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German Idioms > German Idiom 1 > Flashcards

German Idiom 1 Flashcards

(48 cards)

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1
Q

ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen

A

a fish out of water

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2
Q

Da liegt der Hund begraben

A

That’s the heart of the matter

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3
Q

Die Daumen drücken!

A

Keep your fingers crossed!

Viel Glück! Ich drücke dir die Daumen!

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4
Q

Wo sich Fuchs und Hase gute Nacht sagen

A

Literally: Where fox and hare say goodnight to one another

English Equivalent: In the middle of nowhere or out in the sticks

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5
Q

Ich bin fix und fertig

A

Literally: I’m quick and ready

English Equivalent: I’m wiped out or I’m exhausted

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6
Q

Du nimmst mich auf den Arm!

A

Literally: You’re taking me on your arm!

English Equivalent: You’re pulling my leg!

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7
Q

Das ist ein Katzensprung

A

Literally: That’s a cat’s jump

English Equivalent: It’s a stone’s throw away

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8
Q

Schlafen wie ein Murmeltier

A

Literally: Sleep like a woodchuck [marmot]

English Equivalent: Sleep like a log

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9
Q

um den heißen Brei herumreden

A

Literally: to talk around the hot porridge
English Equivalent: to beat around the bush
‘Rede nicht um den heißen Brei herum’

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10
Q

Da kannst du Gift drauf nehmen

A

Literally: You can take poison on that

English Equivalent: You can bet your life on that

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11
Q

sich zum Affen machen

A

Literally: Make an ape of yourself

English Equivalent: Make a fool of yourself

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12
Q

zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen

A

Literally: kill two flies with one swat

English Equivalent: to kill two birds with one stone

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13
Q

eine Extrawurst haben

A

Literally: to ask for an extra sausage

English Equivalent: to ask for special treatment

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14
Q

Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung setzen

A

Literally: put heaven and hell in motion

English Equivalent: to move heaven and earth

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15
Q

Da steppt der Bär

Da brennt die Luft!

A

Literally: The bear dances there

English Equivalent: It will be a good party

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16
Q

Tomaten auf den Augen haben

A

Literally: to have tomatoes on one’s eyes

English Equivalent: to be oblivious to what is going around you

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17
Q

den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen

A

Literally: to hit the nail on the head

English Equivalent: to hit the nail on the head

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18
Q

Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof

A

Literally: I only understand “train station.”

English Equivalent: It’s all Greek to me

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19
Q

weggehen wie warme Semmeln

A

Literally: Go like warm rolls

English Equivalent: Go or sell like hot cakes

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20
Q

Er muss zu allem seinen Senf dazugeben

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A

Literally: To add your mustard to it

English Equivalent: Give their two cents worth

21
Q

wie seine Westentasche kennen

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A

Literally: to know something like one’s waistcoat pocket

English Equivalent: to know like the back of one’s hand

22
Q

Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben

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A

Literally: Don’t praise the day before the evening.

English Equivalent: Don’t count your chicks before they hatch

23
Q

ein Ohr abkauen

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A

Literally: to chew someone’s ear off

English Equivalent: to talk someone’s ear off

24
Q

klar wie Kloßbrühe

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A

Literally: clear as dumpling broth

English Equivalent: crystal clear

25
dumm wie Bohnenstroh
Literally: as dumb as a bean straw | English Equivalent: as thick as a brick
26
die Kirche im Dorf lassen
Literally: to leave the church in the village | English Equivalent: to not get carried away
27
ich habe Schwein gehabt
Literally: I’ve had a pig! | English equivalent: I’ve had a stroke of luck!
28
Lügen haben kurze Beine
people who lies will not go very far
29
Fix und fertig
‘I’m exhausted’.
30
Ich glaube ich spinne
I think I am going crazy
31
Mist!
Damn!
32
Einen Kater haben
You had too many pilsners at your friend’s party and regret it the following morning? Well, being hungover happens and you can surely make it through the day. But if you want to tell your German friends how you feel, you’ll need to say literally ‘I have a cat’: ‘ich habe einen Kater’.
33
Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei
Everything must end. Germany is a land of sausage and poets, and that’s probably why Germans came up with this popular poetic wisdom: ‘everything has an end, only the sausage has two’. Pragmatism and simplicity: the German conception of beauty.
34
Das ist mir Wurst.
It's all the same to me. | Literally: It's a sausage to me.
35
Es geht um die Wurst.
It's do or die / now or never / the moment of truth. | Literal: It's about the sausage.
36
Äpfel mit Birnen vergleichen.
Comparing apples and oranges | Literally: Comparing apples and pears
37
In des Teufels Küche sein.
To get into hot water | Literal: In the devil's kitchen
38
Dir haben sie wohl etwas in den Kaffee getan.
You've got to be kidding. | Literally: You've probably done something in/to the coffee
39
Die Radieschen von unten anschauen/betrachten
To be pushing up daisies (to be dead) | Literally: To see/view the radishes from below
40
Stochere nicht im Bienenstock.
Let sleeping dogs lie. | Literally: Don't poke around in the beehive.
41
Er hat einen dicken Kopf.
He's got a hangover. | Literally: He has a fat head.
42
Was ich nicht weiß, macht mich nicht heiß.
What you don't know, won't hurt you. | Literally: What I don't know won't burn me.
43
Er fällt immer mit der Tür ins Häuschen.
He always gets right to the point/just blurts it out. | Literally: He always falls into the house through the door.
44
Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks. | Literally: What little Hans didn't learn, adult Hans never will.
45
Wenn man dem Teufel den kleinen Finger gibt, so nimmt er die ganze Hand.
Give an inch; they'll take a mile. | Literally: If you give the devil your little finger, he'll take the whole hand.
46
am Ball bleiben
Literal translation: to stay on the ball Or, in proper English: to keep the ball rolling / to stay on top of things
47
am Katzentisch sitzen
Literal translation: to sit at the cat table Or, in proper English: to be excluded / to be relegated to the children’s table
48
aus der Reihe tanzen
Literal translation: to dance out of line Or, in proper English: to march to a different tune

German Idioms (1 decks)

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