How do you say “Bend over backwards” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is sich ein Bein ausreißen, which literally means “to tear off one's own leg”. English speakers use bend over backwards to mean to make an extreme effort to help or please someone. German speakers regularly use this idiom to describe making extreme efforts to help or accommodate someone. It is also very popular in the negative to express that someone isn't bothering to try. It is informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
sich ein Bein ausreißen
[zɪç aɪ̯n ˈbaɪ̯n ˈaʊ̯sˌʁaɪ̯sn̩]
- Literal meaning
- “to tear off one's own leg”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The English expression 'bend over backwards' evokes an image of acrobatic physical strain undertaken to please, help, or appease another person. The standard German colloquial counterpart with a similarly drastic physical metaphor is 'sich ein Bein ausreißen' (literally 'to tear off one's own leg'). Both expressions capture the notion of going to painful or absurd lengths to accommodate someone.
While 'bend over backwards' is freely used in both affirmative and negative statements, the German phrase is especially prevalent in negative contexts, such as 'Er reißt sich kein Bein aus' (He's not lifting a finger / He won't break a sweat). However, in the affirmative, it conveys the exact same sense of self-sacrificing exertion on behalf of others.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
sich krumm machen
Literally: “to make oneself crooked”
Shares the bodily contortion imagery and means putting yourself out or compromising yourself for someone else.
sich voll ins Zeug legen
Literally: “to lay oneself fully into the harness”
More neutral; means putting in massive effort, though it focuses more on hard work than catering specifically to someone.
Don't translate it literally
sich nach hinten beugen
This refers purely to the physical motion of arching the back (like in gymnastics) and has no idiomatic meaning.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
She really bent over backwards to make sure the guests felt welcome.
German
Sie hat sich wirklich ein Bein ausgerissen, damit sich die Gäste wohlfühlen.
English
Don't bend over backwards for someone who wouldn't do the same for you.
German
Reiß dir kein Bein für jemanden aus, der das Gleiche nicht für dich tun würde.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11