Crazy wins: Youth Word of the Year 2025 inspires the nation!

Crazy wins: Youth Word of the Year 2025 inspires the nation!

Youth jargon has a new watermark: “Das crazy” has been named youth word of the year 2025. This term prevailed by a narrow margin at the Frankfurt Book Fair against other candidates such as “goonen” and “checkst du” how SN reported. In the lively vote by the Langenscheidt publishing house, in which almost two million votes were cast, the choice fell on an all-purpose phrase that is as versatile as life itself.

“That’s crazy” is comparable to a neutral “aha” or “okay” and can be seen in the everyday interactions of young people. So you could respond to the statement “He just proposed to her in front of the whole class!” with “That’s crazy!” react. The term has established itself as a new way to package reactions in social situations. Germanist Nils Uwe Bahlo describes its use as relatively new and pointed out the opportunities of this term early on.

A look at the voting conditions

The election itself was held exclusively for young people between the ages of 11 and 20. Offensive and discriminatory words were eliminated in advance to provide youth with a platform on which they can express themselves creatively. Susanne Daubner, considered a “cult announcer,” supported the election on social media and helped fuel interest in the youth word. The youth word of the year has been chosen since 2008, with the first winner being “Rotty Meat Party”. Last year's winner, "Aura", was replaced by the term "goofy" in 2023.

The enthusiasm and influence of youth jargon is not only felt in the votes and elections. Young people bring a breath of fresh air into the language and use it to differentiate themselves from adults daily news determines. This certainly also has an impact on adults, who sometimes unconsciously join in with the language used by young people.

The role of social media

Much of the linguistic change is fueled by social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube play a crucial role in which young people not only absorb the latest trends in lingo but also create their own expression. The demand for belonging and identity is reflected in the use of simpler, shorter expressions, indicating a trend towards less complex language. Linguistic patterns that are shaped by these media are increasingly popular with younger generations, as observations from educators confirm EDIT.

The phenomenon is also reflected in a change in the use of familiar words with new meanings. Terms like “cringe” and “sus” have now become part of the daily vocabulary of many children. However, a decline in the variety of expressions has also been noted, as phrases used every day are often taken from viral content. Nevertheless, the change in youth language remains fascinating and shows how dynamic and creative young people use their language.

Overall, the rise of “Das crazy” is an exciting example of how language is shaped by cultural currents, trends and the influential sounds of social media. Youth language not only leads to entertaining fun, but also to a deep influence on general language usage that resonates across generations.