der Witz
noun · /vɪt͡s/ ·Etymology
From Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic *witi, from Proto-Germanic *witją from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Cognate to English wit, archaic Dutch wit, akin to Old Saxon giwit.
Translation
-
joke
masculine, strong
über einen Witz lachen
to laugh at a joke
-
joke (something that is not taken seriously due to being very easy, very ineffective, or very arbitrary)
colloquial, derogatory, masculine, strong
Die Prüfung ist ein Witz, die besteht wirklich jeder.
The exam is a joke, literally everyone passes.
- wit, humour masculine, strong
-
point, purpose (the central idea or aspect that makes something worthwhile)
colloquial, masculine, strong
Was war jetzt der Witz der ganzen Aktion?
So what was the point of doing all that?
Stark ist es, so viel geb' ich zu; aber nicht zu stark. Daß es stark ist, das ist ja eben der Witz von der Sache.
It is strong, that much I'll admit; but not too strong. It being strong is exactly the point of all this, after all.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Witz | Witze |
| Accusative | Witz | Witze |
| Dative | Witz | Witzen |
| Genitive | Witzes | Witze |