geil
awesome
Colloquial expression for great, cool, fantastic, or impressive.
EXAMPLE
Das Konzert gestern war richtig geil!
The concert yesterday was really awesome!
geil
awesome / horny
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Meanings
geil
horny
Colloquial for sexually aroused or lustful.
EXAMPLE
In dem Roman wird beschrieben, wie der Protagonist geil auf seine Nachbarin ist.
In the novel, it is described how the protagonist is horny for his neighbor.
geil
etiolated
In botany, it describes the excessive lengthwise growth of plants due to lack of light, resulting in weak, pale shoots.
EXAMPLE
Die Triebe sind lang und geil, weil die Pflanze im Dunkeln stand.
The shoots are long and etiolated because the plant was kept in the dark.
geil
lush / fertile
An outdated meaning for lush, fertile, or rich, often referring to soil or plant growth.
EXAMPLE
Der geile Boden brachte eine reiche Ernte hervor.
The fertile soil produced a rich harvest.
Usage tips
Register: colloquial language
The most common meanings of 'geil' ('awesome' and 'sexually aroused') are strongly colloquial. In formal, professional, or polite contexts, the word should be avoided because it can sound inappropriate or even vulgar.
EXAMPLE
Die Party war echt geil, wir hatten viel Spaß.
The party was really awesome; we had a lot of fun.
Context clue
Whether 'geil' is understood as 'awesome' or 'sexually aroused' depends heavily on the context. If it refers to a thing, an event, or an experience, it usually means 'awesome'. If it refers to a person and their sexual desire, the second meaning is intended.
EXAMPLE
Wow, du hast ein geiles Fahrrad!
Wow, you have an awesome bike!
Typical intensifiers
In the meaning 'awesome', 'geil' is often intensified by adverbs such as 'richtig' (really), 'total' (totally), 'voll' (totally), or 'mega' (mega/really) to express enthusiasm. These combinations are typical of youth language and informal conversations.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Album von der Band ist mega geil.
The band's new album is mega awesome.
Register: technical language
The botanical meaning of 'geil' is purely technical language. You will only hear or read it when the topic is plant care or biology. This meaning does not occur in everyday speech.
EXAMPLE
Die Pflanze ist geil gewachsen, weil sie zu wenig Licht bekommen hat.
The plant grew etiolated because it received too little light.
Compare with
geil vs super
super
Super and geil can both express that something is very good or impressive. However, geil is much more slangy and can be understood as offensive or sexual depending on the audience, while super can be used more broadly. In neutral or mixed situations, super is usually a better choice; among close friends, geil may be appropriate.
geil
Nach der Vorstellung fanden die Freunde den neuen Film geil.
After the screening, the friends thought the new movie was awesome.
super
Bei der offiziellen Besprechung fanden alle den neuen Film super.
Everyone thought the new movie was great at the official meeting.
In real life
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