01
gaga
crazy
Colloquial for crazy, odd, no longer quite in one's right mind, or confused due to old age.
example
Von der vielen Arbeit wirst du ja langsam komplett gaga.
All that work is slowly making you completely crazy.
gaga
crazy
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Meanings
Usage tips
Register: colloquial language
The word 'gaga' (crazy) clearly belongs to colloquial language. It is rarely used in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Mein Opa ist manchmal ein bisschen gaga, aber sehr lieb.
My grandpa is sometimes a little crazy, but very sweet.
Sentence structure and use
'Gaga' (crazy) is almost always used predicatively, that is, with verbs like 'sein' (to be), 'werden' (to become), or 'machen' (to make). Using it directly before a noun (attributively) is very rare and sounds unnatural.
EXAMPLE
Ich glaube, ich werde langsam gaga von dem ganzen Lärm.
I think all this noise is slowly making me crazy.
Typical intensification
To intensify the meaning, 'gaga' (crazy) is often combined with adverbs like 'total' (totally), 'völlig' (completely), or 'komplett' (completely).
EXAMPLE
Die Idee, im Winter im See zu baden, ist ja total gaga.
The idea of swimming in the lake in winter is totally crazy.
Compare with
gaga vs normal
normal
'normal' and 'gaga' can be used as opposites when talking about behavior or thoughts. 'normal' means that something is usual, understandable, or expected. 'gaga' is colloquial and means roughly crazy or not quite right in the head. The word sounds casual, but it can also be disrespectful, especially when talking about people. In factual situations, 'ungewöhnlich' (unusual) or 'seltsam' (strange) is often better than 'gaga'.
gaga
Die Idee, mitten in der Nacht ohne Plan loszufahren, fand Tom ziemlich gaga.
Tom thought the idea of setting off in the middle of the night without a plan was pretty crazy.
normal
Nach dem langen Arbeitstag war sie müde, aber das war ganz normal.
After the long workday, she was tired, but that was completely normal.
In real life
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