Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| dumm | /dʊm/ |
| doof | /doːf/ /doːv-/ |
| blöd | /bløːt/ |
The terms used to express stupidity in German vary depending on whether you are describing a person's intelligence, a silly mistake or an annoying situation.
Which one should you use?
While dumm is the standard and most direct way to say stupid, doof is more colloquial and often carries a lighter, more 'silly' or 'annoying' connotation. In contrast, blöd is frequently used to describe things that are unpleasant, annoying or 'dumb', such as a stupid situation, rather than just a lack of intelligence.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as adjectives after a verb like 'sein' (to be), the forms dumm, doof and blöd do not change their form based on the gender or case of the noun they describe. If you want to call someone a 'stupid person' or a 'fool' using a noun, use Dummkopf.
How do you pronounce it?
/dʊm/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Du bist so dumm.You're stupid.This sentence shows how to use dumm to describe a person.Tatoeba #2875444 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2123495 by CK
- Tom ist so blöd.Tom is so stupid.This sentence demonstrates the use of blöd to describe a person.Tatoeba #7024438 by benbika, translation #4495227 by CK
- Bist du so doof?Are you that stupid?This sentence illustrates how to use doof in a question.Tatoeba #8859965 by wolfgangth, translation #3730349 by CM
- Ich würde ihn nicht als intelligent bezeichnen.I wouldn't describe him as intelligent.
- Seine Entscheidungen sind oft nicht sonderlich klug.His decisions are often not particularly clever.
- Das ist eine blöde Idee.That's a stupid idea.
- Er hat sich ganz dumm verhalten.He behaved really stupidly.
- Was für eine idiotische Entscheidung!What an idiotic decision!
- Du bist aber ganz schön doof!You're pretty stupid!
- Lass die Blödeleien sein!Stop with the foolishness!
- 696 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are discussing a mistake in a book.
- JulianDas ist ein dummer Fehler.That is a stupid mistake.
- JuliaJa, der ist wirklich dumm.Yes, it is really stupid.
- JulianJulia, hast du das gesehen?Julia, did you see that?
- JuliaJa, Julian, das war sehr dumm.Yes, Julian, that was very stupid.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations and entries dumm, doof, blöd, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries blöd, doof, dumm, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
