The German word for weirdo, nutcase, or crazy person is der Spinner.
It’s used informally to describe someone who’s acting irrational, saying bizarre things, or just generally behaving in a way that doesn’t make sense. Spinner in German is not a compliment—but it’s not always cruel either. Tone matters.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (free illustrated PDF available for download!) and a word you’ll hear in arguments, news comment sections, and light-hearted teasing.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Spinner.
Want to guess noun genders more accurately? Our video lesson teaches practical tricks that work fast.

Pronunciation:
Spinner is pronounced [SHPIH-ner]

• “SHPIH” like “spin” with a soft “sh”

• “ner” like “runner” without emphasis
  Two syllables: SHPIH-ner

Example sentences

Was für ein Spinner!

What a weirdo!

Du benimmst dich wie ein Spinner.

You're acting like a nutcase.

Die Verschwörungstheorien kommen wieder von so einem Spinner im Netz.

The conspiracy theories are from some internet lunatic again.

Nuance and usage tips

😆 Spinner can be used light-heartedly to describe someone who’s quirky or eccentric—but in other contexts, it can be sharp or insulting. It depends on how it’s said and who’s saying it.

🧠 It often implies someone out of touch with reality, or someone who’s so obsessed with an idea that they’ve lost common sense.

📉 It’s more informal than Verrückter (crazy person), and more conversational than Idiot—though all are judgments.

👩 The feminine version is die Spinnerin, but in practice, Spinner is often used generically regardless of gender in slangy speech.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Der Typ im Bus hat laut mit sich selbst geredet – totaler Spinner."

The guy on the bus was talking to himself loudly—total nutcase.

"Nicht jeder, der anders denkt, ist gleich ein Spinner."

Not everyone who thinks differently is a weirdo.

"Mein Bruder ist ein bisschen ein Spinner, aber harmlos."

My brother's a bit of a weirdo, but harmless.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Lea: Hast du das Video von dem Typen mit dem Aluhut gesehen?
Tobi: Ja, was für ein Spinner!
Lea: Echt schräg. Und er meint das ernst.
Tobi: Ich hab laut gelacht – das war Comedy pur.

Translation:
Lea: Did you see the video of the guy with the tinfoil hat?
Tobi: Yeah, what a nutcase!
Lea: Really weird. And he’s serious about it.
Tobi: I laughed out loud—it was pure comedy.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Der Spinner hat wieder im Forum gepostet.

The weirdo posted in the forum again.

Accusative:
Ich kann diesen Spinner nicht ernst nehmen.

I can’t take that guy seriously.

Dative:
Mit so einem Spinner rede ich nicht.

I don’t talk to people like that.

Genitive:
Die Meinung dieses Spinners ist mir egal.

I don’t care about that lunatic’s opinion.

Other ways to say weirdo or nutcase in German

While Spinner is the go-to slang term for weirdo or nutcase in German, there are plenty of synonyms, each with their own flavor. Verrückter or Bekloppter also mean “crazy person,” but can sound harsher or more clinical. Freak is used more in youth speech, sometimes positively. Knalltüte, Psycho, and Durchgeknallter are more intense, with Psycho veering into offensive territory. For eccentric-but-lovable types, Germans might say ein Original or ein schräger Vogel (a quirky bird).

Word variations and tidbits

The verb spinnen originally meant "to spin (wool or thread)," but today it also means "to be crazy" in slang: Du spinnst! = "You're nuts!" This metaphorical shift gave us der Spinner—someone who’s spinning wild ideas. In polite company, it's not a word you'd use lightly, but among friends, it can be teasing or playful. You’ll also hear it pop up in political commentary (rechte Spinner, linke Spinner), tech forums, and teen banter.

🧠 Fun fact: Despite its slightly edgy tone, Spinner has become common in German pop culture and comedy—used affectionately for oddballs or rebels. That said, tone and context matter a lot—used wrong, it can feel like name-calling.

📘 Duden entry for Spinner
🎥 Want to stop spinning in circles with German vocab? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns—clearly, visually, and with a printable PDF so you never lose your thread.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Serie means? It’s where the weirdos show up episode by episode.
And what about Sicherheit? It’s what keeps you calm—until a Spinner walks in.