Why do I need to know angesagt? 

Because this fun phrase is bound to get you in with the cool kids, and is ideal for talking about new and exciting things that you’ve come across. 

What does it mean?

If you speak even a little bit of German, you’ll probably recognise some components of this word. Ansagen (a combination of “an” and “sagen”) literally means to “speak at”, and if an event or meet-up is “angesagt” it can mean that it’s been announced or scheduled.

In colloquial use, though, angesagt has taken on a different meaning. You can use it to describe anything that’s current, hip or trendy, whether it’s a fashionable look or an up-and-coming neighbourhood in your city, or to talk about something that’s in high demand right now. 

As you can imagine, things that are angesagt now may not always be so hip or popular in the future. One good translation of the phrase “angesagt sein” is “flavour of the month”: something that’s having its moment in the spotlight now but could disappear into the shadows the second a new hot trend rolls around. 

Anything else I need to know?

It’s probably good to be aware that branding something angesagt is something you’d do in a conversation with friends rather than in a formal situation like a job interview. (I’m guessing you wouldn’t normally tell a future boss how ‘hip’ you think the company ethos is…) 

In other words, it’s umgangssprachlich – or informal, casual language – so be sure to use it in its proper context.  

Use it like this: 

Berlin ist nicht so cool wie es einmal war – heutzutage ist Leipzig total angesagt.

Berlin isn’t as cool as it used to be – nowadays Leipzig is totally in vogue.

Sein Styl gefällt mir unfassbar gut. Der ist total angesagt!

I really like his style. It’s totally hip!