# German phrases shouted in Wolfenstein 3D **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505 "2005-11-11T01:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Corporate\_Hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/1 "2005-11-11T01:15:24Z")
I was thinking about the original Wolfenstein 3D game, and I remembered the generic, blue-clad (?) Nazi soldiers that you fight a lot. They had a couple German words or phrases they’d shout out when you a.) were sighted by them or b.) shot them to death. I know vaguely how the words sound in my head, but I don’t know exactly what they are or what they mean. Could someone give me the low-down on what the Nazis shouted in German and what it meant? ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/2 "2005-11-11T01:32:29Z")
“Mein Leben” was one for sure. “Achtung” and “Spion” too, I think. They’re “my life” “hey” and “spy” respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Eboshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Lady\_Eboshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Eboshi)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/3 "2005-11-11T01:36:44Z")
> [@Corporate Hippie](#): > > I was thinking about the original Wolfenstein 3D game, and I remembered the generic, blue-clad (?) Nazi soldiers that you fight a lot. They had a couple German words or phrases they’d shout out when you a.) were sighted by them or b.) shot them to death. I know vaguely how the words sound in my head, but I don’t know exactly what they are or what they mean. Could someone give me the low-down on what the Nazis shouted in German and what it meant? Man, does that bring back memories. You need to see this: [List of phrases from original Wolfenstein series](http://www.mac-archive.com/wolfenstein/talk.html) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/4 "2005-11-11T01:43:30Z")
Wolfenstein 3D wasn’t the original game, of course; the original was Castle Wolfenstein, which was played on a variety of super-old computers like the Apple IIC. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/5 "2005-11-11T01:53:39Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > a variety of super-old computers like the Apple IIC ☹ I’ll be over here scratching my last will and testament into a clay tablet in cuineform… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/6 "2005-11-11T04:16:07Z")
Doom! The dogs in Wolfenstein showed up in quake. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/7 "2005-11-11T04:56:09Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Wolfenstein 3D wasn’t the original game, of course; the original was Castle Wolfenstein, which was played on a variety of super-old computers like the Apple IIC. Heck, I played it on the even older Apple II+. A _clone_ Apple II+. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/8 "2005-11-11T05:03:38Z")
I’d translate achtung as stop. It’s one of the definitions and makes the most sense to me in terms of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/9 "2005-11-11T08:01:47Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I’d translate achtung as stop. It’s one of the definitions and makes the most sense to me in terms of the game. Well, you don’t get to. So there. 😉 It actually means ‘Attention’. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/10 "2005-11-11T15:49:15Z")
Yes, stop in German would be, “Halten Sie!” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-phrases-shouted-in-wolfenstein-3d/330505/11 "2005-11-11T16:31:11Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Well, you don’t get to. So there. 😉 > > It actually means ‘Attention’. I’m guessing in the game this would have been the equivalent of sounding the alert.