01
der Mist
damn / crap
A colloquial exclamation of annoyance, disappointment, or mishap.
example
Mist! Jetzt habe ich den Bus verpasst.
Damn! Now I've missed the bus.
der Mist
crap / manure
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
Careful, 'Mist' is a false friend! It does not mean the English word 'mist' (fine fog). The German word 'Mist' means animal manure or is a colloquial expression for annoyance or poor quality.
EXAMPLE
So ein Mist, ich habe schon wieder den falschen Knopf gedrückt!
Damn it, I pressed the wrong button again!
Register and context
The meaning of 'Mist' depends strongly on context. In agriculture, it is a neutral term for fertilizer. In everyday language, however, it is an informal, colloquial word for annoyance or something bad.
EXAMPLE
Der Bauer fährt den Mist auf sein Feld.
The farmer drives the manure onto his field.
Use as an exclamation
As an exclamation of annoyance, 'Mist!' usually stands alone at the beginning of a sentence, often followed by an exclamation mark. It introduces a statement about the mishap.
EXAMPLE
Mist! Jetzt habe ich mein Handy zu Hause vergessen.
Damn! Now I've forgotten my phone at home.
Typical expressions
In the meaning of 'Unsinn' (nonsense) or 'schlechte Sache' (bad thing), 'Mist' is often used in fixed expressions. Typical ones are 'Mist bauen' (to mess up / make a mistake), 'so ein Mist!' (what a mess! / damn it!), or 'Mist erzählen' (to talk nonsense).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern bei der Arbeit totalen Mist gebaut.
I really messed up at work yesterday.
Compare with
Mist vs verdammt
damn / damned
'verdammt' and 'der Mist' can both express annoyance or frustration and are colloquial. The difference lies in their form and use: 'verdammt' is often used as an intensifier before an adjective, or as an exclamation when you are angry. 'Mist' is a noun and is often said as a short exclamation when something goes wrong, or used for a bad thing. They can be confused because both occur in annoying situations. 'Verdammt, das ist schwer' (damn, that is hard) intensifies the statement. 'Mist, der Bus ist weg' (damn/crap, the bus is gone) expresses the mishap.
Mist
Mist, ich habe mein Heft im Bus vergessen.
Damn, I left my notebook on the bus.
verdammt
Diese Aufgabe ist verdammt schwer.
This task is damn hard.
In real life
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