10 German Sayings and Idioms You Can Use in Conversation
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German is full of Redewendungen: fixed expressions whose meaning is usually more colourful than the individual words suggest. They are often called German sayings in English, but most of the examples below are idioms or colloquial expressions rather than proverbs. A Sprichwort is normally a complete sentence that offers a piece of general wisdom.
Learn these as complete chunks, including the situation and register. A literal translation helps you remember the image, while the natural translation tells you what the speaker means.
| German expression | Natural meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| einen dicken Hals haben | to be really angry | informal |
| die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen | to sulk or act offended | informal, teasing |
| jemandem auf den Keks gehen | to get on someone's nerves | informal, direct |
| ins Fettnäpfchen treten | to put your foot in it | informal, humorous |
| Ich hab dich lieb | I love you; I'm fond of you | affectionate |
| bis über beide Ohren verliebt sein | to be head over heels in love | neutral |
| Jetzt geht es um die Wurst | Now it really counts | informal |
| einen Kater haben | to have a hangover | informal |
| Das ist nicht mein Bier | That's none of my business | informal, potentially brusque |
| Da steppt der Bär | That's where the action is | informal |
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1. Ich habe einen dicken Hals
The fixed expression einen dicken Hals haben literally means “to have a thick neck”. In conversation, it means that someone is very angry. It is informal, so save it for casual speech rather than a formal complaint.
Example: Nach dieser Ausrede hatte ich einen dicken Hals. “I was furious after that excuse.”
2. Warum spielst du die beleidigte Leberwurst?
Die beleidigte Leberwurst spielen means “to sulk” or “to act offended”, although the literal image is “to play the offended liver sausage”. The phrase is informal and teasing. It can sound dismissive if the other person has a genuine reason to be upset.
Example: Warum spielst du jetzt die beleidigte Leberwurst? “Why are you sulking now?”
3. Du gehst mir auf den Keks
If something geht mir auf den Keks, it gets on my nerves. The literal image is something “going on my biscuit”. This is a common informal expression, but it is not especially polite when you aim it directly at a person.
Example: Die ständige Werbung geht mir auf den Keks. “The constant advertising gets on my nerves.”
4. Ins Fettnäpfchen treten
Ins Fettnäpfchen treten is what you do when you make an awkward remark or social mistake: you “put your foot in it”. The literal translation is “to step into the little bowl of fat”. The expression comes from the small container of grease once kept near the door for treating leather boots.
Example: Mit meiner Frage bin ich ins Fettnäpfchen getreten. “I put my foot in it with my question.”
5. Ich hab dich lieb
Ich hab dich lieb expresses affection and can mean “I love you” or “I'm fond of you”. You can hear it between family members, close friends and romantic partners. It often feels softer than Ich liebe dich, but German does not have two fixed “stages” of love. The relationship and the speaker's habits matter.
Example: Gute Nacht, Mama. Ich hab dich lieb. “Goodnight, Mum. I love you.”
6. Ich bin bis über beide Ohren verliebt
If you are bis über beide Ohren verliebt, you are head over heels in love. The German image puts you “in love up over both ears”. It describes being deeply smitten, not a separate category of romantic feeling.
Example: Er ist bis über beide Ohren verliebt. “He's head over heels in love.”
7. Jetzt geht es um die Wurst
Jetzt geht es um die Wurst literally means “now it's about the sausage”. People use it when a decision matters and everyone needs to give their full effort. Natural English versions include “now it really counts” and “this is the crunch”.
Example: Im Finale geht es um die Wurst. “Everything is at stake in the final.”
8. Ich habe einen Kater
Ich habe einen Kater means “I have a hangover”. Der Kater can literally mean a male cat, but “hangover” is another established, informal meaning of the word. The compound Muskelkater means muscle soreness after exercise.
I've never had to use this phrase myself, but I heard it often on weekend mornings after we'd been out to bars and clubs.
Example: Nach der Feier hatte ich einen Kater. “I had a hangover after the party.”
9. Das ist nicht mein Bier
Das ist nicht mein Bier means “that's none of my business” or “that's not my problem”. It is informal and can sound brusque, so it is better for situations where you genuinely want to distance yourself from the issue. Despite the modern spelling, the phrase probably developed from a regional word related to Birne, or “pear”, rather than from a rule about sharing beer.
Example: Wer das organisiert? Das ist nicht mein Bier. “Who's organising it? That's none of my business.”
10. Da steppt der Bär
Da steppt der Bär means that a place is lively or that plenty is happening there. Literally, “the bear tap-dances there”. You can switch da for hier or name a place. Like many comments about a party, it can also be sarcastic if the speaker's tone says the opposite.
Example: Auf dem Stadtfest steppt heute der Bär. “The town festival is really lively today.”
Pick two expressions that fit conversations you already have and learn each one with its example. That will help you remember the grammar and avoid forcing an idiom into the wrong situation. You can build from there with these ways to start a German conversation.
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