Redewendungen
A handful of genuinely everyday German idioms you'll hear constantly in casual speech - not exam-critical, but real recognition markers that make you sound (and understand) less textbook.
| Das ist mir Wurst. | I don't care. (literally "that's sausage to me") |
| Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. | I don't understand a thing. (literally "I only understand train station") |
| Daumen drücken! | Fingers crossed! (literally "press thumbs") |
| Die Katze im Sack kaufen | to buy something sight unseen (literally "buy the cat in the sack") |
| Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. | Everything comes to an end. (playful, literally "only the sausage has two") |
Quick check: what does "Das ist mir Wurst" mean?
Willst du Pizza oder Pasta? - Das ist mir Wurst. (Want pizza or pasta? - I don't care.)
Bei der Prüfung morgen: Ich drücke dir die Daumen! (For tomorrow's exam: fingers crossed for you!)
Quick check: "I don't understand a thing." - Ich verstehe nur ______.
Idioms are worth recognizing far more urgently than producing at A1-2 - misusing one sounds more awkward than a grammar mistake. Start with just understanding them when you hear them; production can come later.
1. "Fingers crossed!" - ______ drücken!
2. What does "die Katze im Sack kaufen" mean?
3. Should you prioritize recognizing or producing idioms at A1-2?
Common conversational idioms, cross-referenced for frequency against everyday German usage rather than exam content specifically.
Heard a German idiom you don't recognize? Ask your teaching agent what it means.