Idioms are weird. Let’s make sense of them.
Type an English saying. We show you the one people actually use in another language, what it means word for word, and what you should not say.
Sayings do not translate word for word
Word-for-word translation is where most tools go wrong. Translate “break a leg” into German word for word and you get Brich dir ein Bein; you are telling someone to hurt themselves. What people really say is Hals- und Beinbruch.
Each entry shows four things: what the English saying means, what people say instead, what that phrase says word for word, and how close the two really are. If the match is not perfect, we tell you.
Explore natural equivalents in German, French and Spanish, with more languages to follow.
Popular sayings
All 190 idiomsAdd fuel to the fire
To make a conflict worse.
As blind as a bat
unable to see well
As cool as a cucumber
very calm, even under pressure
As easy as pie
Requiring very little effort
An axe to grind
A personal agenda or grievance
Back to square one
Returning to the start after a failure
The ball is in your court
It is your turn to act or decide.
Barking up the wrong tree
To be completely mistaken.
Beat a dead horse
Waste effort on something that cannot change
Common questions
Why not translate word for word?
Because the picture inside a saying rarely travels. English kills two birds with one stone; German hits two flies with one swat. Same meaning, different words.
Do you have every English idiom?
Not yet. The collection keeps growing. If your saying is missing, we show you the closest ones we have.
What does the match score mean?
It shows how close the two sayings are in meaning and tone. It is our judgement, not a measurement, so you can see at a glance if a match is exact or only close.