voll cool
The German phrase for "very cool" is voll cool.
voll cool is an informal, colloquial way to say 'very cool' and is common among younger people.
What does it mean word for word?
The word voll literally means "full", but in this context, it functions as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'totally'.
Which one should you use?
While sehr cool is grammatically correct and means 'very cool', voll cool is much more common in casual, spoken German. Other informal variations include Mega cool to convey immense coolness, Echt cool to express genuine appreciation or excitement and Hammer cool, where hammer means "awesome" or "fantastic".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
voll cool is an informal expression. If you want to use a slang term with a slightly more provocative connotation and conveys a strong sense of approval and excitement, you can use geil.
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, using voll cool might be perceived as typical of 'Kiezdeutsch', a multi-ethnic urban variety of German spoken in cities like Berlin.
- The word cool is a 'doublet' of the German word kühl, which means 'cool' or 'chilly' in a temperature sense. While they sound similar, cool is used for style and attitude and kühl is used for weather and air.
- The word cool in German behaves almost exactly like its English counterpart, but if you want to sound even more enthusiastic, you might use the slang term Hammer, which literally translates to 'hammer'.
Examples in context
- Das Konzert gestern war mega cool! Die Band war fantastisch!The concert yesterday was mega cool! The band was fantastic!
- Das neue Auto ist voll cool.The new car is very cool.
- Deine Idee ist voll cool!Your idea is very cool!
- Der Film war voll cool.The movie was very cool.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a music festival.
- JulianHast du die neue Band gehört?Have you heard the new band?
- LauraJa, die sind voll cool!Yes, they are very cool!
- JulianWillst du mit mir zum Konzert gehen?Do you want to go to the concert with me?
- LauraGerne, Julian!I'd love to, Julian!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cool, voll, CC BY-SA 4.0.
