← Back
Idiomatic Expressions
Common German idioms for natural speech.
أدعو الله لك
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you
ad'û Allâha laka
Lit: I press my thumbs for you
هذه ليست مشكلتي
That is not my problem
hâdhihi laysat mushkilatî
Lit: that is not my beer
الآن أو لا
Now it is do or die
al-ân aw lâ
Lit: now it is about the sausage
هذا هو جوهر المسألة
That is the crux of the matter
hâdhâ huwa jawhar al-mas'alah
Lit: that is where the dog is buried
وقع في فخّه
To put one's foot in it
waqa'a fî fakhkh
Lit: to step into the grease pot
أصاب كبد الحقيقة
To hit the nail on the head
asâba kabad al-haqîqah
ضرب عصفورين بحجر واحد
To kill two birds with one stone
daraba 'usfûrayn bihajar wâhid
Lit: to hit two flies with one swat
اختبر شخصاً ما
To put someone to the test
iktabara shaksan mâ
Lit: to feel someone's tooth
سلك الطريق الخاطئ
To be on the wrong track
salaka at-tarîq al-khâti'
Lit: to be on the wood path
يجيد فن الكلام
To have the gift of the gab
yujîdu fann al-kalâm
Lit: not to have fallen on one's mouth
من بكّر ظفر
The early bird catches the worm
man bakkara zafara
Lit: morning hour has gold in its mouth
كل شيء له نهاية
Everything comes to an end eventually
kull shay' lahu nihâyah
Lit: everything has an end, only a sausage has two
