Each German idiom below comes with what its words literally say, what it means and how other languages put the same idea. To see every language at once, open the side-by-side page for brains.
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Nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben
lit. ‘not have all your cups in the cupboard’
Someone is a bit crazy, or is acting as if they've lost their mind.
Elsewhere
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lit. ‘have tomatoes on your eyes’
To miss something that is obvious to everyone else.
Elsewhere
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lit. ‘I only understand train station’
I can't understand any of it.
Elsewhere
- EN It’s all Greek to me
- FR C’est du chinois
- ES Me suena a chino
- IT Per me è arabo
- JA ちんぷんかんぷん
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Nicht über den Tellerrand hinausschauen
lit. ‘to not look beyond the rim of the plate’
Someone who only knows their own small world and thinks it's everything.
Elsewhere
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Wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen
lit. ‘like a fish on dry land’
Someone who feels uncomfortable and out of place in unfamiliar surroundings.
Elsewhere
Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.