verarschen
to mess with
Colloquial, crude: to make a fool of someone, lie to them, or make fun of them.
EXAMPLE
Willst du mich verarschen? Das kann nicht dein Ernst sein.
Are you messing with me? You can't be serious.
verarschen
to mess with / bullshit
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Meanings
sich verarscht fühlen
to feel messed with
To feel that someone is deliberately deceiving you, not taking you seriously, or mocking you.
EXAMPLE
Bei diesen leeren Versprechungen fühle ich mich total verarscht.
With all these empty promises, I feel totally messed with.
Usage tips
Register and style
This word is very colloquial and is often perceived as crude or even vulgar. Use it only in informal situations with friends, and be aware that it can sound impolite.
EXAMPLE
Erzähl keinen Quatsch, du willst mich doch nur verarschen!
Don't talk nonsense, you're just trying to mess with me!
Word structure
The word is made up of the prefix 'ver-' and the noun 'der Arsch' (ass). This origin explains the crude and negative character of the word.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe das Gefühl, der Verkäufer hat mich mit dem Preis total verarscht.
I have the feeling that the salesperson totally ripped me off with the price.
Typical question
The question 'Willst du mich verarschen?' (Are you messing with me?) is a very common fixed expression. It expresses disbelief, surprise, or anger about another person's statement or action.
EXAMPLE
Du hast das Auto verkauft, ohne mich zu fragen? Willst du mich verarschen?
You sold the car without asking me? Are you messing with me?
Fixed expression
The construction 'sich verarscht fühlen' (to feel messed with) is used to express the feeling of being deceived or not taken seriously. The subject is the person who has this feeling.
EXAMPLE
Nach all den leeren Versprechungen habe ich mich einfach nur noch verarscht gefühlt.
After all those empty promises, I simply felt like I was being messed with.
Compare with
verarschen vs ficken
to fuck
Ficken can vulgarly mean taking ruthless advantage of someone, seriously harming them, or cheating them. Verarschen is also crude, but mainly means deceiving someone, making a fool of them, or mocking them. Ficken fits when serious harm is involved; for deception or mockery, verarschen is more appropriate.
verarschen
Die Geschäftspartner haben ihn mit falschen Versprechen verarscht.
The business partners messed with him by making false promises.
ficken
Die Geschäftspartner haben ihn mit dem betrügerischen Vertrag finanziell richtig gefickt.
The business partners really screwed him financially with the fraudulent contract.
In real life
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