung angespannt.
Because of the joke, the mood became tense.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- Witze machen – to crack jokes
- Witzfigur – laughingstock (literally "joke figure")
- witzig – funny (adj.)
- Witzbold – joker, prankster
- Flachwitz – corny joke
- Schmutzwitz – dirty joke
- Antiwitz – anti-joke (so bad it’s funny)
Cultural note:
In Germany, Witz can be dark, dry, or absurd. Germans do have a sense of humor—but it may be more deadpan or ironic than what English speakers expect. Wordplay is common, and puns (Wortspiele) are well-loved.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Witz
🎥 Learn Witz and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For broader humor, Humor is the word. For a funny person, Spaßvogel or Witzbold works. But for a punchline-delivering, laughter-triggering, eye-roll-inducing line—Witz is your word.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Werbung means? How about Widerstand? Find out!