01
scherzhaft
joking
Meant as a joke, not to be taken seriously; in a funny, teasing way.
example
Er meinte die Bemerkung über deine neue Frisur nur scherzhaft.
He only meant the remark about your new hairstyle jokingly.
scherzhaft
joking
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of the noun 'der Scherz' (the joke) and the suffix '-haft'. The suffix '-haft' turns a noun into an adjective and means something like 'in the manner of' or 'like a'. So 'scherzhaft' (joking) literally means 'like a joke'.
EXAMPLE
Seine Frage war nicht böse, sondern scherzhaft gemeint.
His question was not meant unkindly, but jokingly.
Use as an adverb
'Scherzhaft' is very often used as an adverb to describe a verb. It then usually stands directly with the verb and explains in what way an action happens.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte seinen Freund scherzhaft „Professor“.
He jokingly called his friend 'Professor'.
Typical collocations
This adjective is often combined with verbs of saying and thinking. Typical phrases are 'etwas scherzhaft meinen' (to mean something jokingly), 'etwas scherzhaft sagen' (to say something jokingly), or 'etwas scherzhaft fragen' (to ask something jokingly).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe nur scherzhaft gefragt, ob du schon wieder Urlaub brauchst.
I only jokingly asked whether you already need another vacation.
Compare with
scherzhaft vs ernst
serious
'ernst' and 'scherzhaft' are direct opposites when it comes to whether something is meant as a joke. Here, 'ernst' means: not meant to be funny, but really said or meant that way. 'scherzhaft' means: meant as a joke or in a teasing way, so not to be taken literally seriously. If you are unsure, you can ask: 'Meinst du das ernst oder scherzhaft?' (Do you mean that seriously or jokingly?)
scherzhaft
Tom sagte scherzhaft, dass er nie wieder früh aufstehen werde.
Tom jokingly said that he would never get up early again.
ernst
Die Kundin blieb ernst, obwohl der Verkäufer lächelte.
The customer stayed serious, even though the salesperson smiled.
In real life
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