How do you say “By the skin of your teeth” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is mit Ach und Krach, which literally means “with groan and crash”. English speakers use by the skin of your teeth to mean you succeed in doing something or avoid danger with almost no room or time left. 'Mit Ach und Krach' is universally understood and the default idiomatic choice when someone scrapes by or accomplishes something with almost no margin left. It is informal, neutral and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
mit Ach und Krach
mɪt ˈʔax ʊnt ˈkʁax
- Literal meaning
- “with groan and crash”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
While 'by the skin of your teeth' originates from the Book of Job and evokes an impossibly thin margin of error, the German 'mit Ach und Krach' relies on vivid onomatopoeia. 'Ach' evokes an exhausted groan or sigh of exertion, while 'Krach' suggests a loud clatter or near-collapse. Together, they paint a picture of someone barely pulling something off while the wheels are practically coming off the wagon.
Both phrases fit situations where success was achieved, but only under severe strain and by the slimmest possible margin, such as passing a difficult test or catching a departing train. However, when the focus shifts strictly to dodging an imminent accident or catastrophic danger, German speakers will often switch to 'mit knapper Not' or 'um Haaresbreite' instead of 'mit Ach und Krach'.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
mit knapper Not
Literally: “with close distress”
Better suited for narrowly avoiding danger, accidents, or catastrophe rather than exams or deadlines.
um Haaresbreite
Literally: “by a hair's breadth”
Focuses on a minuscule physical margin or a near-miss.
gerade noch so
Literally: “just still like so”
A very common, non-idiomatic conversational way to say 'just barely'.
Don't translate it literally
auf der Haut meiner Zähne
A literal translation of the English biblical idiom that makes no sense in German.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
I passed the final exam by the skin of my teeth.
German
Ich habe die Abschlussprüfung mit Ach und Krach bestanden.
English
We caught the last train by the skin of our teeth.
German
Wir haben den letzten Zug mit Ach und Krach noch erwischt.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11