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German Idioms | |
No. 51 - 100 |
Idioms No. 51 - 100 |
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| No. | Listen | German Idiom | English Translation | ||
| 51. | für nichts und wieder nichts | for nothing at all | |||
| [fy:ə nɪçts ʊnt 'vi:dɐ nɪçts] | |||||
| Literally: for nothing and again nothing | |||||
| 52. | dumm aus der Wäsche gucken | to look dumbfounded | |||
| [dʊm aus de:ɐ 'vɛʃə 'kʊkən] | |||||
| Literally: to look stupid out of the linen | |||||
| 53. | Mit Speck fängt man Mäuse. | Good bait catches fine fish. | |||
| [mɪt ʃpɛk fɛŋt man 'mɔyzə] | |||||
| Literally: With bacon fat you catch mice. | |||||
| 54. | die Kuh vom Eis holen | to save the situation | |||
| [di: ku: fɔm ais 'ho:lən] | |||||
| Literally: to get the cow from the ice | |||||
| 55. | jemanden (←accusative) auf Trab bringen | to bring somebody up to speed | |||
| ['je:mandən auf tra:p 'brɪŋən] | |||||
| Literally: to bring somebody on trot | |||||
| 56. | Keine Ahnung. | No idea. | |||
| ['kainə 'a:nʊŋ] | |||||
| 57. | jemandem (←dative) alles Gute wünschen | to wish somebody well | |||
| ['je:mandəm 'aləs 'gu:tə 'vʏnʃən] | |||||
| Literally: to wish somebody all good | |||||
| 58. | Halt die Ohren steif! | Keep a stiff upper lip! | |||
| [halt di: 'o:rən ʃtaif] | |||||
| Literally: Keep the ears stiff! | |||||
| 59. | sich in die Nesseln setzen | to get in hot water |
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| [zɪç ɪn di: 'nɛsəln 'zɛtsən] | |||||
| Literally: to sit down in the nettles | |||||
| 60. | Alles hat einmal ein Ende. | It is a long lane that has no turning. |
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| ['aləs hat 'ainma:l ain 'ɛndə] | |||||
| Literally: Everything has an end some day. | |||||
| 61. | Adel verpflichtet. | Noblesse oblige. |
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| ['a:dəl fɛɐ'pflɪçtət] | |||||
| 62. | Holzauge, sei wachsam! | Keep your eyes peeled! | |||
| ['hɔltsaugə zai 'vaxza:m] | |||||
| Literally: Wooden eye, be watchful! | |||||
| 63. | Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual. | The bigger the choice, the harder it is to choose. | |||
| [ve:ɐ di: va:l hat, hat di: kva:l] | |||||
| Literally: Whoever has the choice has the torment. | |||||
| 64. | Gebranntes Kind scheut das Feuer. | Once bitten, twice shy. | |||
| [gə'brantəs kɪnt ʃɔyt das 'fɔyɐ] | |||||
| Literally: Burnt child dreads the fire. | |||||
| 65. | Da wird doch der Hund in der Pfanne verrückt. | It's enough to drive a person mad. | |||
| [da: vɪrt dɔx de:ɐ hʊnt ɪn de:ɐ 'pfanə fɛɐ'rʏkt] | |||||
| Literally: That's when the dog in the pan goes crazy. | |||||
| 66. | die Katze im Sack kaufen | to buy a pig in a poke | |||
| [di: 'katsə ɪm zak 'kaufən] | |||||
| Literally: to buy the cat in the sack | |||||
| 67. | Was man nicht im Kopf hat, muss man in den Beinen haben. | Use your head to save your heels. | |||
| [vas man nɪçt ɪm kɔpf hat, mʊs man ɪn de:n 'bainən 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: What you do not have in the head, you must have in the legs. | |||||
| 68. | Kleider machen Leute. | Fine feathers make fine birds. | |||
| ['klaidɐ 'maxən 'lɔytə] | |||||
| Literally: Clothes make people. | |||||
| 69. | mit dem Strom (←dative) schwimmen | to go with the flow/tide | |||
| [mɪt de:m ʃtro:m 'ʃvɪmən] | |||||
| Literally: to swim with the stream | |||||
| 70. | als Kind zu heiß gebadet worden sein | to have been dropped on one's head as a baby. | |||
| [als kɪnt tsu: hais gə'ba:dət 'vɔrdən zain] | |||||
| Literally: to have been bathed too hot as a child | |||||
| 71. | Eigenlob stinkt. | He that praises himself spatters himself. | |||
| ['aigənlo:p ʃtɪŋkt] | |||||
| Literally: Self-praise stinks. | |||||
| 72. | sein Herz auf der Zunge tragen | to wear one's heart on one's sleeve | |||
| [zain hɛrts auf de:ɐ 'tsʊŋə 'tra:gən] | |||||
| Literally: to wear one's heart on the tongue | |||||
| 73. | über Gott und die Welt reden | to talk about anything and everything | |||
| ['y:bɐ gɔt ʊnt di: vɛlt 're:dən] | |||||
| Literally: to talk about God and the world | |||||
| 74. | Wer andern eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein. | The biter will be bitten. | |||
| [ve:ɐ 'andɐn 'ainə 'gru:bə grɛ:pt, fɛlt zɛlpst hɪ'nain] | |||||
| Literally: Who digs a pit for others, falls into it himself. | |||||
| 75. | Ehre, wem Ehre gebührt. | To each saint his candle. | |||
| ['e:rə, ve:m 'e:rə gə'by:ət] | |||||
| Literally: Honour to whom honour is due. | |||||
