How do you say “Bucket list” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Wunschliste fürs Leben, which literally means “wish list for life”. English speakers use bucket list to mean a list of things you hope to do in your lifetime. A plain German explanation of the idea. “Wunschliste” alone can also mean a list of gifts you want. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural German
Wunschliste fürs Leben
/ˈvʊnʃlɪstə fʏɐs ˈleːbn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “wish list for life”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
91 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Adding “fürs Leben” makes clear that these are lifetime wishes. It helps when the list includes experiences rather than things to buy.
After introducing the list, you can shorten it to “meine Liste”. Keep the lifetime detail when a simple wish list could be mistaken for birthday presents.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Seeing the northern lights has always been on my bucket list.
German
Die Nordlichter zu sehen stand schon immer auf meiner Wunschliste fürs Leben.
English
Learning to swim was the first thing I crossed off my bucket list.
German
Schwimmen zu lernen war das Erste, was ich von meiner Wunschliste fürs Leben streichen konnte.
Related expressions
- What “Bucket list” means in English
- Kick the bucket, Die, said jokingly or bluntly.
Last updated 2026-11-04