Welcome to one of the most fun parts of learning a foreign language!
You can learn a lot about a culture from its idioms. Do you know how the Germans say “that’s none of my business”? They say: Das ist nicht mein Bier, which literally translates as “that’s not my beer.” Now that’s wirklich deutsch.
In this post, I’ll walk you through 28 really useful German idioms by sharing four solid resources to help you remember and practise them. Let’s go!
Step 1: learn the literal translations
The first step to learning idioms in a foreign language is to understand their literal meanings. Picturing (or drawing!) something weird is a sure-fire way to memorise something that would otherwise be gobbledygook in your native language.
Print off the below PDF (one-sided) and play match up, pairs or any other game that’ll get you linking these bizarre concepts with their sayings!
Step 2: connect the idioms and their real meanings
Now you’re a little more familiar with the 28 idioms in question, can you identify their meanings without the pictures?
Note that I’ve mostly provided explanations in English instead of the equivalent English idioms, for people not very familiar with English idioms. Feel free to add the English equivalents by hand if they help you!
Step 3: learn how the idioms are used
It’s all very well learning idioms in the infinitive, but you also need to learn to use them.
Print off the example sentences in the below PDF, and match the beginnings to their correct endings.
Step 4: involve others in your learning
Once you’ve mastered these 28 idioms, why not add to your knowledge bank with the 83 idioms in the Sprichwort-Spaß card game, created by German teacher Clara Munteanu.
This game is my current favourite German resource! It says on the box that it’s for B2-C1 learners, but I think it’s fine for B1 learners too.
Note: these are so much more than flashcards. The game has four categories of cards: 1) Draw the idiom 2) Fill in the blank 3) Define the idiom 4) Guess the idiom from the picture.
It can be played with between 1 and 6 players, and I’ve tried it out with natives and foreigners alike; it’s fun for both!
Step 5: keep expanding your knowledge
Deutsche Welle’s Das sagt man so!
If you master all of these and find yourself “pawing at the ground with your hooves” (mit den Hufen scharren = chomping at the bit) to learn more, check out Deutsche Welle’s Das sagt man so! podcast.
Each bite-sized episode of only two minutes explains a different expression.
The vocabulary is on the higher end of things (around B2 sometimes), but the explanations are very clear, making it suitable for B1 listeners too.
Transcripts and comprehension questions are available here.
Sloeful
Still want more?
Download this PDF of 99 idioms, which includes the English translation of the idiom, an example sentence of each idiom and accompanying translation, plus a key word list on each card.
Final thoughts
You’d be surprised how quickly you pick these idioms up if you vary the types of activities you do with them.
Whether you stick to the 28 idioms I’ve covered in my PDFs, get into Das Sagt man so! or Sloeful, or try out Sprichwort-Spaß, before you know it, you’ll feel like a fish in water.
Viel Spaß!
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