| 76. | mit der Tür ins Haus fallen | to go like a bull at a gate | |||
| [mɪt de:ɐ ty:ə ɪns haus 'falən] | |||||
| Literally: to fall into the house with the door | |||||
| 77. | Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall. | Pride goes before a fall. | |||
| ['ho:xmu:t kɔmt vɔɐ de:m fal] | |||||
| Literally: Arrogance comes before the fall. | |||||
| 78. | Morgenstund' hat Gold im Mund. | Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. | |||
| ['mɔrgənʃtʊnt hat gɔlt ɪm mʊnt] | |||||
| Literally: Morning hour has gold in the mouth. | |||||
| 79. | Der Zug ist abgefahren. | You've missed the boat. | |||
| [de:ɐ tsu:k ɪst 'apgəfa:rən] | |||||
| Literally: The train has left. | |||||
| 80. | Die Welt ist ein Dorf. | It's a small world. | |||
| [di: vɛlt ɪst ain dɔrf] | |||||
| Literally: The world is a village. | |||||
| 81. | ein Wolf im Schafspelz sein | to be a wolf in sheep's clothing | |||
| [ain vɔlf ɪm 'ʃa:fspɛlts zain] | |||||
| Literally: to be a wolf in the sheep's fur | |||||
| 82. | Das ist ein starkes Stück! | That's pretty steep! | |||
| [das ɪst ain 'ʃtarkəs ʃtʏk] | |||||
| Literally: That's a thick piece! | |||||
| 83. | mit jemandem (←dative) ein Hühnchen zu rupfen haben | to have a bone to pick with somebody | |||
| [mɪt 'je:mandəm ain 'hy:nçən tsu: 'rʊpfən 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have a spring chicken to pluck with somebody | |||||
| 84. | die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen | to be a sorehead | |||
| [di: bə'laidɪçtə 'le:bɐvʊrst 'ʃpi:lən] | |||||
| Literally: to play the insulted liver sausage | |||||
| 85. | seine Schäfchen ins Trockene gebracht haben | to be home and dry | |||
| ['zainə 'ʃɛ:fçən ɪns 'trɔkənə gə'braxt 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have brought one's little sheep into the dry | |||||
| 86. | den Bock zum Gärtner machen | to set a fox to keep the geese | |||
| [de:n bɔk tsʊm 'gɛrtnɐ 'maxən] | |||||
| Literally: to make the billy goat the gardener | |||||
| 87. | die Kirche im Dorf lassen | not to get carried away | |||
| [di: 'kɪrçə ɪm dɔrf 'lasən] | |||||
| Literally: to leave the church in the village | |||||
| 88. | Klappern gehört zum Handwerk. | Puff is part of the trade. | |||
| ['klapɐn gə'hø:ɐt tsʊm 'hantvɛrk] | |||||
| Literally: Rattling belongs to the trade. | |||||
| 89. | einen Narren an jemandem (←dative) gefressen haben | to be dotty about somebody | |||
| ['ainən 'narən an 'je:mandəm gə'frɛsən ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have eaten a fool about somebody | |||||
| 90. | Von ihm/ihr (←dative) kann man sich eine Scheibe abschneiden. | You can take a leaf out of his/her book. | |||
| [fɔn i:m/i:ə kan man zɪç 'ainə 'ʃaibə 'apʃnaidən] | |||||
| Literally: You can cut a slice off him/her. | |||||
| 91. | jemandem (←dative) das Wasser nicht reichen können | to be unable to hold a candle to someone | |||
| ['je:mandəm das 'vasɐ nɪçt 'raiçən ˈkœnən] | |||||
| Literally: to be unable to hand somebody the water | |||||
| 92. | jemandem (←dative) die Stirn bieten | to defy somebody | |||
| ['je:mandəm di: ʃtɪrn bi:tən] | |||||
| Literally: to show somebody the forehead | |||||
| 93. | Hier spielt die Musik! | This is where it's at! | |||
| [hi:ə ʃpi:lt di: mu'zi:k] | |||||
| Literally: Here plays the music! | |||||
| 94. | Wenn..., dann bin ich der Kaiser von China! | If..., then I'm a Chinaman! | |||
| [vɛn..., dan bɪn ɪç de:ɐ 'kaizɐ fɔn 'çi:na] | |||||
| Literally: If..., then I am the emperor of China! | |||||
| 95. | ein dickes Fell haben | to be thick-skinned | |||
| [ain 'dɪkəs fɛl 'ha:bən] | |||||
| Literally: to have a thick fur | |||||
| 96. | Hinz und Kunz | every Tom, Dick and Harry | |||
| [hɪnts ʊnt kʊnts] | |||||
| Literally: Hinz and Kunz (German family names) | |||||
| 97. | der letzte Schrei sein | to be all the rage | |||
| [de:ɐ 'lɛtstə ʃrai zain] | |||||
| Literally: to be the last cry | |||||
| 98. | Augen zu und durch! | Grit your teeth and get to it! | |||
| ['augən tsu: ʊnt dʊrç] | |||||
| Literally: Eyes closed and through! | |||||
| 99. | Die dümmsten Bauern haben die dicksten Kartoffeln. | Fortune favours fools. | |||
| [di: 'dʏmstən 'bauɐn 'ha:bən di: 'dɪkstən kar'tɔfəln] | |||||
| Literally: The most stupid farmers have the biggest potatoes. | |||||
| 100. | Ein guter Hahn wird selten fett. | A sexually active man remains fit. | |||
| [ain 'gu:tɐ ha:n vɪrt 'zɛltən fɛt] | |||||
| Literally: A good cock seldom becomes fat. | |||||
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