Jubiläumsfahrt auf der Holzachterbahn Colossos im Heide Park

What does “das Bauchkribbeln” mean in German?

A man who rode this wooden roller coaster as a teenager says the ride still feels the same: “Das ist letztlich das Bauchkribbeln, was immer noch dasselbe ist.” Bauchkribbeln is that fluttery feeling in your stomach right before a big drop — part fear, part thrill. “Bauch” is belly and “kribbeln” means to tingle. Germans use it for any moment that excites and scares you at once.

Spoken in the clip: “Das ist letztlich das Bauchkribbeln, was immer noch dasselbe ist.” — “In the end it’s the belly-tingle, which is still the same.” It often points to a happy kind of nervous, not pure dread: - “Vor dem ersten Date hatte ich richtig Bauchkribbeln.” — “Before the first date I really had butterflies.” - “Bei der Landung spürt man so ein leichtes Bauchkribbeln.” — “On landing you feel a little flutter in your stomach.” - “Neuer Job, neue Stadt — das Bauchkribbeln gehört dazu.” — “New job, new city — the nervous excitement is part of it.” Close to English “butterflies in your stomach,” but the German word names the physical tingle itself, with no animal image. The “kribbeln” part is the same word you’d use for a foot that has gone to sleep.