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English Essential Idioms: Learn Common Phrases and Their Meanings in English and German

Here is a table of 100 of the most common essential idioms in English, along with their explanations and their German equivalents:

# Idiom Explanation German equivalent
1 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush It is better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by trying to get something better. Ein Vogel in der Hand ist besser als zehn auf dem Dach.
2 A penny for your thoughts Asking someone what they are thinking about. Ein Penny für deine Gedanken.
3 A taste of your own medicine To experience something that you have inflicted on others. Eine Kostprobe deiner eigenen Medizin.
4 Actions speak louder than words What you do is more important than what you say. Taten sagen mehr als Worte.
5 All’s fair in love and war Rules and conventions can be disregarded in certain situations. Alles ist erlaubt in der Liebe und im Krieg.
6 As cool as a cucumber Calm and composed, especially in difficult situations. Ruhig wie eine Gurke.
7 At the drop of a hat To do something immediately without hesitation. Sofort, ohne zu zögern.
8 Barking up the wrong tree To pursue the wrong path or person. Auf dem Holzweg sein.
9 Beat around the bush To avoid talking about something directly. Um den heißen Brei herumreden.
10 Better late than never It’s better to do something late than not at all. Besser spät als nie.
11 Bite off more than you can chew To take on more than you can handle. Sich übernehmen.
12 Blood is thicker than water Family relationships are stronger than other types of relationships. Blut ist dicker als Wasser.
13 Burn the candle at both ends To overexert oneself by staying up late and waking up early. Das Leben in vollen Zügen genießen.
14 Clean slate A new beginning without any negative consequences or baggage from the past. Ein Neuanfang.
15 Cross that bridge when we come to it To deal with a problem only when it arises. Kommt Zeit, kommt Rat.
16 Curiosity killed the cat Being too curious can have negative consequences. Neugier ist eine schlechte Eigenschaft.
17 Cut someone off To stop communicating with someone. Jemanden abschneiden.
18 Cut someone some slack To be more lenient or forgiving towards someone. Jemandem eine Chance geben.
19 Don’t cry over spilled milk Don’t worry about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. Was passiert ist, ist passiert.
20 Early bird gets the worm Those who act quickly and decisively will be successful. Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm.
21 Every cloud has a silver lining Every negative situation has a positive aspect. Jedes Unglück hat auch sein Gutes.
22 Every dog has its day Everyone will have their moment of success or triumph. Jeder hat einmal Glück im Leben.
23 Haste makes waste Rushing or hurrying can lead to mistakes or inefficiency. Eile mit Weile.
24 Hit the hay To go to bed or go to sleep. Ins Bett gehen.
25 Hit the nail on the head To be correct or accurate. Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen.
26 If the shoe fits, wear it If something applies to you, accept it. Wer den Schuh passt, soll ihn tragen.
27 Keep your chin up To stay positive and optimistic, especially in difficult situations. Kopf hoch!
28 Keep your eyes peeled To pay close attention or watch carefully. Augen aufhalten.
29 Kill two birds with one stone To accomplish two things at once. Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen.
30 Know which way the wind is blowing To understand the situation or be aware of what is happening. Den Windrichtung kennen.
31 Let bygones be bygones To forget about past conflicts or disagreements and move on. Was geschehen ist, ist geschehen.
32 Let sleeping dogs lie To avoid stirring up old or potentially contentious issues. Schlafende Hunde soll man nicht wecken.
33 Money doesn’t grow on trees Money is not easily obtained or readily available. Das Geld wächst nicht auf Bäumen.
34 No pain, no gain To achieve something, one must put in effort and endure hardship. Ohne Fleiß kein Preis.
35 On cloud nine To be very happy or ecstatic. Im siebten Himmel sein.
36 Once in a blue moon Something that happens very rarely or infrequently. Einmal in einem blauen Mond.
37 Play it by ear To improvise or make decisions as events unfold. Das Ganze auf sich zukommen lassen.
38 Pull oneself together To regain composure or control of one’s emotions. Sich zusammenreißen.
39 Pull someone’s leg To joke or tease someone in a playful way. Jemanden auf den Arm nehmen.
40 Put all one’s cards on the table To be completely honest or upfront about one’s intentions or plans. Mit offenen Karten spielen.
41 Put your money where your mouth is To back up one’s words with action or financial investment. Taten statt Worte.
42 Rome wasn’t built in a day Good things take time and effort to achieve. Rom wurde auch nicht an einem Tag erbaut.
# Idiom Explanation German equivalent
43 See eye to eye To agree or have the same opinion. Auf einer Wellenlänge sein.
44 Take a stab at something To attempt something, often with little preparation or experience. Etwas ausprobieren.
45 Take the bull by the horns To confront a problem or challenge directly and with determination. Den Stier bei den Hörnern packen.
46 The ball is in your court It is someone’s turn to take action or make a decision. Der Ball liegt in deinem Feld.
47 The devil is in the details Small, often overlooked details can cause major problems or complications. Der Teufel steckt im Detail.
48 The early bird catches the worm Those who act quickly and decisively will be successful. Der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm.
49 The grass is always greener on the other side People tend to believe that others have it better than they do. Das Gras ist immer grüner auf der anderen Seite.
50 The proof is in the pudding The true value or effectiveness of something can only be determined by putting it to the test. Probieren geht über Studieren.
