albern
Translation
silly, goofy, foolish
Examples
Sei nicht so albern!
Don't be so silly!
Das war ein alberner Witz.
That was a silly joke.
Er benimmt sich oft albern.
He often behaves foolishly.
Grammar Patterns
[predicative] ((sb.)) is silly sb. is silly Don't be so silly!
[attributive] a silly ((noun)) a silly ... That was a silly joke.
[adverbial] to behave silly to behave in a silly way He often behaves in a silly way.
Similar Words
Synonyms: dumm, lächerlich, kindisch; Antonyms: ernst, vernünftig
Etymology
From Old High German 'alawāri' meaning 'completely true, friendly', which shifted in meaning to 'simple, foolish'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'Albert' the goofy cartoon character. Albert is 'albern'.