Psycho
[ˈpsyːço]
The German word for psycho is Psycho.
Psycho is a noun used to describe a person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner. It can also be used as a prefix in compound words, such as Psycho-Horror, to describe genres or themes related to the psyche.
Meaning: person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Psycho refers to the person colloquially, Psychopath is the more formal or clinical term used to describe someone with such tendencies.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Psycho is used colloquially, whereas Psychopath is the more formal or clinical term.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Psycho is masculine and takes the article der. The plural form is Psychos.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'psycho' as a general insult, calling someone a Psycho in German can sometimes specifically imply they are a character from a crime novel or a suspense film.
- In German, the suffix -o is sometimes added to roots to create colloquialisms, as seen in the alternative origin of Psycho from psychisch plus -o. This is a common pattern for creating informal slang terms.
- While Psycho is used as an insult, the adjective psychisch simply means 'mental' or 'psychological' and is entirely neutral. Using psycho to describe a person's state of mind is far more aggressive than using psychisch.
Examples in context
- Er ist ein Psychopath.He is a psycho.This sentence shows how to use Psycho to identify a person.Tatoeba #10015528 by wolfgangth, translation #290012 by TracyPoff
- Filme aus dem Genre Psycho-Horror, die sich mit den Geheimnissen der menschlichen Psyche befassen, sind in letzter Zeit sehr beliebt.Psycho-horror films dealing with the mysteries of human psychology are popular these days.This sentence demonstrates how Psycho- can be used as a prefix in a compound word.Tatoeba #1927060 by Tamy, translation #329076 by fcbond
- Er ist ein PsychoHe is a psycho
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a person they met at a party.
- LukasHast du den neuen Nachbarn gesehen?Did you see the new neighbor?
- HannahJa, der Typ ist ein totaler Psycho.Yes, the guy is a total psycho.
- LukasWarum denkst du das?Why do you think that?
- HannahEr hat mich gestern total erschreckt.He really scared me yesterday.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Psycho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry psycho.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Psycho, psycho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