51 The whole nine yards Everything or all the details. Das volle Programm.
52 To each their own Everyone is entitled to their own preferences or opinions. Jeder nach seinem Geschmack.
53 Time is money Time is a valuable resource that should be used efficiently. Zeit ist Geld.
54 Turn a blind eye To ignore or pretend not to notice something. Ein Auge zudrücken.
55 Turn over a new leaf To start fresh or make a positive change in one’s life. Ein neues Kapitel aufschlagen.
56 Two heads are better than one Collaborating with others can lead to better ideas and outcomes. Zwei Köpfe sind besser als einer.
57 Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve To openly express one’s emotions or feelings. Das Herz auf der Zunge tragen.
58 When in Rome, do as the Romans do To follow local customs and practices when traveling or living in a foreign place. Andere Länder, andere Sitten.
59 When the going gets tough, the tough get going In difficult or challenging situations, strong and determined people become even more motivated to succeed. Wenn’s hart auf hart kommt, kommen die Harten in den Garten.
60 You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink You can provide someone with an opportunity, but you cannot force them to take advantage of it. Man kann einen Esel zum Wasser führen, aber nicht zum Trinken zwingen.
61 You can’t have your cake and eat it too You cannot have or enjoy two things that are mutually exclusive. Man kann nicht auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen.
62 You can’t judge a book by its cover You cannot determine the true value or nature of something based solely on its appearance. Der Schein trügt.
63 You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs Achieving something often requires sacrifices or negative consequences. Wo gehobelt wird, da fallen Späne.
64 You can’t teach an old dog new tricks It is difficult to teach or change someone who is set in their ways. Was Hänschen nicht lernt, lernt Hans nimmermehr.
65 You reap what you sow One’s actions will have consequences, either positive or negative. Wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten.
66 Your guess is as good as mine Neither person knows the answer. Ich habe keine Ahnung.
67 A blessing in disguise Something that appears to be negative or bad, but is actually beneficial. Ein Segen in Verkleidung.
68 A chip on one’s shoulder A grudge or resentment towards others. Eine Wut im Bauch haben.
69 A dime a dozen Something that is common or easily obtained. Wie Sand am Meer.
70 A picture is worth a thousand words Visual images can convey a lot of information or emotion. Ein Bild sagt mehr als tausend Worte.
71 All ears To be fully attentive and interested in what someone is saying. Ganz Ohr sein.
72 All thumbs To be clumsy or inept. Zwei linke Hände haben.
73 An arm and a leg To be very expensive or cost a lot. Ein Vermögen kosten.
74 Bite the bullet To endure a difficult or painful situation. In den sauren Apfel beißen.
75 Break a leg A saying used to wish someone good luck, particularly before a performance. Hals- und Beinbruch!
76 By the skin of one’s teeth To narrowly avoid a dangerous or undesirable situation. Mit Ach und Krach.
77 Cut corners To take shortcuts or avoid proper procedures, often resulting in lower quality work. Den Gürtel enger schnallen.
78 Devil’s advocate To argue against a particular viewpoint for the sake of debate or to find potential flaws. Den Teufel spielen.
79 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch Do not assume that something will happen before it actually does. Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.
80 Don’t cry over spilt milk Do not dwell on or regret something that cannot be changed. Was geschehen ist, ist geschehen.
81 Don’t put all your eggs in one basket To not rely solely on one thing or take unnecessary risks. Nicht alles auf eine Karte setzen.
82 Everything but the kitchen sink To include every possible item or option. Alles außer der Küchenspüle.
83 Feeling under the weather To be ill or not feeling well. Sich schlapp fühlen.
84 Get a taste of your own medicine To experience something that you have caused others to experience. Gleiches mit Gleichem vergelten.
85 Get cold feet To become nervous or hesitant before taking an important action. Kalte Füße bekommen.
86 Get one’s act together To become organized and focused, particularly when previously disorganized or unfocused. Sich zusammenreißen.
87 Give the benefit of the doubt To assume the best intentions of someone, particularly in the absence of evidence to the contrary. Im Zweifel für den Angeklagten.
88 Go the extra mile To make an additional effort beyond what is expected or required. Sich besonders anstrengen.
89 Hit the jackpot To be extremely fortunate or successful. Den Jackpot knacken.
90 It takes two to tango A problem or dispute often involves both parties, not just one. Es gehören immer zwei dazu.
91 Let the cat out of the bag To reveal a secret or previously unknown information. Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen.
92 Make a long story short To summarize a lengthy explanation or story. Um es kurz zu machen.
93 On the ball To be alert, efficient, and quick to understand. Auf Zack sein.
94 Piece of cake Something that is very easy or simple. Ein Kinderspiel.
95 Pull out all the stops To use every possible resource or effort to achieve something. Alle Register ziehen.
96 See the light To suddenly understand or have a breakthrough in understanding. Das Licht am Ende des Tunnels sehen.
97 Spill the beans To reveal a secret or previously unknown information. Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen.
98 Take it with a grain of salt To be skeptical or not take something too seriously. Etwas mit Vorsicht genießen.
99 Through thick and thin To remain loyal and supportive through good times and bad. In guten wie in schlechten Zeiten.
100 When all is said and done In the end, after everything has been considered. Am Ende des Tages.

