insane / mentally ill
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insane
Colloquial and exaggerated for completely absurd, crazy, or extreme. Used to express strong surprise or disapproval.
Für ein altes Handy noch so viel Geld zu verlangen, ist ja geisteskrank.
Charging that much money for an old phone is just insane.
The word is made up of 'Geist' (mind, spirit) and 'krank' (sick). So it literally means 'sick in the mind'.
Die Idee, ohne Ausrüstung auf den Berg zu steigen, ist doch geisteskrank.
The idea of climbing the mountain without equipment is just insane.
In colloquial language, 'geisteskrank' (insane) is usually used exaggeratingly to mean 'crazy', 'absurd', or 'extreme'. It then refers to situations, prices, or ideas, not to people.
Die Mieten in dieser Stadt sind geisteskrank hoch.
The rents in this city are insanely high.
The literal meaning for a mental illness is outdated and is now considered hurtful. In modern language, you should avoid this term when talking about people's health.
In alten Filmen werden psychisch kranke Menschen manchmal als „geisteskrank“ bezeichnet.
In old films, people with mental illness are sometimes described as 'geisteskrank' (mentally ill).
normal
'normal' and 'geisteskrank' can be used as opposites when talking about something usual versus something completely exaggerated or absurd. 'normal' then means: it corresponds to what one expects. 'geisteskrank' is often used colloquially in a strongly exaggerated way, for example for a crazy idea or an extremely high number. However, the word can sound harsh and offensive, so you should be careful with it. In neutral situations, 'normal' is appropriate; for strong disapproval, it is often better to say 'völlig verrückt' (completely crazy) or 'absurd' instead of 'geisteskrank'.
Der Preis für das kleine Zimmer ist geisteskrank hoch.
The price for the small room is insanely high.
Für einen Montagmorgen ist der Verkehr heute ganz normal.
For a Monday morning, the traffic today is completely normal.