Home Language HacksExpressions & Idioms 50 Amusing German Phrases That Will Brighten Your Day

50 Amusing German Phrases That Will Brighten Your Day

by Michele
8 comments
Amusing German Phrases and Infographic
The Intrepid Guide contains affiliate links. At no cost to you, I will earn a commission which helps reduce the ever-increasing costs of keeping this site active. Thank you for your support.

Can you get through this amusing list of German Phrases translated into English without laughing your ass off?

Germans aren’t known for their humour. When it comes to German grammar, you can’t help but laugh at its complex rules and figuring out which article to use for each case. It’s so confusing that there’s no other way to express your frustration but laugh. These German phrases will have you laughing for less stressful reasons.

German idioms are a constant source of hilarity, especially when directly translated into English. So, in honour of native speakers and German language students, I thought I’d share this extensive list of common German phrases that most native speakers use regularly but probably didn’t even realise were all that funny…until now.

When you first start out speaking a foreign language, you’ll have quite a few near misses. Sometimes you’ll translate things literally, or simply forget to apply a grammar rule. This happens with the German language and all many other languages. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or in need of a refresher, check out these popular German courses by German teacher Kerstin Cable from Fluent Languages.

Now, let’s take a look at some funny German phrases.

English German Meaning
Now it goes around the sausage Jetzt geht’s um die Wurst All or nothing
There you are on the woodway Du bist auf dem Holzweg You are completely wrong
My hair stands up to the mountain Mir stehen die Haare zu Berge I’ve got goosebumps
I understand only train station Ich versteh nur Bahnhof I have no idea what you are saying
Sorry but my English is under all pig Tut mir leid, aber mein Englisch ist under aller Sau Sorry, but my English is just the worst
I think I spider Ich glaub, ich spinner I believe I’m dreaming
The Devil I will do! Den Teufel werd ich tun! I will NOT do that!
Come on, jump over your shadow Komm schon, spring über deinen Schatten Get out of your comfort zone
You walk me animally on the cookie Du gehts mir tierisch auf den Keks You are getting on my nerves, Massively
Holla the wood fairy Holla die Waidfee Well, that’s unexpected
I see black for you Ich seh schwarz für dich I don’t see any good news coming your way
You are such a fear-rabbit Du bist so ein Angsthase You are so easily scared
You might tick incorrectly Sie ticken doch ganz nicht richtig You are stupid
You are missing cups in your cupboard Du hast nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank You’re crazy
You have a bird Du hast doch einen Vogel You are crazy
She had a circleruntogetherbreak Sie hatten einen Kreislaufzusammenbruch She fainted
I fall from all clouds Ich falle aus allen Wolken I have not expected this
No one can reach me the water Niemand kann mir das Wasser reichen Nobody is better than me
You are the yellow from the egg Du bist das Gelbe vom Ei You are all I’m looking for
It runs me ice cold down my back Es laûft mir eiskalt den Rücken runter My blood runs cold
I’m foxdevilswind Ich bin fuchsteufelswild I’m super mad
That makes me nobody so quickly after Das macht mir so schnell keiner nach No one will copy that so easily
Now we have the salad Nun haben wir den Salat Well, here we have what we deserve
I think my pig whistles Ich glaud mein Schwein pfeift I believe I’m dreaming
You can slide my back down Du kannst Mir den Buckel runter rutschen Leave me alone / get out of here
My dear Mr Singing Club Mein lieber Herr Gesangsverein Impressive
That goes off like Schmitz’ cat Das geht ab wie Schmitz Katze That escalated quickly
I laugh me broken Ich lach mich kaputt You got to be kidding me
You will come in devil’s kitchen Du kommst in Teufelsküche You’re in deep trouble
The motive holies the means Das Motiv heiligt die Mittel Anything’s a dildo if you’re brave enough
I make me out of the dust Ich mach mich aus dem Staub I’m leaving
You have a crack in your dish Du hast nen Sprung in der Schüssel You’re crazy
Now we sit here in the ink Nun sitzen wir hier in der Tinte We’re in trouble
Now the oven is out Nun ist der Ofen aus Game over. Nothing else to expect
I have now really my nose full Ich hab jetzt echt de Nase voll Enough of that bullshit
You luck mushroom Du Glüchspilz You lucky man
I get the crisis Ich krieg die Krise I’m going mad
You’re a pea counter Du bist ein Erbsenzähler You are very nit picky
Dead said live longer Totgesagte leben länger Don’t write it off too early
I stand on the tube Ich steh auf dem Schlauch I have no idea what is going on
Everything for the cat Alles für die Katz’ All for nothing
A stone falls from my heart Mir fällt ein Stein vom Herzen I’m relieved
Now it punches Thirteen Nun schlägt’s aber dreizehn That’s enough
That fits on no cowskin Das passt auf keine Kuhhaut Your lies are unbelieveable
You can take poison on that Darauf kannst du Gift nehmen You can bet on it
You helped me no meter further Du hast mir keinen Meter weitergeholfen Your advice was a waste of time
There you are looking stupid out of the laundry Da guckst du dumm aus der Wäsche You didn’t expect that, no?
There the dog goes crazy in the pan Da wird er Hund ind er Pfanne verrückt That’s unbelievable
Put a tooth on it Leg einen Zahn drauf Be quicker
Lid down, monkey dead Klapp zu, Affe tot That’s it

