01
der Humor
humor
The ability to laugh about things, recognize the funny side of a situation, or make others laugh.
example
Er ist für seinen trockenen Humor bekannt.
He is known for his dry humor.
der Humor
humor
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Uncountable noun
In its main meaning, 'Humor' (humor) is an uncountable noun. It is therefore usually used without an article and has no plural form.
EXAMPLE
Für diesen Job braucht man viel Geduld und Humor.
For this job, you need a lot of patience and humor.
Typical collocations
A very common expression is 'Sinn für Humor haben' (to have a sense of humor). You can also simply say that someone 'Humor hat' (has humor). Adjectives like 'schwarz' (black), 'trocken' (dry), or 'britisch' (British) describe the type of humor.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat einen tollen Sinn für Humor und bringt alle zum Lachen.
She has a great sense of humor and makes everyone laugh.
Fixed expression
The meaning 'Laune' (mood) or 'Stimmung' (mood/atmosphere) occurs almost only in the fixed expression 'bei gutem/schlechtem Humor sein' (to be in a good/bad mood). You cannot use 'Humor' as a general word for 'Laune' (mood).
EXAMPLE
Der Chef war heute Morgen bei sehr schlechtem Humor.
The boss was in a very bad mood this morning.
Compare with
Humor vs Stimmung
mood / atmosphere
'die Stimmung' and 'der Humor' can both have to do with a person's current mood. 'die Stimmung' is the normal and common word for this: you can be in a good, bad, or calm mood. In this meaning, 'der Humor' also refers to a mood, but it appears mainly in fixed expressions like 'bei gutem Humor sein' (to be in a good mood). Otherwise, 'Humor' usually means the ability to laugh about something. The words can therefore be confused, but in everyday language, 'Stimmung' is usually more natural for an emotional state.
Humor
Trotz des Regens war er beim Ausflug bei gutem Humor.
Despite the rain, he was in a good mood during the outing.
Stimmung
Nach dem langen Streit war ihre Stimmung den ganzen Abend schlecht.
After the long argument, her mood was bad all evening.
In real life
Loading video examples...