German idioms (die Redewendung, pl. Redewendungen) and proverbs (das Sprichwort, pl. Sprichwörter) bring everyday conversations, podcasts, and films to life. You can know every vocabulary word in a sentence and still miss the point if someone tells you they only understand train station or have tomatoes on their eyes.
Notice how idioms also reinforce real grammar: inside fixed expressions you see dative pronouns (Das ist mir Wurst), reflexive datives (sich etwas hinter die Ohren schreiben), and noun genders in action. Pair these expressions with everyday polite structures in Functional Phrases for Daily Life.
1. Animal Idioms (Tierische Redewendungen)
Animals star in some of the most colorful phrases in spoken German—often with meanings quite different from English expectations:
| German Idiom | Literal Meaning | Natural English Equivalent | Example in Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Da liegt der Hund begraben. | That’s where the dog is buried. | That’s where the real problem lies. | Die Kosten (die Kosten, pl.) sind zu hoch—da liegt der Hund (der Hund) begraben. |
| Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen. | To let the cat out of the bag. | To reveal a secret. | Wann lässt du endlich die Katze (die Katze) aus dem Sack (der Sack)? |
| Schwein haben. | To have pig. | To be lucky / have a stroke of luck. | Du hast echt Schwein (das Schwein) gehabt, dass der Zug (der Zug) gewartet hat! |
| Da steppt der Bär! | The bear is tap-dancing there! | That’s where the party is! / It’s lively there! | Am Wochenende (das Wochenende) gehen wir in diesen Club—da steppt der Bär (der Bär)! |
Watch out especially for Schwein haben: English speakers sometimes guess it means “to be messy” or “to be greedy”, yet in German it always means to get lucky (often unexpectedly).
2. Everyday Expressions
Two iconic German phrases capture confusion and overlooking the obvious:
- Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. — “I don’t understand a thing.” (Lit: I only understand train station.)
- Use this when someone uses heavy technical jargon or speaks way too fast—never to mean you are literally lost at the station!
- Kannst du das langsamer erklären? Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (der Bahnhof).
- Tomaten auf den Augen haben. — “To fail to see what is right in front of you.” (Lit: To have tomatoes on one’s eyes.)
- Der Schlüssel (der Schlüssel) liegt direkt neben dir—du hast wohl Tomaten (die Tomate, pl.) auf den Augen (das Auge, pl.)!
3. Body Idioms (Körper)
Body-part idioms frequently require a dative person (mir, dir, jemandem) or a reflexive dative pronoun (mir, dir, sich) showing who is affected:
| German Idiom | Literal Gloss | Meaning & Grammar Note |
|---|---|---|
| Daumen drücken. | To press thumbs. | To keep one’s fingers crossed (wish someone luck). Often with dative: Ich drücke dir die Daumen (der Daumen, pl.)! |
| Sich etwas hinter die Ohren schreiben. | To write something behind one’s ears. | To take a warning or lesson to heart and never forget it. (Schreib dir das hinter die Ohren [das Ohr, pl.]!) |
| Auf großem Fuß leben. | To live on a big foot. | To live extravagantly / live the high life. |
| Jemandem auf die Nerven gehen. | To walk on someone’s nerves. | To get on someone’s nerves / annoy someone. Uses dative (Du gehst mir auf die Nerven [der Nerv, pl.]!). |
Notice that Germans press their thumbs (Daumen drücken) rather than crossing their fingers when wishing a friend good luck before an exam or interview.
4. Food & Drink Idioms (Essen & Trinken)
Sausage, mustard, and beer carry plenty of everyday conversational attitude in German:
| German Idiom | Literal Gloss | Meaning & Register |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist mir Wurst. | That is sausage to me. | I don’t care / It’s all the same to me (= Das ist mir egal). Casual/colloquial; also wurscht. |
| Seinen Senf dazugeben. | To add one’s mustard to it. | To put in one’s two cents / give an unasked opinion (Musst du immer deinen Senf [der Senf] dazugeben?). |
| Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. | Everything has an end, only the sausage has two. | Lighthearted saying at partings, closing events, or the end of a vacation. |
| Das ist nicht mein Bier. | That’s not my beer. | That’s not my problem / none of my business (Mach, was du willst—das ist nicht mein Bier [das Bier].). |
Remember that Das ist mir Wurst has nothing to do with being hungry or liking sausage—it simply expresses casual indifference (“It’s all the same to me”).
5. Everyday Wisdom (Sprichwörter)
Unlike Redewendungen that conjugate around a subject, proverbs (Sprichwörter) are memorized in one fixed form:
- Übung macht den Meister. — Practice makes perfect. (Lit: Practice makes the master [der Meister, acc.].)
- Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund. — The early bird catches the worm. (Lit: Morning hour has gold [das Gold] in the mouth [der Mund].)
- Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten. — He who laughs last, laughs best.
- Aller Anfang ist schwer. — Every beginning is hard. (Lit: All beginning [der Anfang] is hard.)
- Ohne Fleiß kein Preis. — No pain, no gain. (Lit: Without diligence [der Fleiß], no prize [der Preis].)
Common Mistakes (Wrong vs. Right)
| Misinterpretation or Mistake (Wrong) | Accurate Usage & Meaning (Right) | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Using “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof” to say you are lost at a station | Use it to say “I don’t understand anything” (Ich habe kein Wort verstanden). | Bahnhof verstehen is strictly about comprehension, not physical directions. |
| Translating “Schwein haben” as “to be messy/greedy” | Use Schwein haben for unexpected good luck (Wir hatten heute Glück / Schwein). | Unlike English pig, Schwein in this idiom is purely positive. |
| Saying “Ich drücke die Finger für dich” | Ich drücke dir die Daumen! | German crosses nothing—it presses thumbs and names the person in the dative. |
| Writing “Das ist mir Wurst” in a formal business email | Use Das ist mir gleich or Das spielt für mich keine Rolle. | Wurst and mein Bier belong in casual speech with friends and close peers. |
| Translating “Das geht mich auf die Nerven” | Das geht mir auf die Nerven. | Jemandem auf die Nerven gehen requires the dative pronoun (mir), not accusative mich. |
Try slipping one or two of these idioms into your vocabulary cards alongside False Friends (Falsche Freunde)—spotting colorful German expressions in context makes listening practice far more rewarding.