Was bedeutet das Wort Kummerspeck im Deutschen?
A2 German listening practice · German · Curated for beginners
What does “Kummerspeck” mean in German?
Kummerspeck is one of those German compound words that sounds funny and feels painfully true. Kummer means grief, sorrow, or worry, and Speck means fat or bacon. Put them together and you get the extra weight you carry after comfort-eating your way through a sad or stressful patch. The clip uses the universal example: reaching for chocolate after a bad day.
German loves stitching feelings into single nouns like this, alongside famous ones such as Weltschmerz (world-weariness) and Torschlusspanik (fear of running out of time). Kummerspeck travels well because every culture has the feeling but almost none has the word, which is exactly why it lands on so many “untranslatable German words” lists.
- ▸In German conversations about a breakup, stress, or a rough week
- ▸On “untranslatable German words” lists from outlets like the BBC and Mental Floss
- ▸In German wellness, diet, and Achtsamkeit (mindfulness) content
- ▸In German stand-up and comedy bits about emotional eating
- ▸Whenever a German friend points at the chocolate and laughs, “Das ist Kummerspeck”