Leben wie Gott in Frankreich.
o Lit. translation: To live like God in France. (Sometimes, other Countries/Regions/Cities etc. than France are used. The meaning stays the same: “To live like God in …”, or to live the comfortable life of people in …”)
o English equivalent: To live the life of Riley.
o English equivalent: To live in clover.
Eine Leiche im Keller haben.
o Translation: To have a corpse in the basement.
o English equivalent: Skeletons in the closet.
Leichter gesagt als getan.
o Translation: Easier said than done
Lieber ein Ende mit Schmerzen als Schmerzen ohne Ende. or Lieber ein Ende mit Schrecken als ein Schrecken ohne Ende. ( Sophie Scholl )
o Translation: Better an end with pain than pain without end. or Better an end with horror than a horror without end.
o Meaning: Cut your losses.
Lügen haben kurze Beine.
o Translation: Lies have short legs
o Meaning: All lies come back to haunt you
Lieber das Messer ablecken als den Löffel abgeben.
o Translation: Better the knife than to give up the spoon.
o Meaning: It is preferable to face adversity than to die.
Man soll das Fell des Bären nicht verkaufen, bevor man ihn erlegt hat.
o Translation: One shouldn’t sell the bear’s fur before it has been killed.
o Meaning: Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.
o Translation: One shouldn’t praise the day before the evening.
o Meaning: Avoid premature judgement.
o Meaning: There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip.
Mit den Wölfen muß man heulen.
o Translation: With the wolves one must howl.
o Similar: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Mit solchen Freunden braucht man keine Feinde mehr.
o Lit. Translation: With such friends, one doesn’t need enemies anymore.
o English Proverb: With friends like these, who needs enemies?
o Meaning: Said if people considered to be friend behave in reality as the worst enemies.
Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund.
o Translation: Morning hour has gold in the mouth.
o Meaning: The early bird gets the worm.
Man schlägt den Sack und meint den Esel.
o Translation: Hitting the bag, aiming at the donkey.
o Meaning: An expression for indirect or proxy conflict. (?)
Man ist, was man isst.
o English Proverb: You are what you eat. (This is a pun in German because isst [eat] and ist [is] are pronounced about the same.)
Mit Geduld und Spucke fängt man eine Mucke [actually: Mücke]. (humorous, obsolescent)
o Lit. translation: With patience and spit one gets the midge (gnat/mosquito).
o English equivalent: Softly, softly catchee monkey.
Morgen, morgen, nur nicht heute, sagen alle faulen Leute.
o Translation: Tomorrow, tomorrow, not today, that’s what all the lazy people say.
o Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Neue Besen kehren gut … (Part 1 often used without part 2)
o Translation: New brooms clean well…
o Meaning: New things may look good on the first glimpse…
or: A change may be an improvement…
…aber der Alte kennt die Ecken. (Part 2)
o Translation: …but the old one knows the corners.
o Meaning: …but old things can still be better on the second look.
Nur tote Fische schwimmen mit dem Strom
o Translation:Only dead fish swim with the stream
o Meaning: People who do not possess willpower and individuality will simply follow the majority, doing what everyone else does, without thinking.
Ohne Fleiß kein Preis.
o Lit.: No diligence, no prize.
o No pain, no gain.
o No sweet without sweat.
Ohne Knete keine Fete (Not traditional)
o Lit.: No money[“Knete” is a colloquial form for money, lit: plasticine], no party.
o No mon(ey), no fun.
Ohne Moos nix los. (Not traditional)
o Lit.: No money[“Moos” is a colloquial form for money, lit. “Moos” = “moss”], nothing going on.
o No mon(ey), no fun.
Papier ist geduldig.
o Translation: Paper is patient.
o Meaning: Just because it is in writing doesn’t mean it’s true. Even when something is written down, it takes a while until it is executed.
Probieren geht über studieren.
o Lit. translation: Trying is worth more than studying.
o English equivalent: The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
