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'''''Schadenfreude''''' ({{IPA2|ˈʃaːdənˌfʁɔʏ̯də}} {{Audio|De-schadenfreude.ogg|Audio (German)}}) is a [[German language|German]] word meaning 'pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune'. It has been borrowed by the [[English language]]<ref>Oxford Dictionary of English, 2nd Edition (2005), p.1577.</ref> and is sometimes also used as a [[loanword]] by other languages.

It derives from ''Schaden'' (damage, harm) and ''Freude'' (joy); ''Schaden'' derives from the [[Middle High German]] ''schade'', from the [[Old High German]] ''scado'', and ''freude'' comes from the Middle High German ''vreude'', from the Old High German ''frewida'', from ''frō'', (happy). In [[German language|German]], the word always carries a [[connotation|negative connotation]]. A distinction exists between "secret schadenfreude" (a private feeling) and "open schadenfreude" (''Hohn'', a [[German language|German]] word roughly translated as "scorn") which is outright public derision. 
 
Usually, it is stated that ''Schadenfreude'' has no direct [[English language|English]] equivalent. For example, ''Harper Collins German-English Dictionary'' translates schadenfreude as "malicious glee or [[gloating]]." However, an apparent English equivalent is '''''[http://www.kokogiak.com/logolepsy/ow_e.html#epicaricacy epicaricacy]''''', derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ἐπιχαιρεκακία, ''epichaerecacia''. This word does not appear in most modern [[dictionary|dictionaries]], but does appear in [[Nathaniel Bailey]]'s ''Universal Etymological English Dictionary'' ([[1727]]) under a slightly different spelling (''epicharikaky''), which gives its [[etymology]] as a compound of ''epi'' (upon), ''chara'' (joy), and ''kakon'' (evil). A more common English equivalent than 'epicaricacy' might be the expression 'Roman holiday', which means pleasure derived from watching someone else's suffering, and is derived from the delight of [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] citizens' at the gladiatorial spectacles in the [[Colosseum]].
 
Another phrase with a meaning similar to ''Schadenfreude'' is "morose delectation" ("delectatio morosa" in [[Latin language|Latin]]), meaning "the habit of dwelling with enjoyment on evil thoughts".<ref>[http://web.mit.edu/adorai/oed/morose definition of morose delectation], [[Oxford English Dictionary]]</ref> The medieval church taught morose delectation is a sin.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2074.htm#6 ''Prima Secundae Partis, Q. 74''], [[Summa Theologica|The Summa Theologica]] of St. [[Thomas Aquinas]], Second and Revised Edition, 1920; Literally translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Online Edition Copyright © 2006 by Kevin Knight.</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=RPUuyWtO3eoC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=%22morose+delectation%22&source=web&ots=QpmslAISN-&sig=nL01zLP7iH1kR44-MBqhOGJilsc#PPA139,M1 ''Chapter 6 Proposing the Story of the World''], Richard John Neuhaus, Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, and the Splendor of Truth, Basic Books, 2006.</ref> [[France|French]] writer [[Pierre Klossowski]] (1905-2001) maintained that the appeal of [[sadism]] is morose delectation.<ref>[http://www.ul.ie/~philos/vol10/Religion.html ''Heterodox Religion and Post-Atheism: Bataille / Klossowski/ Foucault''], Jones Irwin, ISSN 1393-614X Minerva - An Internet Journal of Philosophy Vol. 10 2006.</ref><ref>[[Pierre Klossowski|Klossowski, Pierre]]. 1991. ''Sade, My Neighbour'', translated by Alphonso Lingis. [[Illinois]]. [[Northwestern University Press]].</ref>

In [[English language|English]], the word sometimes is [[capitalization|capitalized]], because of the German spelling convention of capitalizing all [[common noun]]s in addition to [[proper noun]]s; however, as a loanword in English, it is typically left uncapitalized, following the rules of [[English orthography]].
 
The [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] concept of ''[[mudita]]'', "sympathetic joy" or "happiness in another's good fortune," is cited as an example of the opposite of schadenfreude.<ref>[http://www.muditajournal.com/archives/000266.php ''The Upside of Shadenfreude''], Joshua Zader, Mudita Journal, December 6, 2005.</ref><ref>[http://sirtumble.blogspot.com/2005/02/are-you-schadenfreude-or-mudita.html ''Are you Schadenfreude or Mudita?''], Sirtumble, One of Six Billion..., February 6, 2005.</ref>
 
== Expressions and the term in other languages ==
{{Unreferencedsection|date=November 2007}} 
*''Neid zu fühlen ist menschlich, Schadenfreude zu genießen teuflisch'': "To feel envy is human, to savour ''schadenfreude'' is devilish." ([[Arthur Schopenhauer]]) 

*''Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude.'': "''Schadenfreude'' is the best form of joy." Often used ironically to criticize somebody's display of ''schadenfreude''. 
 
*''Lachen heißt: schadenfroh sein, aber mit gutem Gewissen'': "Humour is just ''Schadenfreude'' with a clear conscience." ([[Nietzsche]])
 
*[[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Geen schoner vermaak dan leedvermaak'': "No entertainment more beautiful than enjoying someone else's suffering." ([[Proverb]], often used [[irony|ironically]]).
 
*The [[French language|French]] proverb: ''Le malheur des uns fait le bonheur des autres'': "One person's misfortune is another's happiness". However, the equivalence here is inexact, as the proverb really means that only that one person would benefit from another's misfortune, not actually find pleasure in misfortune for its own sake. A better expression would be "''Se réjouir du malheur d'autrui''" ("to gloat").

