Idioms in any language are useful, but confusing. You can't often translate them as they mean nothing. Let's look at some of our favourite German ones.
| German Idiom | Literal Translation | Real Meaning | Use It When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof | I only understand railway station | I do not understand anything.¹ | Something is completely confusing, like a lecture that goes over your head. |
| Das ist mir Wurst | That is sausage to me | I do not mind, or I do not care.¹³ | Chai or coffee, either is fine with you. |
| Jemandem die Daumen drücken | To press someone's thumbs | To wish someone good luck.⁴ | A friend has board exams, a job interview or an important event. |
| Fix und fertig sein | To be fixed and finished | To be completely exhausted.¹¹ | You are dead tired after a long day of travel or work. |
| Die Nase voll haben | To have the nose full | To be fed up with something.¹¹ | You have had enough of a situation. |
| Schwein haben | To have pig | To be lucky.⁹ | Someone succeeds or avoids a problem through sheer luck. |
| Alles in Butter | Everything in butter | Everything is fine.¹⁰ | You want to reassure someone that all is well. |
| Da haben wir den Salat | There we have the salad | Now we have a mess or problem.² | A mistake has landed everyone in a soup. |
| Einen Kater haben | To have a tomcat | To have a hangover.¹⁰ | Someone feels unwell after drinking alcohol. |
| Auf dem Schlauch stehen | To stand on the hose | To be unable to understand something immediately.⁸ | You are stuck or cannot follow an idea. |
| Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen | To hit the nail on the head | To say exactly the right thing.⁷ | Someone identifies the main point perfectly. |
| Nägel mit Köpfen machen | To make nails with heads | To act decisively and properly.⁷ | It is time to stop dilly-dallying and take a decision. |
| Um den heißen Brei herumreden | To talk around the hot porridge | To avoid saying something directly.⁵ | Someone is beating around the bush. |
| Seinen Senf dazugeben | To add one's mustard | To give an opinion, often when not asked.⁵ | Someone puts in their two cents uninvited. |
| Jemandem auf den Keks gehen | To go on someone's biscuit | To annoy someone.⁹ | A person, sound or habit is getting on your nerves. |
German Phrases Beginners Should Know in Conversation
Certain phrases pop up quite regularly, so learners should be aware of them. Expressions like Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof, Das ist mir Wurst and Jemandem die Daumen drücken are useful because they help learners react naturally to confusion, choices, luck, tiredness and frustration. You may also hear phrases like Tomaten auf den Augen haben, which is used when someone overlooks something obvious.¹² Learn these as complete phrases, rather than the everyday German vocab that some of them use, as this will help you when native speakers use them at normal speed.¹
Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof
Literal Translation
I only understand train station
Real Meaning
I do not understand anything.¹
Closest English Equivalent
It's all Greek to me
When to Use It
Use this when a topic, explanation, or conversation feels completely confusing.
Example in German
Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof, kannst du das bitte noch einmal erklären?
Example in English
I do not understand anything. Can you please explain that again?
Beginner Tip
This is a casual phrase that works well when you want to admit confusion in a light, natural way.
Das ist mir Wurst
Literal Translation
That is sausage to me
Real Meaning
I do not mind, or I do not care.¹³
Closest English Equivalent
It makes no difference to me
When to Use It
Use this when two options are equally fine or when something is not important to you.
Example in German
Pizza oder Pasta? Das ist mir Wurst.
Example in English
Pizza or pasta? I do not mind.
Beginner Tip
This phrase is informal, so it is better for friends, classmates, and casual conversation than formal situations.
This one is a particular favourite of ours. Much like funny German words, this is a rather funny idiom. Do you know any other funny examples?
Jemandem die Daumen drücken
Literal Translation
To press someone's thumbs
Real Meaning
To wish someone good luck.⁴
Closest English Equivalent
Keep your fingers crossed
When to Use It
Use this before an exam, interview, match, performance, or important event.
Example in German
Ich drücke dir die Daumen für deine Prüfung.
Example in English
I am keeping my fingers crossed for your exam.
