7 German Terms That Perfectly Illustrate Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Many English phrases now in common use, such as double-mask, social distancing, and Zoom fatigue, were unheard of a year ago. However, Germans have taken linguistic creativity to new heights during the pandemic. The Leibniz Institute reports that over 1200 new words have been coined in Germany to describe life under COVID-19. From nose sweater to face condom, here are some of the most imaginative additions to their vocabulary.

The comparison platform Uswitch has created illustrations showcasing seven pandemic-related behaviors and the inventive German terms for them. For instance, tapping feet instead of shaking hands is known as Coronafußgruß, or the "Corona foot greeting." Face masks are humorously referred to as gesichtskondom ("face condom") or more endearingly as Schnutenpulli ("snout sweater").

Among the earliest German words to gain traction during the pandemic was hamsterkauf. Combining hamster ("hamster") and kauf ("buying"), it describes the act of panic-buying unnecessary items, much like a hamster filling its cheeks with food.

Below, you'll find all seven terms along with their definitions. Additionally, here are a few more ingenious phrases that have been added to the global COVID-19 vocabulary over the past year.