German word of the day: Ballaballa
This funny-sounding colloquial German term basically means what it sounds like.
Why do I need it?
This is a rare German word that just rolls off your tongue, and can be used in a variety of situations.
What does it mean?
In today’s world, and simply our everyday lives, there are a variety of situations that are just completely crazy. While you can of course use the more formal verrückt or durchgedreht to describe these, ballaballa is a livelier word which you’re likely to hear among native speakers (as long as they’re not as they’re not in an important business meeting).
It’s also often used to describe people, or to ask someone if they really want to go ahead with a nonsensical plan or idea. “Bist du ballaballa?!” you might ask your friend who proposes doing acrobatic exercises through a ring of fire, or “Are you in your right mind?!”
Or when a person or group says or does something you disagree with you, you might let out a sigh of resignation and say, "Manche Leute sind ballaballa" ("Some people are nuts.")
The adjective in and of itself sounds pretty crazy, making it the perfect fit when we utter it, aghast at how ballaballa someone or something is. While Germans sometimes just say balla, it’s almost always repeated for extra emphasis
The onomatopoeic word double most likely stems from the term "balla" - formerly the Italian term for a ball game. In Italian, "balla" nowadays means "rubbish" (Stuss in German), or something that makes absolutely no sense.
READ ALSO: 10 German words that come from Italian
The German band Rainbow apparently also wanted to prove this in 1965: In the song "My Baby Baby Balla Balla" they belched out ballaballa 64 times. Let's admit it, that’s pretty ballaballa.
Don't miss any of our German words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the German Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.
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Why do I need it?
This is a rare German word that just rolls off your tongue, and can be used in a variety of situations.
What does it mean?
In today’s world, and simply our everyday lives, there are a variety of situations that are just completely crazy. While you can of course use the more formal verrückt or durchgedreht to describe these, ballaballa is a livelier word which you’re likely to hear among native speakers (as long as they’re not as they’re not in an important business meeting).
It’s also often used to describe people, or to ask someone if they really want to go ahead with a nonsensical plan or idea. “Bist du ballaballa?!” you might ask your friend who proposes doing acrobatic exercises through a ring of fire, or “Are you in your right mind?!”
Or when a person or group says or does something you disagree with you, you might let out a sigh of resignation and say, "Manche Leute sind ballaballa" ("Some people are nuts.")
The adjective in and of itself sounds pretty crazy, making it the perfect fit when we utter it, aghast at how ballaballa someone or something is. While Germans sometimes just say balla, it’s almost always repeated for extra emphasis
The onomatopoeic word double most likely stems from the term "balla" - formerly the Italian term for a ball game. In Italian, "balla" nowadays means "rubbish" (Stuss in German), or something that makes absolutely no sense.
READ ALSO: 10 German words that come from Italian
The German band Rainbow apparently also wanted to prove this in 1965: In the song "My Baby Baby Balla Balla" they belched out ballaballa 64 times. Let's admit it, that’s pretty ballaballa.
Don't miss any of our German words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the German Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.
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