German Idioms
Funny German Idioms
Funny German idioms and expressions are not the first thing you come across when you start learning a new language. But, they are one of the fun ways to learn new vocabulary. Some of the funny German idioms mentioned in this article also give an insight into the German culture. How so?
Well, pigs and sausages are a significant part of German culture. There are many German idioms that mention “Schwein” and “Wurst“. Undoubtedly, these pig and sausage sayings do sound hilarious.
15 Funny German Idioms
Das ist mir Wurst
Literally – That’s sausage to me.
English equivalent – I don’t give a damn.
Meaning – to not care at all about something or someone
Usage – Das ist mir Wurst, wie wir heute ins Büro gehen
die Katze im Sack kaufen
Literally – to buy the cat in the sack
English equivalent – to buy a pig in a poke
Meaning – to buy or accept something without prior examination
Usage – Hast du schon mal die Katze im Sack gekauft?
Du nimmst mich auf den Arm
Literally – You are taking me on the arm.
English equivalent – You are pulling my leg.
Meaning – to tease someone
Usage – Ich glaube, dass er dich einfach auf den Arm nimmt.
die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen
Literally – to play the insulted liver sausage
English equivalent – to be a sorehead
Meaning – to be bad-tempered or to get angry easily
Usage – Es war nur ein Witz. Spiel nicht die beleidigte Leberwurst!
Kein Schwein war da
Literally – There weren’t any pigs there.
English equivalent – There was one man and his dog.
Meaning – Nobody was there.
Usage – Die Party war ein Misserfolg. Kein Schwein war da.
Schwein haben
Literally – to have a pig
English equivalent – to have a stroke of luck
Meaning – something good happens unexpectedly
Usage – Das Vorstellungsgespräch verlief gut. Ich habe Schwein gehabt!
Es geht um die Wurst
Literally – It’s all about the sausage.
English equivalent – It’s now or never.
Meaning something must be done immediately
Usage – Du hast keine Zeit, später darüber nachzudenken. Es geht um die Wurst.
unter aller Sau
Literally – under all pig
English equivalent – It stinks or sucks
Meaning – something is really very bad
Usage – Mein Spanisch ist unter aller Sau.
schlafen wie ein Murmeltier
Literally – to sleep like a woodchuck
English equivalent – to sleep like a log
Meaning – to sleep very soundly or deeply
Usage – Sie ist völlig erschöpft. Heute schläft sie wie ein Murmeltier.
die Kirche im Dorf lassen
Literally – to leave the church in the village
English equivalent – to not get carried away
Meaning – to not lose control of your behaviour
Usage – Morgen ist dein erster Tag in der Hochschule. Bitte lass die Kirche im Dorf !
dumm wie Bohnenstroh
Literally – dumb as a bean straw
English equivalent – as thick as a brick
Meaning – extremely stupid or dimwitted
Usage – Er ist dumm wie Bohnenstroh.
Da steppt der Bär
Literally – There dances the bear.
Meaning – It will be a good party.
Usage – Wir laden euch zu der Geburtstagsfeier ein. Da steppt der Bär!
ein Ohr abkauen
Literally – to chew a ear off
English equivalent – to talk someone’s ear off
Meaning – to talk to someone for a long time
Usage – Jedes Mal, wenn ich sie anrufe, kaut sie mir das Ohr ab.
um den heißen Brei herumreden
Literally – to talk around the hot porridge
English equivalent – to beat around the bush
Meaning – to delay or avoid talking about something important
Usage – Anna redet um den heißen Brei herum, weil sie die Prüfung nicht bestanden hat. Funny German Expressions
Wo sich Fuchs und Hase gute Nacht sagen
Literally – Where fox and hare say goodnight to one another.
English equivalent – out in the sticks or in the middle of nowhere
Meaning – a very remote area
Can you make a sentence using this idiom? Please write your answers in the comment section below.
Now that you know these funny German idioms, it’s time to start using them in your sentences and impress others!
