German expressions to get you ′running′ | All media content | DW | 27.01.2021

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Meet the Germans

German expressions to get you 'running'

The German language is packed full of expressions related to the word "Laufen," which can mean both running and walking. Learn some here!

  • Woman goes for a run on the empty street during the confinement of the Covid-19

    Na, wie läuft's?

    The friendly "Na, wie läuft's?" literally means, "How's it running?" but of course in English we say, "How's it going?" Everyone likes to hear it, because it shows that you care how they are doing. There's another variant in German: "Wie geht's?" — often one of the first expressions German-learners adopt.

  • Young child holding up shoes, with lots of shoes surrounding it

    Noch in den Kinderschuhen stecken

    The German "noch in den Kinderschuhen stecken" says it all: still in one's children's shoes. What it means is that things are still in the early stages, just beginning to develop, to unfold. In other words, the ball is just starting to roll. Good luck!

  • Baby climbing up first steps

    Laufen lernen

    It's a milestone in a young child's life: learning to walk, to take those first steps. It's also tricky in German: "Laufen" can mean both walking and running. Then there's the progression: "Man muss erstmal laufen lernen, bevor man rennt." English has the same: "You have to learn to walk before you can run." The German "rennen" definitely means "to run." So, get those running shoes on!

  • Hand holding a stop-watch

    Mir läuft die Zeit davon

    Once things really get rolling in life, most of us eventually feel like "mir läuft die Zeit davon!": Time is running away from me. Then, a lot of us try to slow down from moving too fast, making the moment last — as goes that song by Simon & Garfunkel, "Feelin' Groovy."

  • Gorgeous view of a tropical island: palm trees, coast, blue sky, a person running along the coast

    Es ist zum Davonlaufen

    Surely all of us have felt like this during the COVID pandemic: I want to run away from it all, "Ich will davonlaufen" in German, to escape. When it's impossible to flee a difficult situation, one way of coping, of course, is to find peace in our minds.

  • A young chick with a broken egg on the side

    Wie auf rohen Eiern laufen

    It's hard to say just which came first: the chicken or the egg. This is true, too, of the German and English idioms: "wie auf rohen Eiern laufen" — walking on eggshells. In whatever language, no one really likes that feeling of having to tip-toe around someone; it puts us all on edge.

  • Digital image of spine and back against a blue background

    Mir läuft es kalt den Rücken runter

    Somtimes, equally unpleasant is the feeling: "Mir läuft es kalt den Rücken runter," something is sending chills down my spine. Some people might enjoy when this happens while watching a horror movie. It gives you the shivers but keeps you on the edge of your seat nevertheless; you can't help but still want to watch. Either way, kinda scary!

  • Close-up of woman licking her lips

    Mir läuft das Wasser im Munde zusammen

    Much nicer is the delicious sensation: "Mir läuft das Wasser im Mund zusammen," it's making my mouth water. Who doesn't love that feeling?

  • Black-and-white image of man and woman moving over a pavement

    Lügen haben kurze Beine

    Literally meaning, "Lies have short legs," it implies walking or running. It's a maxim one should take to heart. It means that you won't get very far by lying. You won't get ahead with it, and it's certainly nothing for the long run, as someone will eventually see through you.

  • Someone jogging through the fog of a Berlin park

    Jemandem den Laufpass geben

    This is one of the most unpleasant things in life, at least, on the emotional front. "Jemandem den Laufpass geben" sounds, literally translated, rather formal and resembles military jargon: to give something a "running passport" or "certificate of discharge." The real meaning is harsher: to ditch or dump someone, to write someone a letter ending a relationship, to tell someone to scram, get lost.

  • body outline at a crime scene

    Amok laufen

    Getting a "we're through" letter, however, isn't a reason to "Amok laufen." Literally, it means "to run amok," which in English means things going off course, getting out of hand, behaving in a wild manner. But in German, it implies something more dangerous: someone blindly shooting or killing a group of people. It is often presumed that the person doing such a thing is deranged.

  • Jogger running across square in Dresden in early morning hours, with dark blue sky and city lights

    Etwas ist überlaufen

    During the COVID pandemic, crowded areas are to be avoided. The German expression "etwas ist überlaufen" means something is overcrowded, overrun, brimming or spilling over. In other words, the complete opposite of this lonely square in Dresden, where a jogger sought space in the wee hours in October 2020.

  • People out rowing on water as the sun sets

    Aus dem Ruder laufen

    During this past, very chaotic year, it's felt like everything has gone off-kilter and gotten completely out of hand. That's what "aus dem Ruder laufen" means: to lose control of an oar you need to row a boat and stay on course. Hang tight! Things will right themselves eventually.

  • A mother duck and her ducklings perch on one of the special ramps made for them at the Empire State Plaza

    Wie ist der Ablauf?

    Daily conferences, digital meetings: How can one not feel overwhelmed? It's all too much sometimes. A good way to get through it: making lists and figuring out how things will run, getting the rundown. The German expression is, "Wie ist der Ablauf?": How will things run or go, what's the procedure?

  • Person jogging along the Dreisam River in Freiburg

    Die Dinge laufen lassen

    One can take comfort in the calming German maxim "die Dinge laufen lassen." It means to let things run their course, and everything will be alright in the end. It's a nearly stubbornly optimistic take on things, very Zen, and expresses the idea that we cannot always control our fate. Who would want it any other way?!


