madness / insanity
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madness
Colloquial term for something that is completely unreasonable, absurd, or extremely labor-intensive. It describes an action or situation perceived as crazy.
Es ist der reine Irrsinn, für ein Konzertticket so viel Geld auszugeben!
It's sheer madness to spend that much money on a concert ticket!
The word is made up of 'irr-' (from 'irren', to be mistaken) and 'Sinn' (mind/reason). So it literally describes a state in which the mind or reason 'goes astray.'
Seine Idee, ohne Training einen Marathon zu laufen, war purer Irrsinn.
His idea of running a marathon without training was pure madness.
This meaning is very common in everyday speech and is often used as an exclamation to express surprise or disbelief about something extreme or unreasonable.
Du hast die ganze Nacht durchgearbeitet? Das ist ja der reinste Irrsinn!
You worked through the whole night? That's absolute madness!
In compound words, 'Irrsinn' can be used as the first part to intensify something. 'Irrsinns-' then means something like 'extreme' or 'incredible.'
Das Auto fuhr mit einer Irrsinnsgeschwindigkeit an uns vorbei.
The car drove past us at an insane speed.
The meaning 'mental illness' is outdated today and is used almost only in literature or historical contexts. A fixed expression for this is 'jemanden in den Irrsinn treiben' (to drive someone insane).
Die ständige Folter sollte den Gefangenen in den Irrsinn treiben.
The constant torture was meant to drive the prisoner insane.
mind / reason
'der Verstand' and 'der Irrsinn' form an opposition between reasonable thinking and completely unreasonable behavior. 'der Verstand' stands for logical judgment and clear decisions. In colloquial language, 'der Irrsinn' describes a situation or action that seems absurd, crazy, or far too extreme. In older or literary language, it can also mean severe mental confusion. In everyday speech, 'Irrsinn' is often used to express strong criticism or great astonishment.
Im Park bei diesem Wetter ein Konzert zu planen, ist doch Irrsinn.
Planning a concert in the park in this weather is madness.
Bei der Planung des Kurses verlässt sich der Lehrer auf seinen Verstand.
When planning the course, the teacher relies on his reason.