What Are Idioms, Really?
Today, I want to talk about something simple but essential: idioms. But before I go on, let’s look at the language around all this. The naming—nomenclature—can get complicated. Even in German, people get very technical about it, but let’s keep it simple.
The most common way to describe this phenomenon is “phrase” or “idiom.” What I’m referring to specifically is a group of words together that mean something different from their direct translation. Even if you know the meaning of every single word, their combination gives you something new.
It doesn’t matter if you call them “Redewendungen” (in German), idioms, phrases, or even, sometimes, phrasal verbs (those verbs that completely change meaning when a small word is added). Or “sayings.” The particular label isn’t the point. What matters is understanding that sometimes, if you’re stuck on a sentence, it’s not necessarily that you don’t understand the individual words—but rather, you’re bumping up against one of these unusual expressions.
And yes, I know students often tell me, “It’s not one word—it’s the whole sentence I don’t get.” But when you look closely, you often discover it’s just one word tripping you up. There is an apparent exception, which is exactly what idioms are: a whole phrase carrying its own distinct meaning.
Classic Idioms: Examples in English and German
Let’s make it concrete. A classic English idiom: “It’s raining cats and dogs.” No, cats and dogs aren’t literally falling from the sky. The meaning is “it’s raining very heavily.” Sometimes, non-native speakers can figure this one out, but there could be a confusion.
In German, we don’t have this exact expression. There’s an old-fashioned one—“Es regnet Schusterbuben”—which literally means “it’s raining shoemaker boys” (young shoemaker apprentices). I have no idea where this is coming from honestly, but the logic is about as wacky as cats and dogs. It just means it’s raining a lot.
Some idioms are pretty pictorial, and you might be able to guess what they mean. But quite often, the meaning is just not obvious from the words themselves.
Another fun comparison: In English, if you want to say someone is extremely happy—like a couple on their honeymoon—you might say, “They’re on cloud number nine.” In German, we have a similar idiom, but it’s “im siebten Himmel”—literally, “in the seventh heaven.” So apparently, even clouds and heavens get numbers, and those numbers can change from country to country!
If you dig into the origins of these phrases, you’ll often find fascinating histories—sometimes religious, sometimes dating back to very old times. I actually love this sort of detective work (it’s called etymology), but we’ll save that for another article or episode.
Why Idioms Matter
So, why are idioms important? They make language richer and more vivid.
If you just say, “They got married. It was a beautiful wedding. You can see he loves her very much. They are very happy now,” that’s fine—it’s clear and correct. But you could also say, “He loves her to the moon, and now that they’re married, they’re on cloud number nine.” Suddenly, it pops! Idioms add a new layer of color and nuance.
Idioms let you express yourself more precisely. “He’s very happy” could mean anything from “he got good coffee” to “he married the love of his life.” By using idioms, you reveal exactly what you mean.
Language is all about taking an idea in your mind and communicating it to others as precisely as possible. Idioms are tools that help you do exactly that, in your native language and when learning a foreign one. And yes, German speakers use idioms—a lot (so do Americans, French people, Italians, thy literally exist in every language and they make languages alive!
And from the understanding point of view — if you every want to hold up to a conversation in German, frankly you will have to start learning idioms!
Idioms Are Local — and That’s Half the Fun
Idioms also make languages unique and local. Austria, for example, has its own idioms, different from those in Germany. Here’s one: “Bock haben.” Literally, “to have a goat.” It means “to really want to do something.” For example, “Ich hab Bock auf Kino”—“I really want to go to the movies.” But that’s a German-German expression, not one you’d hear in Austria.
In Austria, we’d say “Ich hab Lust”—which literally means “I have desire” (but don’t worry, there’s nothing sexual about it in this context!). “Ich hab Lust auf Kino heute”—“I feel like going to the movies today.”
And by the way, the word “Bock” comes from Romani and just means “hungry.”
This mixture keeps language alive and fun. English is no different: British, American, and Australian English all have their own idioms.
A Few Classic Austrian and German Idioms
Let me give you some common idioms from Austria and Germany:
- Das ist mir Wurst / Das ist ma Wurscht
Literally: “That’s sausage to me.”
Meaning: “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter to me.” This is universal across Austrian and German German. In Austria or southern Germany, “Wurst” really does just mean “sausage,” but here it means “I don’t have an opinion on it.” - Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof
Literally: “I only understand train station.”
Meaning: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” In English, you might say “It’s all Greek to me.” German also has “Es kommt mir Spanisch vor” (“It appears Spanish to me”), but that’s more if something seems suspicious or strange, not simply confusing. - Die Daumen drücken
English speakers “keep their fingers crossed” to wish someone luck. Germans “press their thumbs.”
“Ich drücke dir die Daumen”—“I’m pressing my thumbs for you” (wishing you luck). The gesture is different, too; you make a fist instead of crossing your fingers. - Ich glaub, ich spinne
Literally: “I think I’m spinning.”
Meaning: “I think I’m going crazy,” or simply expressing intense surprise—good or bad. The verb “spinnen” also means “to spin” (like spinning thread), but in slang, it means to be crazy. Bonus: the root is the German word for “spider” (Spinne), which spins threads! - Die Nase voll haben
Literally: “To have the nose full.”
Meaning: “To be fed up.” If you’re sick of someone or something, maybe pizza after eating it every day for years, you say you’ve got “die Nase voll.” A stronger (and slangier) version is “die Schnauze voll haben”—the “schnauze” being an animal’s snout. With “Ich hab die Schnauze voll,” you’ve really reached your limit.
Idioms and Language Challenges
Idioms are a wonderful doorway to learning about native ways of thinking and speaking. In fact, they’re one of the things that make languages local and fun.
If you want to explore German idioms further, I have a 30-day Idiom Challenge coming up soon—depending on when you’re reading this, it may already be live at bettergerman.info/idioms. It’s a self-paced course: one short video with one or more idioms, every day for a month. If you’re intermediate, this might be perfect to boost your German. If you’re a complete beginner, maybe start with my 30-day Noun Challenge, Level 1.1 course, or join one of our regular live courses.
Final Thoughts
Idioms aren’t just vocabulary—they’re windows into how people really think and speak. Whether you’re in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, or reading English in New York or Sydney, these phrases will make your language richer, more precise, and just more you.
And maybe to close with something idiomatic: Ich wäre überglücklich, wenn du auch beim nächsten Mal wieder dabei bist!—I’d be over the moon if you tune in next time.
Do you have any funny idiom stories? Or a favourite German idiom? Let me know!
Bis bald!