  • Woman goes for a run on the empty street during the confinement of the Covid-19

    Na, wie läuft's?

    The friendly "Na, wie läuft's?" literally means, "How's it running?" but of course in English we say, "How's it going?" Everyone likes to hear it, because it shows that you care how they are doing. There's another variant in German: "Wie geht's?" — often one of the first expressions German-learners adopt.

  • Young child holding up shoes, with lots of shoes surrounding it

    Noch in den Kinderschuhen stecken

    The German "noch in den Kinderschuhen stecken" says it all: still in one's children's shoes. What it means is that things are still in the early stages, just beginning to develop, to unfold. In other words, the ball is just starting to roll. Good luck!

  • Baby climbing up first steps

    Laufen lernen

    It's a milestone in a young child's life: learning to walk, to take those first steps. It's also tricky in German: "Laufen" can mean both walking and running. Then there's the progression: "Man muss erstmal laufen lernen, bevor man rennt." English has the same: "You have to learn to walk before you can run." The German "rennen" definitely means "to run." So, get those running shoes on!

  • Hand holding a stop-watch

    Mir läuft die Zeit davon

    Once things really get rolling in life, most of us eventually feel like "mir läuft die Zeit davon!": Time is running away from me. Then, a lot of us try to slow down from moving too fast, making the moment last — as goes that song by Simon & Garfunkel, "Feelin' Groovy."

  • Gorgeous view of a tropical island: palm trees, coast, blue sky, a person running along the coast

    Es ist zum Davonlaufen

    Surely all of us have felt like this during the COVID pandemic: I want to run away from it all, "Ich will davonlaufen" in German, to escape. When it's impossible to flee a difficult situation, one way of coping, of course, is to find peace in our minds.

  • A young chick with a broken egg on the side

    Wie auf rohen Eiern laufen

    It's hard to say just which came first: the chicken or the egg. This is true, too, of the German and English idioms: "wie auf rohen Eiern laufen" — walking on eggshells. In whatever language, no one really likes that feeling of having to tip-toe around someone; it puts us all on edge.

  • Digital image of spine and back against a blue background

    Mir läuft es kalt den Rücken runter

    Somtimes, equally unpleasant is the feeling: "Mir läuft es kalt den Rücken runter," something is sending chills down my spine. Some people might enjoy when this happens while watching a horror movie. It gives you the shivers but keeps you on the edge of your seat nevertheless; you can't help but still want to watch. Either way, kinda scary!

  • Close-up of woman licking her lips

    Mir läuft das Wasser im Munde zusammen

    Much nicer is the delicious sensation: "Mir läuft das Wasser im Mund zusammen," it's making my mouth water. Who doesn't love that feeling?

  • Black-and-white image of man and woman moving over a pavement

    Lügen haben kurze Beine

    Literally meaning, "Lies have short legs," it implies walking or running. It's a maxim one should take to heart. It means that you won't get very far by lying. You won't get ahead with it, and it's certainly nothing for the long run, as someone will eventually see through you.

  • Someone jogging through the fog of a Berlin park

    Jemandem den Laufpass geben

    This is one of the most unpleasant things in life, at least, on the emotional front. "Jemandem den Laufpass geben" sounds, literally translated, rather formal and resembles military jargon: to give something a "running passport" or "certificate of discharge." The real meaning is harsher: to ditch or dump someone, to write someone a letter ending a relationship, to tell someone to scram, get lost.

  • body outline at a crime scene

    Amok laufen

    Getting a "we're through" letter, however, isn't a reason to "Amok laufen." Literally, it means "to run amok," which in English means things going off course, getting out of hand, behaving in a wild manner. But in German, it implies something more dangerous: someone blindly shooting or killing a group of people. It is often presumed that the person doing such a thing is deranged.

  • Jogger running across square in Dresden in early morning hours, with dark blue sky and city lights

    Etwas ist überlaufen

    During the COVID pandemic, crowded areas are to be avoided. The German expression "etwas ist überlaufen" means something is overcrowded, overrun, brimming or spilling over. In other words, the complete opposite of this lonely square in Dresden, where a jogger sought space in the wee hours in October 2020.

  • People out rowing on water as the sun sets

    Aus dem Ruder laufen

    During this past, very chaotic year, it's felt like everything has gone off-kilter and gotten completely out of hand. That's what "aus dem Ruder laufen" means: to lose control of an oar you need to row a boat and stay on course. Hang tight! Things will right themselves eventually.

  • A mother duck and her ducklings perch on one of the special ramps made for them at the Empire State Plaza

    Wie ist der Ablauf?

    Daily conferences, digital meetings: How can one not feel overwhelmed? It's all too much sometimes. A good way to get through it: making lists and figuring out how things will run, getting the rundown. The German expression is, "Wie ist der Ablauf?": How will things run or go, what's the procedure?

  • Person jogging along the Dreisam River in Freiburg

    Die Dinge laufen lassen

    One can take comfort in the calming German maxim "die Dinge laufen lassen." It means to let things run their course, and everything will be alright in the end. It's a nearly stubbornly optimistic take on things, very Zen, and expresses the idea that we cannot always control our fate. Who would want it any other way?!


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