For several years now, Susanne Daubner (65) has been announcing the nominations for Youth Word of the Year via social media. Her posts about it have become a true cult phenomenon on social media and in terms of memes. Now she presented the ten contenders for Youth Word of the Year 2026 on the social media channels of "Tagesschau". The news anchor even performed one of the nominations herself: 'Du bist gut genuuuuug,' she sang into the camera. 'Which word is good enough for you?' was added in the caption.
Where the Sung Line Comes From
Behind the phrase is a viral song by producer duo KitschKrieg together with Blumengarten and Shirin David. The falsetto-sung chorus spread mainly through TikTok and spawned memes, parodies, and reinterpretations. Internationally, 'Du bist gut genug' often became 'Doobie Scoot Canoe.'
Daubner's clip was well received as always. Under the Instagram post, comments included: 'Susanne sings "Du bist gut genug" before GTA6,' 'I see Susanne and the world is briefly okay again,' 'Susanne is and remains simply a legend!' or 'When will "Susanne" finally become the Youth Word?'
These Ten Terms Are Up for Vote
Up for voting, alongside classics like 'Macker' or 'Digga,' are also '67,' 'Crashout,' 'Gute Käse,' 'Peak,' 'Ragebait,' 'Schere,' and 'Süper.' The number sequence '67,' pronounced 'six seven,' according to Langenscheidt publishing house, traces back to TikTok, basketball memes, and a song by rapper Skrilla; it has no fixed meaning.
'Crashout' describes an emotional loss of control, 'Schere' comes from the gaming scene and represents an admission of one's own mistakes. 'Süper' comes from Turkish and, according to the publisher, became known through a video of an ultramarathon runner. Other explanations: When something is 'Peak,' it's 'the best of the best.' 'Gute Käse' is an expression for 'really good,' 'solid,' or 'I'm into it.' Behind 'Ragebait' is content that's meant to deliberately trigger you.
'Mehrzweckeier' Not Allowed
A particularly frequently submitted term is missing from the selection. 'Mehrzweckeier' was in the top 10 at the end of the suggestion phase but was removed by Langenscheidt publishing house. 'Since the term goes back to a campaign and is simultaneously based on a personal insult, it meets two key exclusion criteria,' the publisher announced.
The expression is considered a variation of a slogan that appeared at protests by young people against military conscription and is directed against Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 'The poster, which originally bore the provocative message "Merz leck Eier," was confiscated by police,' Langenscheidt explains. 'The protester was initially investigated on initial suspicion of defamation and slander against persons in political life.' With 'Mehrzweckeier,' a word creation emerged 'that is creative, clear, but less vulnerable to legal challenge.'
Voting Runs Until August 20
The top 10 can be voted on online until August 20, followed by voting for the top 3. Langenscheidt plans to announce the winning word on October 10. Only votes from young people are included in the official evaluation; the majority of participants are between 11 and 20 years old.
Last year, 'Das crazy' prevailed. The publisher described the expression at the time as an alternative to 'okay' that is used whenever a more appropriate response is lacking.
