German Idioms

A curated set of 93 idioms in German — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.

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• Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof — I don't understand anything at all. Literally: I only understand train station.
• Da steppt der Bär — It's going to be a great party. Literally: The bear dances there.
• Tomaten auf den Augen haben — To be oblivious to what's right in front of you. Literally: To have tomatoes on one's eyes.
• Ich glaub mein Schwein pfeift — I can't believe it! That's outrageous! Literally: I think my pig is whistling.
• Um den heißen Brei herumreden — To beat around the bush. Literally: To talk around the hot porridge.
• Schwein haben — Getting unexpectedly lucky — rooted in medieval tournaments where the last-place finisher won a live piglet as a consolation prize, turning misfortune into a surprise reward. Literally: To have pig.
• Da liegt der Hund begraben — That's the crux of the matter. Literally: That's where the dog is buried.
• Die Daumen drücken — To wish someone good luck (like crossing fingers). Literally: To press the thumbs.
• Seinen Senf dazugeben — To give an unsolicited opinion. Literally: To add one's mustard.
• Klar wie Kloßbrühe — Completely obvious. Literally: Clear as dumpling broth.
• jemandem einen Bären aufbinden — To tell someone a deliberate lie or deceptive story for amusement or manipulation. Literally: to tie a bear to someone.
• in den sauren Apfel beißen — To accept an unpleasant necessity or disagreeable situation with resignation and stoicism. Literally: to bite into the sour apple.
• mit jemandem Katz und Maus spielen — To tease or toy with someone's emotions, alternating between kind and cruel treatment for personal amusement. Literally: to play cat and mouse with someone.
• Das ist mir Wurst — I couldn't care less either way. Literally: That is sausage to me.
• Auf dem Holzweg sein — To be on completely the wrong track. Literally: To be on the timber track.
• Die Kirche im Dorf lassen — To keep things in proportion and not get carried away. Literally: To leave the church in the village.
• Jetzt geht's um die Wurst — Now it's crunch time — everything is at stake. Literally: Now it's about the sausage.
• Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof — Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship. Literally: Life is no pony farm.
• Die Katze im Sack kaufen — To buy something sight unseen and get cheated. Literally: To buy the cat in the sack.
• Eine Extrawurst verlangen — To expect special treatment. Literally: To demand an extra sausage.
• Da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen — You can bet your life on it; it's absolutely certain. Literally: You can take poison on it.
• Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen — To be exactly right. Literally: To hit the nail on the head.
• Da wird der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt — An exclamation of utter disbelief. Literally: There the dog goes crazy in the frying pan.
• Die Kuh vom Eis holen — To resolve a precarious situation. Literally: To get the cow off the ice.
• Sein blaues Wunder erleben — To get an unpleasant surprise. Literally: To experience your blue wonder.
• Da haben wir den Salat — Now we've got a fine mess. Literally: There we have the salad.
• Den Löffel abgeben — To die. Literally: To hand over the spoon.
• Ins Fettnäpfchen treten — To commit an embarrassing social blunder. Literally: To step into the little grease pot.
• Eulen nach Athen tragen — To do something utterly pointless. Literally: To carry owls to Athens.
• Hummeln im Hintern haben — To be unable to sit still. Literally: To have bumblebees in your behind.
• Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei — It's not ideal; not quite good enough. Literally: That's not the yellow of the egg.
• Alles in Butter — Everything is fine and under control. Literally: Everything in butter.
• Aus dem Häuschen sein — To be beside yourself with excitement. Literally: To be out of your little house.
• Jemandem auf den Keks gehen — To get on someone's nerves. Literally: To go on someone's biscuit.
• Einen Kater haben — To have a hangover. Literally: To have a tomcat.
• die Nase voll haben — To be fed up or exhausted by something. Literally: to have a full nose.
• Dampf ablassen — To release pent-up emotion or frustration. Literally: to let steam off.
• Salz in die Wunde streuen — To deliberately make someone's pain or humiliation worse. Literally: to strew salt in the wound.
• die Suppe versalzen — To ruin a plan or situation through careless excess. Literally: to oversalt the soup.
• vor den Kopf stoßen — To offend or affront someone. Literally: to push before the head.
• sich die Hörner abstoßen — To shed youthful recklessness and settle into maturity. Literally: to knock off one's horns.
• auf dem Damm — In good health and spirits, recovered from illness or hardship. Literally: on the dam.
• aus dem Off — to speak or act without drawing attention to oneself, anonymously or from the background. Literally: from the off.
• den Geist aufgeben — to die, or to cease functioning. Literally: to give up the ghost.
• um ein Haar — by the narrowest possible margin; almost not. Literally: by a hair.
• etwas auf die lange Bank schieben — to postpone or delay something indefinitely. Literally: to push something onto the long bench.
• in die Quere kommen — to interfere with someone, to get in the way or obstruct. Literally: to come into the cross.
• zu Grabe tragen — to bury or permanently give up on something such as a hope, plan, or wish. Literally: to carry to the grave.
• aus dem Handgelenk — done with ease and without much effort or advance preparation; offhand. Literally: from the wrist.
• nur Bahnhof verstehen — to understand nothing at all of what is being said. Literally: to understand only train station.
