AQA GCSE German · 8662
GCSE German idioms and grade 9 phrases
28 German idioms, opinion phrases and high-mark structures for GCSE speaking and writing, each with what it means word for word, what it actually means and an example on a GCSE theme. Practise them at the bottom of the page.
Idioms
One well-placed idiom shows range. Two in one answer is plenty; more reads as a list.
| German | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tomaten auf den Augen haben literally "to have tomatoes on your eyes" | to not see something that is right in front of you | Deine Brille liegt doch auf dem Tisch! Hast du Tomaten auf den Augen?Your glasses are right there on the table! Are you blind? |
| Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. literally "I only understand railway station." | It's all Greek to me. | Wenn mein Bruder über Physik spricht, verstehe ich nur Bahnhof.When my brother talks about physics, it's all Greek to me. |
| Das ist nicht mein Bier. literally "That is not my beer." | That's not my problem, that's none of my business. | Wenn Max seine Hausaufgaben nicht macht, ist das nicht mein Bier.If Max doesn't do his homework, that's not my problem. |
| Schwein haben literally "to have pig" | to be lucky, to have a lucky break | Ich habe mein Handy im Bus verloren und es wiederbekommen. Da habe ich Schwein gehabt!I lost my phone on the bus and got it back. That was lucky! |
| jemandem die Daumen drücken literally "to press the thumbs for someone" | to keep your fingers crossed for someone | Morgen hast du deine Prüfung? Ich drücke dir die Daumen!You've got your exam tomorrow? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! |
| ein Kinderspiel sein literally "to be a children's game" | to be child's play, a piece of cake | Die Hausaufgaben in Mathe waren ein Kinderspiel.The maths homework was child's play. |
| auf dem Schlauch stehen literally "to stand on the hose" | to not get it, to be slow on the uptake (for a moment) | Kannst du mir die Aufgabe noch mal erklären? Ich stehe gerade auf dem Schlauch.Can you explain the task again? I just don't get it right now. |
| Das ist mir Wurst. literally "That is sausage to me." | I don't care, it's all the same to me (informal) | Ob wir ins Kino oder ins Schwimmbad gehen, ist mir Wurst.Whether we go to the cinema or the pool, I don't mind. |
| die Nase voll haben literally "to have the nose full" | to be fed up (with something) | Es regnet seit einer Woche. Ich habe die Nase voll!It's been raining for a week. I'm fed up! |
| ins Fettnäpfchen treten literally "to step into the little pot of fat" | to put your foot in it | Ich habe vor meiner Schwester von ihrer Überraschungsparty erzählt. Da bin ich voll ins Fettnäpfchen getreten!I talked about my sister's surprise party in front of her. I really put my foot in it! |
| Es regnet in Strömen. literally "It is raining in streams." | It's pouring down. | Im Urlaub in Schottland hat es jeden Tag in Strömen geregnet.On holiday in Scotland it poured down every day. |
| jemandem auf den Keks gehen literally "to go on someone's biscuit" | to get on someone's nerves (informal) | Mein kleiner Bruder geht mir total auf den Keks.My little brother really gets on my nerves. |
| Hals- und Beinbruch! literally "Neck and leg break!" | Good luck! Break a leg! | Heute Abend spielst du in der Schulaufführung? Hals- und Beinbruch!You're in the school play tonight? Break a leg! |
| fix und fertig sein literally "to be quick and finished" | to be shattered, completely worn out | Nach dem Sportfest war ich fix und fertig.After sports day I was completely shattered. |
Opinion phrases
Every answer needs an opinion and a reason. These say it better than a bare 'I like'.
