to joke
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to joke
To tell jokes or make joking remarks. The word is used less often today and is considered somewhat old-fashioned or regional.
Der Onkel saß in der Ecke und witzelte mit den anderen Gästen.
The uncle sat in the corner and joked around with the other guests.
The verb 'witzen' (to joke) is derived directly from the noun 'der Witz' (the joke). It describes the action of telling or making jokes.
Er liebt es, auf Partys zu witzen.
He loves to joke at parties.
In contemporary standard German, this verb is considered somewhat old-fashioned or is used less often. You are more likely to find it in literature or in regional dialects.
Mein Großvater witzelte gerne über die Politik.
My grandfather liked to joke about politics.
When you want to express what someone is joking about, you use the preposition 'über' followed by the accusative.
Die Kollegen witzelten über den neuen Chef.
The colleagues joked about the new boss.
to joke
Both words can mean that someone is making jokes or saying something humorously. „Scherzen“ is the usual modern standard word for this, while „witzen“ is less common and can sound somewhat old-fashioned or regional. In normal conversations, „scherzen“ is therefore usually the better choice; „witzen“ is more likely to occur in particular linguistic contexts.
In dem alten Text witzte er über seine Verspätung, obwohl die anderen Gäste schon warteten.
In the old text, he joked about being late, even though the other guests were already waiting.
Bei der Feier scherzte er über seine Verspätung, damit die Stimmung wieder besser wurde.
At the party, he joked about being late to improve the mood.
