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LEARNING GERMAN

12 colourful German expressions that’ll add swagger to your language skills

Idioms in a foreign language are some of the hardest things to master. Here are some fun German idioms to give you a head start.

Published: 14 October 2019 16:44 CEST
Updated: 21 June 2022 17:36 CEST
Polar bear twins Kaja and Skadi at the zoo in Rostock.
Polar bear twins Kaja and Skadi at the zoo in Rostock. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Bernd Wüstneck

However bamboozling expressions and phrases are at first, it’s definitely worth learning a few. At the least, you’ll have you’re native speaking friends cracking up at the fact that you can pull such pro-level German out of the bag. Plus, they add a level of comedy to language that always makes it more fun to speak.

1. “Jemandem einen Bären aufbinden”

Photo: DPA

Literally translated as “to tie a bear on someone”, this idiom has nothing to do with big furry beasts. The closest English equivalent is probably “to take someone for a ride” – essentially to deceive or mislead someone. With all the pitfalls of moving to a new country, it’s a phrase you may be the subject of in your early weeks in Germany.

2. “Die Kirche im Dorf lassen”

Photo: Creative Commons

Translating as “leave the church in the village”, this one is probably more relevant in the rural, conservative areas! This idiom advises you to play it safe, or not to get carried away. Maybe a sound warning to a young person arriving in Germany from abroad for the first time…

3. “Wer weiß, warum die Gänse barfuß gehen”

Photo: DPA

“Who knows why geese walk barefoot” sounds like something Confucius might have said. An artful way to say, “that’s just how it is”. In other words, life is filled to the brim with pointless and idiotic realities. 99 percent of adulthood is wading through this bog of contradictions without thinking too much about it, making this idiom a handy one.

4. “Eine einzige Nuss rappelt nicht im Sacke” 

Photo: DPA

Literally, it means: “a single nut doesn’t rattle in the sack”. The perfect illustration of an opaque translation. Funnily enough, one way to understand this is through another German idiom: “einmal ist keinmal” – “once doesn’t count”. Essentially, this idiom implies that a single event is not statistically significant, or perhaps that a mistake can be forgiven the first time.

5. “Der Fisch stinkt vom Kopf her”

Photo: DPA

Translated as “the fish starts stinking from the head”, this one seems particularly useful in the current climate of resentment towards political, business and industry leaders.

Attacking the idea that blame always trickles down, this phrase says that the problems always start at the top. Certainly one to be used in your next political debate.

6. “Ich bin keine Kuh, die man melken kann”

Photo: DPA

Perhaps a bit more straight forward, this idiom translates directly as “I’m not a cow to be milked”. Save this one for your friend that always turns to you at the front of the shop queue or at the bar, asking if you could cover for them just once more.

7. “Mit Pauken und Trompeten durchfallen”

Photo: DPA

Again one that makes sense more literally: “to go down with drums and trumpets”. To fail is to be human. The real distinction is in how we fail. This saying means to go down gloriously, all guns blazing, or to go out with a bang.

8. “Er hat das Pulver nicht gerade erfunden”

Photo: DPA

We might say that someone is “not the sharpest pencil in the pack”, and this is the German equivalent. Literally “he didn’t exactly invent gunpowder”, this is a good phrase to describe a friend when they do something a little on the stupid side!

9. “Wer Feuer frißt, scheißt Funken”

Photo: DPA

Quite bluntly: “he who eats fire s**ts sparks”. A masterpiece of German brevity and straight-forwardness. Perhaps the equivalent of “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword”. In other words: you have to stand by the consequences of your actions.

10. “Das ist ein Streit um des Kaisers Bart”

Photo: Richard Brend’amour, Krieg und Sieg 1870-71, publisher: Julius von Pflugk-Harttung / Wiki Commons

This idiom translates as “this is an argument over the emperor’s beard”. If you ever find yourself caught up in an argument with a German, and they resort to semantic arguments, or being ridiculously pedantic, this is the phrase to use. The English equivalent would be “to split hairs”. That is, to make small and overly fine distinctions.

11. “Einen Vogel haben”

Photo: DPA

The direct translation of this one won’t help: “to have a bird”. But when a German speaker asks you, “Hast Du einen Vogel?”, they’re omitting the implied “im Kopf” (“in you head”). No, they’re not enquiring about your pet ownership. They’re calling you crazy. If someone has asked you this and you told them about your beloved parrot, then we’re sorry to break the bad news.

12. “Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei”

Photo: DPA

“Everything has an end, only the sausage has two”. Of course the Germans have a sausage idiom, and this is certainly not the only one. It’s pretty clear what they’re saying, but it’s beautiful in its Teutonic pragmatism and simplicity.

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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