der Penner
bum
A derogatory and colloquial term for a homeless person who lives on the street.
EXAMPLE
Am Bahnhof saßen ein paar Penner und tranken Bier.
A few bums were sitting at the train station drinking beer.
der Penner
bum / loser
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Meanings
der Penner
loser / bum
A crude insult for a person who is seen as lazy, unkempt, or incompetent.
EXAMPLE
Beweg dich endlich, du fauler Penner!
Get moving already, you lazy bum!
Usage tips
Strongly derogatory
'Penner' is a very negative and insulting swear word. It is purely colloquial and should definitely be avoided by German learners so as not to hurt anyone.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde wütend und beschimpfte den Fahrer als „Penner“.
He got angry and insulted the driver by calling him a 'Penner' (bum/loser).
Origin of the word
The word is derived from the colloquial verb 'pennen', which means 'to sleep'. So a 'Penner' is literally someone who sleeps somewhere, often outdoors.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Wanderung wollen wir heute Nacht nur noch pennen.
After the long hike, all we want to do tonight is sleep.
Two kinds of insult
The word can refer directly to a homeless person or be used as a general insult for a person seen as lazy or unkempt, regardless of their housing situation.
EXAMPLE
„Steh auf, du fauler Penner!“, rief sein Mitbewohner.
'Get up, you lazy bum!' his roommate shouted.
Compare with
Penner vs Obdachlose
homeless man
„Der Obdachlose“ and „der Penner“ can both refer to a person without a permanent home. „Der Obdachlose“ is neutral, whereas „der Penner“ is strongly colloquial and usually derogatory. „Der Obdachlose“ is appropriate in a factual or respectful statement; „der Penner“ additionally conveys an insulting perspective.
Penner
Der Passant nannte den Mann vor dem Bahnhof abwertend einen Penner.
The passerby derogatorily called the man outside the station a bum.
Obdachlose
Die Mitarbeiterin sprach respektvoll mit dem Obdachlosen vor dem Bahnhof.
The employee spoke respectfully to the homeless man outside the station.
In real life
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