Learn German Idioms and Proverbs for Better Fluency

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Idioms and proverbs are well-established expressions that have a specific, universally understood meaning. They make the language more versatile and colourful and are an important part of its cultural heritage. The German language contains more than two hundred thousand proverbs and tens of thousands of idioms while many of these expressions are shared with other European languages. Some of them can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, some to the biblical period in the Middle East whereas others have their origins in the Medieval Latin. Yet, many German proverbs and idioms are so old that their origins are unknown.

Despite their undeniable charm, the meaning of these expressions, particularly the idioms, can often confuse a non-native speaker. Idioms usually cannot be understood just by interpreting the meaning of individual words. Their actual meaning must be learned by heart. Idioms and proverbs are in German language frequently used by native speakers in regular day-to-day communication. If you are not familiar with them, you will not be able to understand the locals properly. Therefore, to achieve German fluency, you will have to learn quite a few German idioms by heart and make sure you understand the most common German proverbs.

What is the Difference between Idioms and Proverbs?

A proverb is a complete sentence that contains some popular folk wisdom or general observation. For example, “Morgenstunde hat Gold im Munde.”, means that waking up early or being an early starter increases the chances of success. The literal meaning of this German proverb is “The morning hour has gold in the mouth.” whereas the equivalent English proverb is “The early bird catches the worm.” Proverbs should not be altered. They should be used in their original, unchanged form. A German proverb may or may not make sense when translated literally in another language, depending on the cultural context.

An idiom is a phrase that has a specific meaning which cannot be derived from its literal wording or literal translation. For example, “einen Vogel haben” literally translates as “to have a bird” whereas the real meaning is “to be crazy” or “to have a screw loose “. An idiom can be built flexibly into a sentence.

Hence, the difference between the two is that a proverb is a fixed sentence conveying a message that can often be understood using a common sense whereas an idiom is just a fragment of a sentence the meaning of which usually differs from its literal meaning.

Why Bother Learning German Idioms and Proverbs?

Native German speakers commonly use idioms and proverbs in their daily speech. Therefore, in order to understand the native speakers properly you will need to learn the most frequently occurring German idioms and popular German proverbs. Moreover, using these expressions yourself will make you sound more natural and allow you to articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely. And last but not least, by learning German idioms and proverbs you will get a better insight into German culture and history.

The best Internet Resources for German Idioms

  • 90 Amazing German Idioms for Every Occasion to Speak German Fluently – As suggested by the title, these German phrases are essential if you want to become a fluent German speaker. For each German idiom there is an equivalent English expression and a literal translation as well as a brief explanation of the meaning and an example of use in context.
  • 100+ German Idioms and Expressions – A different selection of German idioms with some expressions that cannot be found on other lists mentioned on this page. Similarly to the one above, for each German idiom an English equivalent, a literal translation, a clarification of the meaning and an example of usage in a sentence are provided.
  • 425 deutsche Redewendungen – A downloadable 7-page PDF document containing 425 German idioms with short explanations in German. Ideal as a quick reference.
  • Sprichwörter und Redewendungen – A 52-page PDF document available for download, filled mostly with German idioms rather than proverbs as the title suggests. This illustrated book provides brief explanations, background information and examples of usage for each of the listed idioms. German language skills at least at level B2 are necessary as all texts are in German.
  • Liste deutscher Redewendungen – A long list of German idioms in alphabetical order from German Wikipedia with explanations in German.

German Idioms on YouTube

  • 47 Must-Know German Idioms to Understand and Use Yourself! – A selection of 47 high-frequency German idioms in a single video with explanations by Laura, a German language teacher from the US.
  • 100 Wichtige Deutsche Redewendungen mit Bedeutung & Beispielen – An over one hour long video containing 100 important German idioms with English explanations and usage examples from the YouTube channel German-With-Us.
  • Redewendungen für jeden Anlass (Idioms for every occasion) – A YouTube compilation by DeutschLera containing 22 videos dedicated to German idioms. These videos are suitable for German learners at proficiency levels B1-C1. All explanations are in German.
  • Deutsche Redewendungen (Deutsch B2 – Deutsch C2) – A playlist of 18 videos by Deutsch Plus, focusing on explaining the meanings of popular German idioms. Just like the one above, this channel is run by a German language teacher from Germany. The videos were developed for learners with skill levels B1-C2.
  • Deutsche Redewendungen (B2, C1, C2) – Yet another YouTube playlist devoted to German idioms. This one was composed by a German teacher Rieke and contains 23 videos. You need to be at least at level B2 to understand the explanations as they are all in German.

