When someone’s talking rubbish, making a ridiculous claim, or acting totally silly, Germans call it Blödsinn. It’s the go-to word for nonsense—harmless or outrageous.
The noun Blödsinn means nonsense, foolishness, or rubbish, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. It’s used in everyday banter, irritated outbursts, and jokes alike.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Blödsinn.
Pronunciation
Blödsinn is pronounced [BLUHT-zin] (with ö like the “i” in “bird,” rounded).
- The “Blöd” part rhymes roughly with “blurred,”
- The “sinn” sounds like “zin,”
- The stress is on the first syllable: BLÖD-sinn.
It sounds silly, and that’s exactly the point.
Example sentences:
- Was für ein Blödsinn!
What nonsense! - Red keinen Blödsinn, bitte.
Don’t talk nonsense, please.
Nuance and usage tips
Blödsinn has a flexible tone—sometimes light and playful, sometimes annoyed:
- Silly or foolish behavior
- Kindischer Blödsinn – childish nonsense
- Wir haben viel Blödsinn gemacht. – We got up to a lot of mischief.
- Absurd claims or falsehoods
- So ein Blödsinn! Das stimmt doch gar nicht. – That’s nonsense! That’s not even true.
- Mischief / goofing off
- Often used affectionately between friends or with kids
Its antonym? There’s no perfect opposite, but Vernunft (feminine – reason) or Sinn (sense, masculine) contrast it in tone and meaning.
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Der Blödsinn war kaum zu ertragen.
The nonsense was hard to tolerate. - Accusative:
Ich habe den Blödsinn geglaubt.
I believed the nonsense. - Dative:
Mit dem Blödsinn muss endlich Schluss sein.
The nonsense has to stop now. - Genitive:
Wegen des Blödsinns lachten alle laut.
Because of the nonsense, everyone laughed loudly.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- blöd – stupid / silly
- Unsinn – nonsense (slightly more formal or dry)
- Quatsch – nonsense (more playful or colloquial)
- Dummheit – stupidity (heavier, more judgmental)
- Schwachsinn – idiocy (stronger, harsher tone)
Fun usage note:
The phrase Totaler Blödsinn! (“Total nonsense!”) is a very common German reaction to conspiracy theories, rumors, or bad excuses. And parents will often say:
Mach keinen Blödsinn! – “Don’t do anything stupid!”
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Bloedsinn
🎥 Learn Blödsinn and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
In casual speech, Quatsch is even more common than Blödsinn and sounds a bit less critical. For falsehoods or lies, Lüge (lie) or Unsinn might apply. But for lighthearted foolishness, annoying babble, or absurd logic—Blödsinn is just the right word.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Bewegung means? How about Blut? Find out!