Esel
What does “Esel” mean in English?
It's a mild insult used to call someone a fool. Literally, it means 'donkey', which reflects a common stereotype of donkeys being foolish.
Literally “donkey”
You'd use it like calling someone a 'dumbass' in English, aimed directly at someone but not particularly harsh. It's very light and more playful than aggressive.
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Related German words
Dödel
2/5 · CoarseIt's a light-hearted insult for someone acting foolish, and it can also refer to a penis in a casual way. The context can shift based on regional use.
Lümmel
1/5 · MildIt's a mild insult for a cheeky or ill-mannered young person, often used in a somewhat playful way. Literally, it translates to 'rascal.'
Tölpel
1/5 · MildIt's an insult for someone who's clumsy or foolish, like calling them a simpleton. The literal translation refers to a type of bird known for its awkwardness.
Dummkopf
2/5 · CoarseIt means fool or idiot, referring to someone who is acting stupidly. The literal translation is 'stupid head.'
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via FlacSy/BadWords, washyourmouthoutwithsoap (MIT AND CC-BY-4.0, MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.