Similar terms in other languages:
 
*[[Albanian language|Albanian]]: inat (''inat'' or ''inad'', spite, ill will, resentment)
*[[Arabic language|Arabic]]: shamaatah شماتة (''shamtan'', taking pleasure in the misfortune of others)
*[[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]: злорадство (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
*[[Chinese language|Chinese]]: {{zh-st|s=幸灾乐祸|t=幸災樂禍}} (幸 enjoy[ing]; 災 [other's] calamity; 樂 be happy for/laugh at; 禍 [other's] misfortune/suffering)
*[[Czech language|Czech]]: škodolibost (''škoda'', damage, harm, or loss, ''libost'', pleasure)
*[[Danish language|Danish]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]: ''skadefryd'' (''skade'', damage, injury or harm, ''fryd'', glee)
*[[Dutch language|Dutch]]: leedvermaak (''leed'', suffering or sorrow, and ''vermaak'', entertainment)
*[[Esperanto]]: malica ĝojo (''malica'', wicked, and ''ĝojo'', joy)
*[[Estonian language|Estonian]]: kahjurõõm (''kahju'', damage or harm and ''rõõm'', joy)
*[[Finnish language|Finnish]]: vahingonilo (''vahinko'', accident or damage, ''ilo'', joy or happiness)
*[[Greek language|Greek]]: χαιρεκακία (''χαρά'', joy or delight and ''κακία'', spite or ill will)
*[[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: שמחה) : שמחה לאיד, joy, איד, misfortune, based on Proverbs 17:5) (''simcha la'ed''), also: " מתכבד בקלון חבירו " (see [[Mishneh Torah]], the laws of Teshuvah chap. 4:4).
*[[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]: káröröm (''kár'', loss or damage, ''öröm'', joy)
*[[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]: piktdžiuga (''piktas'' angry, ''džiaugsmas'' joy)
*[[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]: злорадост (зло, evil or harm, радост, joy)
*[[Russian language|Russian]]: злорадство (зло, evil or harm, радость, joy)
*[[Scottish Gaelic language|Scots Gaelic]]: aighear millteach (''aighear'', delight or joy, ''millteach'', malicious or destructive)
*[[Serbian language|Serbian]] and [[Croatian language|Croatian]]: злурадост/zluradost (''zlo'', evil, ''radost'', joy)
*[[Slovak language|Slovak]]: škodoradosť (''škoda'', damage, harm, or loss, ''radosť'', joy)
*[[Slovenian language|Slovenian]]: škodoželjnost (''škoda'', damage, harm, or loss, ''želeti'', to wish)
*[[Swedish language|Swedish]]: skadeglädje (''skada'', damage, ''glädje'', joy or happiness) 
 
In Swedish and Norwegian, there is also the saying: ''skadeglädjen/fryd är den enda sanna glädjen/fryd'' ("schadenfreude is the only true joy"). A Finnish variant is: ''vahingonilo on aidointa iloa, sillä siihen ei sisälly tippaakaan kateutta'' ("schadenfreude is the most genuine kind of joy, since it doesn't include even a drop of envy"). A Slovak variant is: ''škodoradosť je najväčšia radosť'' ("schadenfreude is the greatest joy"), similar in meaning to the Hungarian variant: ''legszebb öröm a káröröm'', and the Estonian: ''kahjurõõm on kõige suurem rõõm''. In Hebrew the saying is: 'אין שמחה כשמחה לאיד' ("There is no joy like schadenfreude"). In Danish, the saying is: ''Egen lykke er at foretrække men andres ulykke er dog ikke at foragte'', and translates to "(One's) own happiness is to be preferred, but the misfortune of others should not be scorned." In Dutch the saying is: ''Er is geen beter vermaak dan leedvermaak'' ("There's no better entertainment than schadenfreude"). The German version reads: ''Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude.'' ("Schadenfreude is the greatest joy.")
 
In [[Thai language|Thai]], the phrase สมน้ำหน้า, ''som nam na'', can be interpreted as: "You got what you deserved"; "Serves you right"; or "I'm laughing at your bad luck".

In [[Malay language|Malay]], the phrase ''padan muka'' literally means "fits your face" but the more appropriate English translation is: "You got what you deserved"; 
 
In [[Korean language|Korean]], the phrase 고소하다, ''go so ha da'', literally translated means "to smell sesame oil", because in Korea the smell of sesame oil is regarded as very pleasant, this phrase also is used when one is pleased about a particular event. It is especially used when one is pleased about an event involving the misfortune of another.
 
In [[Chinese language|Chinese]], the phrase ''xìngzāi lèhuò'' ({{zh-st|s=幸灾乐祸|t=幸災樂禍}}) is an old idiom that directly translates to "enjoying (other's) calamity (and) laughing at (other's) misfortune".
 
In [[Japanese language|Japanese]], the phrase 他人の不幸は蜜の味, ''tanin no fukou wa mitsu no aji'', translates literally as "others' misfortunes are the taste of [[honey]]".

memoirs, ''[[Inside the Third Reich]]'', [[Albert Speer]] described [[Adolf Hitler]]'s sense of humor as almost entirely based upon schadenfreude. Some examples were mean-spirited jokes played on ministers such as [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]], many initiated by Hitler or his friends.
 
== References ==
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==See also==
*[[Sadism]]


[[Category:PhrasesEmotions]]

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