 

Here is a vocabulary list for the 100 essential idioms in the table with English and translations in German, Turkish, Arabic, and Persian (Farsi):

English Vocabulary German Vocabulary Turkish Vocabulary Arabic Vocabulary Persian (Farsi) Vocabulary
bird der Vogel kuş طائر پرنده
hand die Hand el اليد دست
worth der Wert değer القيمة ارزش
two zwei iki اثنان دو
bush der Busch çalı الشجيرة بوته
blessing der Segen bereket النعمة برکت
disguise die Verkleidung kılık değiştirme تنكر مخفی کردن, پوشاندن
dime der Zehncent on sent الدايم سکه ۱۰ سنتی
dozen das Dutzend düzine العشرات دوجین
bite beißen ısırma العضة گاز گرفتن
bullet die Kugel kurşun الرصاصة گلوله
break brechen kırmak كسر شکست دادن
leg das Bein bacak الساق پایین
luck das Glück şans الحظ شانس
cold kalt soğuk بارد سرد
feet die Füße ayaklar القدمين پا
act die Handlung eylem الفعل عمل
extra extra ekstra إضافي اضافی
hit treffen vurmak ضرب زدن
jackpot der Jackpot büyük ikramiye الجائزة الكبرى جک پات
tango der Tango tango تانغو تانگو
cat die Katze kedi القطة گربه
spill verschütten dökmek الانسكاب ریختن
beans die Bohnen fasulye الفاصوليا لوبیا
grain das Korn tahıl الحبة دانه
doubt der Zweifel şüphe الشك شک
thick dick kalın سميك ضخيم
thin dünn ince رقيق نازک
loyal treu sadık المخلص وفادار
supportive unterstützend destekleyici داعم حمایت کننده
end das Ende son النهاية پایان
everything alles her şey كل شيء همه چیز
feeling das Gefühl his الشعور احساس
medicine die Medizin ilaç الدواء دارو
fortune das Glück şans الحظ شانس
fortunate glücklich şanslı محظوظ خوش شانس
experience die Erfahrung deneyim الخبرة تجربه
cold feet kalte Füße tereddüt etmek الأقدام الباردة ناامیدی
effort die Anstrengung çaba الجهد تلاش
argue streiten tartışmak يتحدث بشكل معارض مخالفت کردن
viewpoint der Standpunkt görüş وجهة النظر دیدگاه
flaw der Fehler hata الخطأ خطا
loyal treu sadık المخلص وفادار
efficient effizient etkili فعال کارآمد
quick schnell hızlı سريع سریع
include einschließen dahil etmek تتضمن شامل کردن
possible möglich mümkün ممكن ممکن
option die Option seçenek الخيار گزینه
sick krank hasta مريض بیمار
ill krank hasta مريض بیمار
organized organisiert düzenli منظم سازمان یافته
focused fokussiert odaklanmış تركيز متمرکز
evidence der Beweis kanıt الدليل شواهد
best intentions besten Absichten en iyi niyetler أفضل النوايا بهترین نیت‌ها
absence die Abwesenheit yokluk الغياب عدم حضور
extra effort zusätzlicher Aufwand ekstra çaba مجهود إضافي تلاش اضافی
fortunate glücklich şanslı محظوظ خوش شانس
successful erfolgreich başarılı ناجح موفق
problem das Problem sorun المشكلة مشکل
dispute die Auseinandersetzung anlaşmazlık النزاع ا

 

