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German slang translators get wrong

German idioms involve a surprising amount of sausage, tomatoes and bears. Translated word for word they are baffling. Here is what they really mean.

Die Daumen drücken

Word for word
I'm pressing the thumbs for you
What it really means
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you
In a sentence
“Ich drück dir die Daumen für morgen!”
Natural English
“I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you for tomorrow!” Meaning Match 92
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Tomaten auf den Augen haben

Word for word
Do you have tomatoes on your eyes?
What it really means
Are you blind? Didn't you see it?
In a sentence
“Hast du Tomaten auf den Augen? Das Schild ist doch riesig!”
Natural English
“Are you blind? The sign is huge!” Meaning Match 92
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Schwein haben

Word for word
You had pig there
What it really means
You got really lucky
In a sentence
“Da hast du aber Schwein gehabt!”
Natural English
“You really got lucky there!” Meaning Match 92
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Auf den Keks gehen

Word for word
You're walking on my cookie
What it really means
You're really getting on my nerves
In a sentence
“Du gehst mir echt auf den Keks.”
Natural English
“You're really getting on my nerves.” Meaning Match 92
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Kohldampf haben

Word for word
I have such cabbage steam
What it really means
I'm starving
In a sentence
“Ich hab so einen Kohldampf, lass uns was essen.”
Natural English
“I'm so hungry, let's get something to eat.” Meaning Match 92
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Da steppt der Bär

Word for word
The bear tap-dances there
What it really means
It's going to be wild / super lively
In a sentence
“Auf der Party heute Abend steppt der Bär!”
Natural English
“The party tonight is going to be wild!” Meaning Match 92
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Die Nase voll haben

Word for word
I have my nose full
What it really means
I'm fed up
In a sentence
“Ich habe die Nase voll vom Regen.”
Natural English
“I'm sick of the rain.” Meaning Match 92
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Fix und fertig

Word for word
Fixed and finished
What it really means
Completely exhausted
In a sentence
“Nach dem Umzug bin ich fix und fertig.”
Natural English
“After the move I'm completely wiped out.” Meaning Match 92
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Why word-for-word translation fails here

Slang and idioms mean something different from their words. Rebotar translates the meaning, catches slang and idioms, and shows a Meaning Match score so you know it's right before you hit send.

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