8 Funny German Proverbs To Impress Native German Speakers (Explanations Included ✅)

Hello and welcome to Spring German!

In this lesson, Spring German teacher Denisa will introduce you to 8 funny German proverbs and their actual meaning.

Did you know, that “barking up the wrong tree” has an equivalent in German?

Das stimmt! (That’s right!) But, of course, it changes a little in German. And we’re here to show you this in the following dialogue.

Los geht’s!

Funny German proverbs at a glance

We advise you to stay with us for the explanations, but if you’re only looking for a quick glance about the German proverbs, look no further!

Here they are in an all-in-one table:

1. Auf dem Holzweg sein (Barking up the wrong tree)

DENISA
Er beachtet mich gar nicht. Ich glaube, er mag mich nicht.
(He doesn’t pay attention to me. I think he doesn’t like me.)

VANESSA
Ich glaube, du bist auf dem Holzweg.
(I think you’re barking up the wrong tree.)

DENISA
Wieso?
(Why?)

VANESSA
Er hat mir erzählt, dass er dich mag.
(He told me that he likes you.)

DENISA
Im Ernst? Dann hoffe ich, dass ich auf dem Holzweg bin.
(Really? Then I hope I’m barking up the wrong tree.)

Du bist auf dem Holzweg (You’re barking up the wrong tree) is a proverb you can learn by heart because it’s used regularly in German.

It’s the German equivalent to “You’re barking up the wrong tree” and it literally means “to be on a wooden road”. Makes sense, too, doesn’t it?

It means that someone is wrong or mistaken with what he or she is assuming.

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2. Durch dick und dünn gehen (Going through thick and thin)

VANESSA
Kennst du Lena gut?
(Do you know Lena well?)

DENISA
Ja, seit dem Kindergarten.
(Yes, since kindergarten.)

VANESSA
Wow. Ihr seid also gute Freunde?
(Wow. So you are close friends?)

DENISA
Ja. Wir sind zusammen durch dick und dünn gegangen.
(Yes. We went through thick and thin together.)

You know the expression “going through thick and thin” in English?

This proverb means exactly the same and is very easy to learn. It’s translated the same and the intention is the same.

You can go through thick and thin with your closest friends and you family. Maybe also with the colleagues if the boss had a bad day.

3. Wer im Glashaus sitzt, sollte nicht mit Steinen werfen (Who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones)

VANESSA
Ich mag es nicht, wenn man unpünktlich ist. Wo bleibt er?
(I don’t like it when someone is not on time. Where is he?)

DENISA
Kommst du denn immer pünktlich?
(Are you always punctual?)

VANESSA
Nein, aber …
(No, but…)

DENISA
Nichts “aber”. Wer im Glashaus sitzt, sollte nicht mit Steinen werfen.
(No buts. Who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones.)

The proverb Wer im Glashaus sitzt, sollte nicht mit Steinen werfen (Who lives in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones) means that you shouldn’t accuse someone for something if you do the same thing

We really don’t know where this proverb comes from, but it’s established in everyday life in Germany.

Apropos Pünktlichkeit (Talking about punctuality). It’s told about the Germans that they are very punctual. There’s a proverb about it, too.

4. Fünf Minuten vor der Zeit ist des Deutschen Pünktlichkeit (5 minutes before is the German’s punctuality)

DENISA
Hey. Komm rein.
(Hey. Come in.)

SELMA
Entschuldige. Ich bin zu früh.
(Excuse me. I’m too early.)

DENISA
Quatsch! Fünf Minuten vor der Zeit ist des Deutschen Pünktlichkeit.
(Nonsense. 5 minutes before is the German’s punctuality.)

Let’s be honest: Punctuality is an individual thing that can depend on the situation or the culture. In our experience, when a Turkish family says we meet up at 8 p.m., they will be there at half past eight.

But for official appointments in Germany, e.g. if you have an appointment in a citizen office, you should be at least five minutes early, weil fünf Minuten vor der Zeit ist des Deutschen Pünktlichkeit (because 5 minutes before is the Germans punctuality).

Wie pünktlich bist du? (How punctual are you?) Feel free to tell us your experiences in the video’s comments below.

At the end of this lesson, we will tell you a German proverb that you hear a lot when it’s raining, so stay tuned!

5. Aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen (making a mountain out of a molehill)

VANESSA
Das geht gar nicht. Er ist nichts für mich.
(That’s a no-go. He’s not for me.)

DENISA
Vanessa, du machst aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten.
(Vanessa, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill.)

VANESSA
Wieso?
(Why?)

DENISA
Na, weil er einmal zu spät ist. Das macht ihn nicht zu einem schlechten Menschen.
(Because he’s late once. That doesn’t make him a bad person.)

This proverb can literally be translated as “making an elephant out of a mosquito”.

It’s used the same way as in English: Wenn man aus einem kleinen Problem ein großes Ding macht. (When making a big thing out of a small problem).

Vanessa wanted to end things with her date in that dialogue. But not everything has only one end.

Was? (What?)

6. Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.)

VANESSA
Schade, dass heute mein letzter Arbeitstag ist.
(It’s a pity that today is my last work day.)

DENISA
Ja. Ich werde dich hier vermissen.
(Yes. I will miss you here.)

VANESSA
Ich dich auch. Naja, alles hat ein Ende.
(I’ll miss you too. Anyway, everything has an end.)

DENISA
Nur die Wurst hat zwei.
(Only the sausage has 2.)

VANESSA
Das stimmt.
(That’s right.)

When someone is sad because a chapter ends, you can try to make them laugh and say Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.)

This proverb is often used by all native speakers, no matter how old they are. It’s a cheerful saying for everyone.

7. Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (I understand nothing at all)

DENISA
Ich habe jetzt meinen Abschluss im Studiengang Deutsch als Zweit-und Fremdsprache und Interkulturelle Kommunikation mit dem Nebenfach Schulpädagogik.
(I got my degree in German as a second and foreign language and intercultural communication, with a minor in science of school education.)

VANESSA
Wie bitte? Ich versteh nur Bahnhof.
(Excuse me? I understand nothing at all.)

DENISA
Ich habe mein Studium beendet.
(I graduated from college.)

VANESSA
Ach so. Sag das doch gleich.
(I see. Just say that right away.)

The proverb Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (I understand nothing at all) is very often used in Germany and literally means “I only understand train station”.

It’s used when you really understand no word about what the person in front of you is saying.

With this following saying, you can encourage someone to walk through rain.

8. Du bist nicht aus Zucker (You won’t melt)

DENISA
Gleich wird es anfangen zu regnen.
(It will start raining soon.)

VANESSA
Macht nichts. Du bist doch in fünf Minuten zu Hause.
(Doesn’t matter. You will be home in 5 minutes anyway.)

DENISA
Aber…
(But…)

VANESSA
Du bist nicht aus Zucker, Denisa. Los jetzt.
(You won’t melt, Denisa. Let’s go now.)

Du bist nicht aus Zucker (You won’t melt) is also a proverb commonly used in Germany. Literally, it means “you are not out of sugar”.

The story behind it is that sugar will melt in water, but people won’t. That’s why people in Germany still say sie sind nicht aus Zucker (they aren’t made of sugar).