Monday, June 28, 2010

Einige ins Englische übersetzte Redewendungen - some idioms translated into English


Idioms are very important 'cause native speakers use them all the time .. here are some of them
Redewendungen sind ganz wichtig, weil Muttersprachler sie immer verwenden..here sind einige von ihnen

1- Es ist ein Haar in der Suppe = There's a fly in the ointment.
Immer müssen Sie ein Haar in der Suppe finden. ( It means that he always has to have something to gripe about)

2- Politik von Zuckerbrot und Peitsche = carrot-and-stick policy
Diese Politik von Zuckerbrot und Peitsche seitens der Europäischen Union ist der falsche Kurs.

3- so verschieden / unterschiedlich wie Tag und Nacht = completely different
Sie sind so unterschiedlich wie Tag und Nacht.

4- alles / etwas ausplaudern = to spill the beans
Er hat das Geheimnis ausgeplaudert. ( It means that he disclosed the secret)

5- die Katze aus dem Sack lassen = to let the cat out of the bag.
Ich habe die Katze aus dem Sack gelassen.( It means that he's revealed a secret, often without intending to)

6- in bester / schönster Ordnung = in apple-pie order.
Wie läuft das Geschäft? Alles ist in bester Ordnung.


7- Zu viele Köche verderben den Brei = Too many cooks spoil the broth.
(It means that if a lot of people get involved in a certain job that can certainly be done by only a single person, then the job will never end with a good result)

8- vom Regen in die Traufe = out from the frying pan into the fire
Er kam vom Regen in die Traufe. (he got out of one problem, but find himself in a worse situation)

9- Dem einen ist's Speise, dem andern Gift = One man's meat is another man's poison.
(this idiom means that something one person likes very much can be something that another person does not like at all)

10- Hilf Dir selbst, so hilft Dir Gott = God helps those who help themselves.

11- das Herz auf der Zunge tragen = to wear one's heart on one's sleeve
Meine Schwester trägt ihren Herzen auf der Zunge. (It means that she makes no attempt to hide her feelings, so anybody can read her emotions as easily as if those emotions were written on the sleeve of her shirt)

12- Stille Wasser sind tief = Still waters run deep.
(It means that quiet people are often very thoughtful and they have complicated personalities)

13- Wolf im Schafspelz = wolf in sheep's clothing
(eine gefährliche Person, die ganz harmlos wirkt)

14- Es gehören immer zwei dazu = It takes two to tango.
(It means that something cannot happen without more than one person)

15- Eulen nach Athen tragen = to bring coals to Newcastle
(to take something to a place or a person that has a lot of that thing already
Usage notes: Newcastle is a town in Northern England which is in an area where a lot of coal was produced)