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How to Say ‘What the hell?’ in German

Was zum Teufel?

vas tsoom TOY-fel

[vas tsoom TOY-fel]

💬 Usage Tip: zum is a squeezed form of zu dem, so this is literally "what to the devil".

Phrase Breakdown

Was

[vas]

What

Asking for clarification or indication of surprise.

Example

Was zur Hölle ist passiert?

What the hell happened?

zum

[tsoom]

to the

Indicating direction toward a place.

Example

Wir gehen zum Park.

We are going to the park.

Teufel

[TOY-fel]

devil

Referring to evil or mischief, often used in curses.

Example

Zum Teufel sollst du gehen!

Go to the devil!

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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