• von einem Tag auf den anderen — very quickly, suddenly, or overnight. Literally: from one day to the other.
• Staub aufwirbeln — To cause trouble or create a dramatic disturbance. Literally: to stir up dust.
• ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr — A person criticizes another for the same fault they themselves possess. Literally: one donkey scolds the other long-ear.
• außer Rand und Band geraten — To lose control and behave wildly or unruly. Literally: to get out of edge and band.
• nah am Wasser gebaut — Someone who cries easily or is prone to tears. Literally: built close to water.
• feucht hinter den Ohren — Young, inexperienced, or naive. Literally: wet behind the ears.
• alles im grünen Bereich sein — Everything is functioning well or is satisfactory. Literally: to be all in the green area.
• ein Liedchen singen können — To have direct, personal knowledge of something through lived experience. Literally: to be able to sing a little song.
• sein Damaskus erleben — To undergo a sudden, transformative spiritual or moral awakening. Literally: to experience one's Damascus.
• in den Wind sprechen — To speak in vain or to an audience that will not listen or act on one's words. Literally: to speak into the wind.
• auf den Schlips treten — To offend or insult someone, to hurt their feelings or pride. Literally: to step on the necktie.
• um die Ecke denken — To think creatively or unconventionally, to solve problems by approaching them from unexpected angles. Literally: to think around the corner.
• auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen — To fail to achieve success or prosperity, to make no progress in life or a project. Literally: to not come onto any green branch.
• grün vor Neid — Consumed with jealousy or envious feeling. Literally: green from envy.
• Hinz und Kunz — Any ordinary person; everyone; the man in the street; used to refer to people indiscriminately or generically. Literally: Hinz and Kunz.
• keine halben Sachen machen — To commit fully to something; to be thorough and complete rather than halfhearted or compromising. Literally: to not make half things.
• was das Zeug hält — with maximum intensity or speed; to the absolute limit of one's capacity. Literally: what the stuff holds.
• die Zelte abbrechen — to move away or leave a place; to abandon one's position. Literally: to break apart the tents.
• bei der Stange halten — to keep someone obedient, loyal, or in line through discipline or pressure. Literally: to hold by the rod.
• keine zehn Pferde — nothing could force or move one; obstinate refusal or immovable determination. Literally: not ten horses.
• mundtot machen — to silence or suppress someone; to rob them of the ability or right to speak. Literally: to make speechless.
• wie ein Blinder von der Farbe reden — to discuss or explain something one has no direct experience or understanding of; to speak theoretically without practical knowledge. Literally: like a blind man speaking of color.
• erstunken und erlogen — entirely false or made up; a complete lie or fabrication. Literally: completely fabricated and lied.
• mit allem Drum und Dran — complete with all the accessories, extras, or associated details; entirely and comprehensively. Literally: with everything around and on it.
• jemandem nicht das Wasser reichen können — To be vastly inferior to someone in ability or quality. Literally: to not be able to hand someone the water.
• an die Kandare nehmen — To restrain, control, or impose discipline on someone. Literally: to take someone to the curb-chain.
• auf dem Teppich bleiben — To stay grounded and realistic; to avoid getting swept up in fantasies or exaggeration. Literally: to remain on the carpet.
• seinen Hut nehmen — To resign or quit from a position. Literally: to take one's hat.
• die Faxen dicke haben — To be fed up; to have had enough of someone's nonsense or misbehavior. Literally: to have the pranks thick.
• aus der Portokasse zahlen — To pay a large sum without difficulty because one has abundant resources. Literally: to pay from the postage kitty.
• jemandem in Fleisch und Blut übergehen — To become second nature or instinctive; to be absorbed so deeply that it feels like part of one's body. Literally: to pass into someone in flesh and blood.
• eine Schraube locker haben — To be slightly eccentric or mentally unbalanced. Literally: to have a screw loose.
• im Sturm nehmen — To achieve sudden and overwhelming success or popularity. Literally: to take by storm.
• gehüpft wie gesprungen — It makes no difference; the distinction between two things is negligible. Literally: hopped as jumped.
• über den Jordan gehen — To die. Literally: to go over the Jordan.
• kein unbeschriebenes Blatt sein — To be a person whose background, reputation, or history is already known. Literally: to be no blank page.
• einen Vogel zeigen — To gesture dismissively or insultingly, usually by mimicking a cuckoo or making a mocking sign. Literally: to show a bird.
• die Hände in den Schoß legen — To be idle or inactive; to do nothing while waiting or while problems accumulate. Literally: to lay the hands in the lap.
• etwas auf seine Kappe nehmen — To accept blame or responsibility for something. Literally: to take something onto one's cap.
• vom Hundertsten ins Tausendste kommen — To jump chaotically from one topic or thought to another without finishing any of them. Literally: to come from the hundredth into the thousandth.
• jemanden zur Schnecke machen — To scold or rebuke someone harshly; to give someone a severe dressing-down. Literally: to make someone into a snail.
• auf den Leim gehen — To be deceived or tricked; to fall for a trap or deception. Literally: to go onto the birdlime.
• Eine Nadel im Heuhaufen suchen — To search for something you have almost no chance of finding, because the thing is tiny and the place holding it is vast. Literally: To search for a needle in the haystack.

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