Beginner Tip
This is one of the most useful German phrases beginners should know because it appears often in everyday encouragement.
Fix und fertig sein
Literal Translation
To be fixed and finished
Real Meaning
To be completely exhausted.¹¹
Closest English Equivalent
To be worn out
When to Use It
Use this when you are very tired after work, travel, study, exercise, or a long day.
Example in German
Nach der langen Reise bin ich fix und fertig.
Example in English
After the long journey, I am completely exhausted.
Beginner Tip
This phrase is informal and very common, but it describes strong tiredness rather than mild fatigue.
Die Nase voll haben
Literal Translation
To have the nose full
Real Meaning
To be fed up with something.¹¹
Closest English Equivalent
To have had enough
When to Use It
Use this when you are annoyed, frustrated, or no longer willing to tolerate a situation.
Example in German
Ich habe die Nase voll von diesem Lärm.
Example in English
I have had enough of this noise.
Beginner Tip
This phrase can sound direct, so use it carefully when speaking about people.
Everyday German Sayings About Food, Luck and Confusion
German has plenty of good idioms about food, animals, or physical images that have nothing to do with the literal meaning, so just like untranslatable German words, you have to learn them. Some of these are funny, but this also makes them more memorable. You will really learn them by hearing and using them in the proper context, which is why audio resources like Das sagt man so! can be useful for recognising everyday German sayings in spoken form.³
Schwein haben
Literal Translation
To have pig
Real Meaning
To be lucky.⁹
Closest English Equivalent
To get lucky
When to Use It
Use this when someone avoids a problem or succeeds through luck rather than skill.
Example in German
Er hatte Schwein und hat den letzten Zug noch bekommen.
Example in English
He was lucky and still caught the last train.
Beginner Tip
Do not translate this phrase literally in conversation, because the meaning has nothing to do with owning an animal.
Alles in Butter
Literal Translation
Everything in butter
Real Meaning
Everything is fine.¹⁰
Closest English Equivalent
All good
When to Use It
Use this when you want to reassure someone that there is no problem.
Example in German
Keine Sorge, alles ist in Butter.
Example in English
Do not worry, everything is fine.
Beginner Tip
This is a friendly everyday German saying, but it is more conversational than formal.
Though the word butter here looks like a German loanword, it actually entered both languages through Greek and Latin and eventually West Germanic languages. It was an early loanword from Latin butyrum.
Da haben wir den Salat
Literal Translation
There we have the salad
Real Meaning
Now we have a mess or problem.²
Closest English Equivalent
Now look what happened
When to Use It
Use this when a mistake, bad decision, or unlucky situation has created a problem.
Example in German
Du hast den Schlüssel vergessen? Da haben wir den Salat.
Example in English
You forgot the key? Now we have a problem.
Beginner Tip
This phrase often has a slightly annoyed or ironic tone, so it works best in informal conversation.
Einen Kater haben
Literal Translation
To have a tomcat
Real Meaning
To have a hangover.¹⁰
Closest English Equivalent
To be hungover
When to Use It
Use this when someone feels ill after drinking alcohol.
Example in German
Nach der Party habe ich einen Kater.
Example in English
After the party, I have a hangover.
Beginner Tip
This is informal and should only be used in the right social context.
Auf dem Schlauch stehen
Literal Translation
To stand on the hose
Real Meaning
To be unable to understand something immediately.⁸
Closest English Equivalent
To draw a blank
When to Use It
Use this when you temporarily cannot follow an idea, answer a question, or solve a problem.
Example in German
Ich stehe total auf dem Schlauch. Kannst du mir helfen?
Example in English
I am completely stuck. Can you help me?
Beginner Tip
This phrase is useful in lessons because it gives learners a natural way to say they are confused.
German Expressions and Meanings for Work, Study and Opinions
If you want to talk about work, study, opinions, or decisions, here are some idioms you can use. Expressions like Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen, Nägel mit Köpfen machen and Um den heißen Brei herumreden help speakers talk about action, indirect communication, and accuracy, which you also need when dealing with German false friends. Use them to capture an entire situation in a single short expression.⁵
Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen
Literal Translation
To hit the nail on the head
Real Meaning
To say exactly the right thing or identify the main point.⁷
Closest English Equivalent
To hit the nail on the head
When to Use It
Use this when someone gives a very accurate answer, comment, or explanation.
