What are interjections in German?

Interjections are short words or sounds that express sudden emotion or reaction, like surprise, disgust, or pain. They are usually not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence.

How is "Doch!" used in German?

Doch! means "Yes, on the contrary!" and is used to contradict a negative statement. For example, if someone says "You don’t know him," you can answer with Doch! to mean "Yes, I do."

What does "Na?" mean in German conversations?

Na? is a very common, informal greeting that can mean "Well?" , "How’s it going?" , or "What’s up?" . It is often just a casual way to start a conversation, and Na ja... can show hesitant agreement.

Interjections (Interjektionen) — Emotional Noises 💥😲

Interjections are isolated words expressing sudden emotion, reactions, or greetings (Au!, Hey!, Ach so!, Mmh). They exist independently from the rest of the sentence, have no grammatical connection to other words, and never change their form.

Infographic listing common German Interjections (Interjektionen) for expressing sudden emotion.

Interjections are words that express sudden emotion. They are not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence.
They add "flavor" to your spoken German.

1. The Classics 🎼

Ja / Nein (Yes / No).
Doch! (Yes, on the contrary! -> The magic word).
Hallo / Tschüss (Hello / Bye).

2. Emotional Outbursts 🤬🥰

Aua! (Ouch! - not "Ouch").
Oh! / Ah! (Surprise).
Igitt! (Yuck! Disgust).
Huch! (Startled/Oops).
Ups! (Oops).

3. Filler Words (Thinking Noises) 🐌

Ähm... (Um...).
Also... (So / Well...).
Tja... (Well... tough luck).

4. The Legendary "Na?" 🤷

"Na" is the shortest conversation in the world.
It implies: "Well? How are you? What's up? Everything good?"

Person A: "Na?"
Person B: "Na."
(Perfect conversation).

[!NOTE]
Na und? = So what? (Can be rude!).
Na ja... = Well yes... (Hesitant agreement).

5. Mini-Dialogues 🎭

The Surprise

A: Ich habe im Lotto gewonnen! (I won the lottery!)
B: Ach was! (No way!)
A: Doch! (Yes way!)
B: Wahnsinn! (Madness/Awesome!)

The Mishap

A: Ups, ich habe den Wein verschüttet. (Oops, spilled wine).
B: Oh nein! auf den Teppich? (Oh no, on the carpet?)
A: Tja, jetzt ist er rot. (Well, now it's red).

The Greeting

A: Na?
B: Na. Alles fit?
A: Joa, muss ja. (Yeah, has to be).