Traveling to Germany? Get my free German travel phrase guide here.


Want more hilarious German expressions? Watch this!

German Idioms Infographic

Like it? Pin it for later!

German Phrases infographic


Push past the plateau with Weekly German Workouts by Dr Popkins

Dr. Popkins - Weekly German WorkoutsLearning German? If you’re at a solid upper beginner, starting intermediate level with your German, or an intermediate student looking to consolidate), this is your chance to speak more confident German in a matter of weeks. Weekly German Workouts is created by exceptional polyglot, Dr. Gareth Popkins from How to Get Fluent, he’s also a great friend of mine. Dr Popkins is one of the most passionate language learners I’ve ever met. He brings so much personal experience to his courses which is hard to find. Don’t miss this offer!

This course is for you if: 

  • you’re an “upper beginner” or “lower intermediate” German learner (level A2 to B1);
  • you have trouble understanding everyday spoken German and want to hone your listening skills with native conversational audio; 
  • you need to expand your command of common words and phrases;
  • you want clear explanations of new grammar patterns and a chance to practise them.

Join Weekly German Workouts here


Learning German? Then you’ll love these…

Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!

Going to Germany?


Sources Imgur.comImgur.com


Over to you!

Which one of these hilarious German expressions is your favourite? Do you know any other German idioms?
Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.

Get my best language and travel tips FREE by email...

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive detailed travel guides, exclusive travel and language learning tips, priority access to giveaways and more!

I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

8 comments

Burghardt February 20, 2018 - 16:26

I have another one:

I believe me kicks a horse

Reply
Michele February 21, 2018 - 11:30

hahah Great! Do you have the German translation?

Reply
Elisa February 22, 2018 - 19:13

Ich glaub mich tritt ein Pferd , I believe I am kicked by a horse, I can believe that

Reply
Jane August 13, 2017 - 11:59

Isn’t Das Motiv heiligt die Mittel- the end justifies the means? Or is that what the phrase used means figuratively too?

Reply
Michele August 25, 2017 - 11:42

Hi Jane, that’s another translation for it. A much less vulgar one :)

Reply
Oliver June 25, 2017 - 14:05

This is fun in germany as well ;-) we call it :english for runaways

Reply
milanka poljak February 24, 2017 - 14:21

danke

Reply
Michele February 24, 2017 - 22:22

You’re very welcome :) Hope you enjoyed them!

Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.