German

Adjective

derbe

1. (regional, chiefly Northern Germany, chiefly colloquial, slang) Alternative form of derb

   Der Typ is’ echt derbe.

   That guy’s really rough (≈ cool).

Usage notes

• The form is used in northern German slang to describe a kind of “rough coolness” but is also an expletive. — It is rarely used quite synonymously with derb but is undistinguishable from it in all inflected forms.

Synonyms

• krass