Where to Find German Proverbs on the Internet

  • 200 Wise German Sayings and Proverbs – The author’s personal selection of the 200 best-known German proverbs from wikiquote.org and their English equivalents. If interested, at wikiquote.org you can find an even larger alphabetical list of German proverbs.
  • German Proverbs from LanguageRealm (not for mobiles!) – An alphabetically listed collection of famous German proverbs with English equivalents and literal translations. Unfortunately, the website is old and does not have a responsive design, so it cannot be viewed on small portable devices such as smartphones.
  • 123 deutsche Sprichwörter mit Bedeutung (123 German proverbs with meanings) – This web page is in German language only. Scroll down for the alphabetical list of proverbs (Liste von A bis Z) with explanations.
  • Deutsche Sprichwörter und ihre Bedeutung (German proverbs and what they mean) – Yet another collection of German proverbs with explanations in German. There obviously are overlaps with selections listed above but you can find there some proverbs not appearing on previous lists. Scroll down for “Sprichwörter von A bis Z”, a table with 90 German proverbs.

German Proverbs on YouTube

  • How Similar Are German and English Proverbs and Sayings? Part 1 and Part 2 – In this two-part series, an Englishman living in Germany discusses similarities between German and English proverbs. In the first part he uses proverbs that have similar logic and can be translated word-for-word from one language into another. In the second part he took a closer look at German proverbs with the meaning that is hard to guess when translated literally into English.

There are so many idioms and proverbs in the German language that it is impossible for you as a German learner to know them all. Even the most educated native speakers do not understand the exact meaning of every German idiom and proverb. Nonetheless, if you wish to be able to understand German humour and colloquial language used in everyday conversations, social media, movies, songs and in literature, you need a good knowledge of the well-known German phrases. To achieve this goal you will have to learn at least one hundred most common German idioms by heart and familiarize yourself with about as many German proverbs.

FAQs Related to German Proverbs and Idioms

Why should I learn German idioms?
You should learn German idioms to better understand native speaker conversations and colloquial language. If you wish to become fluent in German, you should be able to use the most common German idioms to sound natural and to express your ideas clearly and concisely.
Should I start learning German idioms as a beginner or as an intermediate?
You should start learning German idioms after managing the levels A1 and A2. At this point you should already know the basic German sentence structure. Begin with the most common simple idioms, using them in your daily conversations, especially with the locals.
Should I learn German proverbs at all?
Yes, you should definitely learn German proverbs to improve comprehension and to grasp cultural nuances. Even if you never use German proverbs in your speech, you should be familiar with the most common proverbs to better understand casual language and to make sure your communication is accurate. It is best to start with those that have similar English equivalents.
How to tell a difference between a proverb and an idiom?
A proverb is a complete stand-alone sentence whereas an idiom is just a phrase, i.e., a fragment of a sentence. While you may often be able to guess the meaning of a proverb, most idioms do not have a literal meaning. Quite a few German proverbs have their English look-alikes whereas German idioms are usually completely different from the equivalent English expressions.
Is it rude to say “Das ist mir Wurst”?
It is usually not rude to say “das ist mir Wurst” (it is a sausage to me) when talking casually with friends or relatives. But avoid using this phrase in formal and professional communication. The equivalent polite German phrase to say “I don’t care” is “mir ist das egal”.
How many German idioms should I learn?
To become a fluent German speaker you may need to learn about one hundred German idioms or so. But, you will probably be actively using only a few dozen of them. Nonetheless, it is important to choose idioms that are most frequently used by German native speakers in natural day-to-day conversations.