albern
silly
Childish, foolish, or not serious in a funny or sometimes annoying way.
EXAMPLE
Seid nicht so albern und hört auf, mit dem Essen zu spielen!
Don't be so silly, and stop playing with your food!
albern
silly
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The word family includes the verb 'albern' (to act childishly / fool around) and the noun 'die Albernheit' (silliness / childish behavior).
EXAMPLE
Hört auf zu albern, das ist eine ernste Situation!
Stop fooling around; this is a serious situation!
Use as an adverb
'Albern' (silly) can be used not only as an adjective before a noun or with 'sein' (to be), but also as an adverb to describe a verb.
EXAMPLE
Das ist ein alberner Hut.
That is a silly hat.
Register and style
The tone of 'albern' (silly) can be affectionate and joking or negative and critical, depending on the situation. The context and the relationship between the speakers are decisive.
EXAMPLE
Ach, sei doch nicht so albern, das war nur ein Spaß!
Oh, don't be so silly; it was only a joke!
Compare with
albern vs blöd
stupid / annoying
Blöd and albern can both describe childish behavior. Albern emphasizes that the behavior is not serious and often funny; blöd gives a more generally negative assessment of the same behavior. Albern is suitable for funny nonsense, while blöd often fits annoyed criticism better.
albern
Nach der Besprechung machten wir alberne Gesichter und kicherten zusammen.
After the meeting, we made silly faces and giggled together.
blöd
Hör bitte mit dem blöden Herumkichern während der Besprechung auf.
Please stop that silly giggling during the meeting.
In real life
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