The Youth Word of the Year 2025 is “das crazy.” The phrase, often used to express speechlessness or a lack of words, was announced as the winner on Saturday at the Frankfurt Book Fair, according to Langenscheidt Verlag, the organizer of the competition. The term was selected through an online vote open to young people aged 11 to 20, which concluded last Tuesday.
According to the publisher, “das crazy” is typically used when someone doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t feel like responding, or simply wants to remain polite to keep the conversation going. It is therefore comparable to expressions like “okay” or “aha, cool.”
In second place came the word “goonen,” referring to self-pleasure, often over a long duration. The phrase “checkst du”, used to make sure the other person understands what’s being said, ranked third.
Langenscheidt noted that the results once again highlight the strong influence of the English language and the trend toward linguistic simplification, saying “das crazy” captures the spirit of the times.
The Youth Word of the Year has been chosen annually since 2008 to reflect language use among young people. Discriminatory or sexist expressions are excluded. In 2024, the word “Aura” was selected, commonly used to describe a person’s charisma, succeeding “goofy” in 2023, which referenced the clumsy Disney character.
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