English Vocabulary German Vocabulary Turkish Vocabulary Arabic Vocabulary Persian (Farsi) Vocabulary
upset aufgeregt üzgün يحبط ناراحت
bother stören rahatsız etmek إزعاج دردسر ساز شدن
nervous nervös gergin متوتر عصبی
curious neugierig meraklı فضولي کنجکاو
easy-going entspannt uyumlu مريح آرام
anxious besorgt endişeli متوتر نگران
thrilled begeistert heyecanlı متحمس هیجان زده
exhausted erschöpft yorgun متعب خسته
determined entschlossen kararlı مصمم مصمم
overwhelmed überwältigt bunalmış مضغوط سرخورده
frustrated frustriert hayal kırıklığına uğramış محبط ناامید
satisfied zufrieden memnun راض راضی
regretful bedauerlich pişman مؤسف پشیمان
accomplished erreicht başarı محقق انجام شده
confident zuversichtlich güvenli واثق مطمئن
disappointed enttäuscht hayal kırıklığına uğramış خائب الأمل ناامید
confused verwirrt kafa karıştırmak مشوش گیج
afraid ängstlich korkmuş خائف ترسیده
furious wütend öfkeli غاضب خشمگین
exhausted erschöpft yorgun متعب خسته
content zufrieden hoşnut راض راضی
embarrassed verlegen mahçup محرج شرمسار
fascinated fasziniert büyülenmiş مفتون شیفته
inspired inspiriert ilham veren مستوحى الهام بخش
interested interessiert ilgilenen مهتم علاقه‌مند
pleased zufrieden memnun راض خوشحال
proud stolz gururlu فخور مغرور
relaxed entspannt rahat مسترخي آرام
stressed gestresst stresli مشدود استرس

 

English Vocabulary German Vocabulary Turkish Vocabulary Arabic Vocabulary Persian (Farsi) Vocabulary
worried besorgt endişeli مهتم نگران
anxious ängstlich endişeli متوتر نگران
grateful dankbar minnettar ممتن سپاسگزار
delighted erfreut memnun مسرور خوشحال
horrified entsetzt dehşete düşmüş مرعوب هراسان
calm ruhig sakin هادئ آرام
bored gelangweilt sıkılmış ممل خسته کننده
determined entschlossen kararlı مصمم مصمم
surprised überrascht şaşırmış مندهش شگفت‌زده
angry wütend kızgın غاضب عصبانی
jealous eifersüchtig kıskanç غيور حسادت
sad traurig üzgün حزين افسرده
excited aufgeregt heyecanlı متحمس هیجان‌زده
happy glücklich mutlu سعيد خوشبخت
peaceful friedlich barışçıl سلمي صلح آميز
nervous nervös gergin متوتر عصبی
tense angespannt gergin متوتر تنش
lonely einsam yalnız وحيد تنها
surprised überrascht şaşırmış مندهش شگفت‌زده
loved geliebt sevilen محبوب عزیز
confident zuversichtlich güvenli واثق مطمئن
disgusted angewidert iğrenmiş مشمئز از انزجار پر شده
hurt verletzt yaralı مصاب زخمی
terrified entsetzt korkmuş مرعوب ترسیده
pleased zufrieden memnun راض راضی
embarrassed verlegen mahçup محرج شرمسار
fascinated fasziniert büyülenmiş مفتون شیفته
inspired inspiriert ilham veren مستوحى الهام بخش
interested interessiert ilgili مهتم علاقه‌مند

 

English Vocabulary German Vocabulary Turkish Vocabulary Arabic Vocabulary Persian (Farsi) Vocabulary
fascinated fasziniert büyülenmiş مفتون شیفته
inspired inspiriert ilham veren مستوحى الهام بخش
interested interessiert ilgili مهتم علاقه‌مند
pleased zufrieden memnun راض راضی
proud stolz gururlu فخور مغرور
relaxed entspannt rahat مسترخي آرام
stressed gestresst stresli مشدود استرس
tired müde yorgun تعبان خسته
worried besorgt endişeli مهتم نگران
excited aufgeregt heyecanlı متحمس هیجان‌زده
happy glücklich mutlu سعيد خوشبخت
sad traurig üzgün حزين افسرده
angry wütend kızgın غاضب عصبانی
relaxed entspannt rahat مسترخي آرام
afraid ängstlich korkmuş خائف ترسیده
curious neugierig meraklı فضولي کنجکاو
disgusted angewidert iğrenmiş مشمئز از انزجار پر شده
embarrassed verlegen mahçup محرج شرمسار
confident zuversichtlich güvenli واثق مطمئن
frustrated frustriert hayal kırıklığına uğramış محبط ناامید
overwhelmed überwältigt bunalmış مضغوط سرخورده
determined entschlossen kararlı مصمم مصمم
pleased zufrieden memnun راض راضی
fascinated fasziniert büyülenmiş مفتون شیفته
interested interessiert ilgili مهتم علاقه‌مند
content zufrieden hoşnut راض راضی
jealous eifersüchtig kıskanç غيور حسادت
overwhelmed überwältigt bunalmış مضغوط سرخورده
bored gelangweilt sıkılmış ممل خسته کننده