Advertisement

German word of the day: Angesagt

Imogen Goodman
Imogen Goodman - [email protected]
German word of the day: Angesagt
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro / Unsplash + Nicolas Raymond / flickr

When you're desperate to tell your friends about the new bar that's opened in that hip part of town, or perhaps a hot new release from a band you love, you'll definitely want to use this German word.

Advertisement

Why do I need to know angesagt

Because this fun phrase is bound to get you in with the cool kids, and is ideal for talking about new and exciting things that you've come across. 

What does it mean?

If you speak even a little bit of German, you'll probably recognise some components of this word. Ansagen (a combination of "an" and "sagen") literally means to "speak at", and if an event or meet-up is "angesagt" it can mean that it's been announced or scheduled.

In colloquial use, though, angesagt has taken on a different meaning. You can use it to describe anything that's current, hip or trendy, whether it's a fashionable look or an up-and-coming neighbourhood in your city, or to talk about something that's in high demand right now. 

As you can imagine, things that are angesagt now may not always be so hip or popular in the future. One good translation of the phrase "angesagt sein" is "flavour of the month": something that's having its moment in the spotlight now but could disappear into the shadows the second a new hot trend rolls around. 

Advertisement

Anything else I need to know?

It's probably good to be aware that branding something angesagt is something you'd do in a conversation with friends rather than in a formal situation like a job interview. (I'm guessing you wouldn't normally tell a future boss how 'hip' you think the company ethos is...) 

In other words, it's umgangssprachlich - or informal, casual language - so be sure to use it in its proper context.  

Use it like this: 

Berlin ist nicht so cool wie es einmal war - heutzutage ist Leipzig total angesagt.

Berlin isn't as cool as it used to be - nowadays Leipzig is totally in vogue.

Sein Styl gefällt mir unfassbar gut. Der ist total angesagt!

I really like his style. It's totally hip! 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Greg Hawkins 2023/05/04 15:29
I love this column. Es ist so angesagt!
  • Imogen Goodman 2023/05/05 14:21
    Thank you! We're pleased to hear it.

See Also