Example in German
Das trifft den Nagel auf den Kopf.
Example in English
That hits the nail on the head.
Beginner Tip
This is easy for English speakers to remember because the literal translation and English equivalent are almost the same.
Nägel mit Köpfen machen
Literal Translation
To make nails with heads
Real Meaning
To stop hesitating and do something properly or decisively.⁷
Closest English Equivalent
To get things done
When to Use It
Use this when it is time to make a firm decision or take real action.
Example in German
Wir müssen jetzt Nägel mit Köpfen machen.
Example in English
We need to make a proper decision now.
Beginner Tip
This is useful in work, study, and planning situations because it suggests action rather than discussion.
Um den heißen Brei herumreden
Literal Translation
To talk around the hot porridge
Real Meaning
To avoid saying something directly.⁵
Closest English Equivalent
To beat around the bush
When to Use It
Use this when someone avoids the main point or delays saying something important.
Example in German
Rede nicht um den heißen Brei herum. Sag mir, was passiert ist.
Example in English
Do not beat around the bush. Tell me what happened.
Beginner Tip
This phrase is useful, but it can sound critical when said directly to another person.
Seinen Senf dazugeben
Literal Translation
To add one's mustard
Real Meaning
To give an opinion, often when it was not asked for.⁵
Closest English Equivalent
To put in one's two cents
When to Use It
Use this when someone comments on a situation even though their opinion may not be needed.
Example in German
Muss er immer seinen Senf dazugeben?
Example in English
Does he always have to add his opinion?
Beginner Tip
This phrase can be playful or annoyed depending on tone, so pay attention to the situation.
Jemandem auf den Keks gehen
Literal Translation
To go on someone's biscuit
Real Meaning
To annoy someone.⁹
Closest English Equivalent
To get on someone's nerves
When to Use It
Use this when a person, sound, habit, or situation is becoming irritating.
Example in German
Dieses Geräusch geht mir auf den Keks.
Example in English
This noise is getting on my nerves.
Beginner Tip
This is informal and expressive, so it is best for casual conversation rather than formal writing.
Key Takeaways
- German idioms often cannot be understood by translating each word directly into English.⁶
- Many everyday German sayings use funny images involving food, animals, objects or body parts.
- Learners should study each idiom with its literal translation, real meaning and a short example sentence.
- Some idioms are very informal, so they are best used with friends, classmates or people you know well.
- Practising idioms in context helps learners understand native speakers more naturally.
References
- "Bahnhof." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Bahnhof. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Da haben wir den Salat: German <> English Translation." Wunderbla, Gymglish, https://www.gymglish.com/en/wunderbla/german-vocabulary/da-haben-wir-den-salat. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Das Sagt Man So! Audios: DW Deutsch Lernen." Apple Podcasts, DW, https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/das-sagt-man-so-audios-dw-deutsch-lernen/id1064423527. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Daumen." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Daumen. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Duden: Redewendungen." Duden Shop, Cornelsen Verlag, https://shop.duden.de/Duden-Redewendungen/9783411041152. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Learn German Idioms." Lingolia, https://deutsch.lingolia.com/en/vocabulary/idioms. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Nagel." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Nagel. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Schlauch." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Schlauch. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Schantl, Jessica. "German Idioms: Common Phrases for Work and Daily Life." Lingoda, 10 Apr. 2026, https://www.lingoda.com/blog/en/german-idioms/. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Schantl, Stefanie. "12 Colorful German Idioms You'll Want to Use Right Away." Duolingo Blog, 22 Feb. 2024, https://blog.duolingo.com/funny-german-idioms/. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "10 German Expressions Everyone Should Know." EF GO Blog, EF, https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/10-german-expressions-everyone-should-know/. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Tomate." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Tomate. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- "Wurst." Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/wurst. Accessed 3 June 2026.
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