| German | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| meiner Meinung nach literally "my opinion after" | in my opinion (at the start of a sentence, the verb comes straight after it) | Meiner Meinung nach ist Englisch das wichtigste Fach.In my opinion, English is the most important subject. |
| Was mir am besten gefällt, ist... literally "What pleases me best is..." | What I like best is... | Was mir an meiner Schule am besten gefällt, ist die Theater-AG.What I like best about my school is the drama club. |
| Ich finde es toll, dass... literally "I find it great that..." | I think it's great that... (verb to the end) | Ich finde es toll, dass wir jedes Jahr eine Klassenfahrt machen.I think it's great that we go on a school trip every year. |
| Ich kann ... nicht ausstehen. literally "I can ... not endure." | I can't stand... | Ich kann Fast Food nicht ausstehen, weil es so fettig ist.I can't stand fast food because it's so greasy. |
| einerseits..., andererseits... literally "on one side..., on the other side..." | on the one hand..., on the other hand... | Einerseits ist das Handy praktisch, andererseits kann es süchtig machen.On the one hand mobile phones are handy, on the other hand they can be addictive. |
| Ich bin der Meinung, dass... literally "I am of the opinion that..." | I'm of the opinion that..., I believe that... (verb to the end) | Ich bin der Meinung, dass wir mehr recyceln sollten.I believe that we should recycle more. |
| Es kommt darauf an. literally "It comes on to it." | It depends. | Ob ich am Wochenende ausgehe? Es kommt darauf an, ob ich Hausaufgaben habe.Am I going out at the weekend? It depends on whether I have homework. |
Grade 9 structures
The complex structures that lift an answer at Higher: conditions, contrasts, purpose and more than one tense in a sentence.
| German | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Wenn ich ... wäre, würde ich ... | If I were..., I would... (Konjunktiv II) | Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich um die Welt reisen.If I were rich, I would travel around the world. |
| obwohl + verb at the end | although (sends the verb to the end of its clause) | Obwohl es geregnet hat, sind wir an den Strand gegangen.Although it rained, we went to the beach. |
| um ... zu + infinitive | in order to | Ich trage Zeitungen aus, um Geld für ein neues Handy zu sparen.I do a paper round in order to save money for a new phone. |
| nachdem + pluperfect | after (something had happened) | Nachdem ich meine Hausaufgaben gemacht hatte, habe ich Fußball gespielt.After I had done my homework, I played football. |
| Wenn ich ... gehabt hätte, wäre/hätte ich ... | If I had had..., I would have... (past Konjunktiv II) | Wenn ich mehr Zeit gehabt hätte, wäre ich mit ins Kino gekommen.If I had had more time, I would have come to the cinema too. |
| je ..., desto ... | the more..., the more/better... (je sends its verb to the end; desto takes a comparative, and the verb comes straight after that) | Je mehr ich lese, desto besser wird mein Deutsch.The more I read, the better my German gets. |
| nicht nur ..., sondern auch ... | not only..., but also... | Radfahren ist nicht nur gesund, sondern auch gut für die Umwelt.Cycling is not only healthy but also good for the environment. |
Practise them
Matching
0/8Match each idiom to its meaning.
Fill in the blank
0/8Complete each idiom with the missing word. The English meaning is given as a hint.
Der Lehrer spricht so schnell, ich verstehe nur . (it's all Greek to me)
Dein Schlüssel liegt doch vor dir! Hast du auf den Augen? (can't you see it?)
Ich habe mein Handy im Bus verloren und es wiederbekommen. Da habe ich gehabt! (I was lucky (an animal))
Morgen hast du die Prüfung? Ich drücke dir die ! (I'll keep my fingers crossed)
Es regnet seit Tagen. Ich habe die voll! (I'm fed up)
Mein kleiner Bruder geht mir total auf den . (gets on my nerves)
Wenn Max seine Hausaufgaben nicht macht, ist das nicht mein . (not my problem (a drink))
Nach dem Sportfest war ich fix und . (completely shattered)
Pick the right one
0/6Read the situation and pick the idiom that fits.
The homework was dead easy. Die Hausaufgaben waren .
You wish your friend luck before an exam. Ich !
You really don't mind which film you watch. Das ist mir .
You mentioned the surprise party in front of the birthday girl. Ich bin getreten.
You just can't work out the maths problem. Ich stehe .
Your friend is about to go on stage in the school play. !
Learn it in the order the specification sets it
The GCSE German course teaches the specification's words and grammar, Foundation before Higher, with drills that remember what you already know.
Questions
Do idioms get you marks in GCSE German?
They can, when they fit. Examiners credit a range of language, and a natural idiom is one sign of it. A forced one is not: use an idiom only where you would use its English equivalent, and never at the cost of getting the basic message across.
Are idioms on the vocabulary list?
Mostly not. The AQA vocabulary list limits the words the exam papers themselves may use without a gloss. It does not limit what you write or say, so an idiom you use correctly is yours to use.
What are grade 9 phrases?
Not an official term: teachers use it for the structures that show control of the language at Higher, such as conditional sentences, the subjunctive after certain phrases, and linking two tenses in one sentence. The structures section above lists the ones worth learning.
Themes and tiers from the AQA GCSE German (8662) specification. Kilo Lingo is not affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.