knallhart
The German word for badass is knallhart.
knallhart is used to describe someone or something that is impressively uncompromising or 'badass'. While it can mean 'tough' or 'ruthless' in a professional context, it is used to describe someone or something that is impressively uncompromising or 'badass'.
Meaning: having an extreme appearance, etc., considered admirable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, knallhart does not take an ending when used after a verb (e.g., Er ist knallhart), but it takes endings when used before a noun (e.g., ein knallharter Typ).
Did you know?
- German uses knall to create other intense adjectives, such as knallrot for a piercing or 'screaming' red, which is far more vivid than the standard word for red.
- The word knall means 'bang' or 'crack'. When used as an intensifier in knallhart, it transforms 'hard' into something explosive and absolute, similar to using 'dead' in 'dead serious'.
- To express that something is 'badass' in a way that is shocking or extreme, Germans might use krass, a versatile slang term that can mean both 'awesome' and 'terrifying' depending on the tone.
Examples in context
- Die Stunts in diesem Film sind der Hammer!The stunts in this movie are badass!
- Sein Können am Klavier ist echt starkHis piano skills are really badass.
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are looking at a photo of a rock musician.
- JulianSchau dir diesen Typen an, der ist knallhart!Look at this guy, he is badass!
- LauraJa, sein Look ist wirklich beeindruckend.Yes, his look is really impressive.
- JulianEr wirkt wie ein echter Held.He seems like a real hero.
- LauraStimmt, er hat eine starke Ausstrahlung.True, he has a strong presence.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries knallhart, CC BY-SA 4.0.
