How do you say “Come clean” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is alles eingestehen, which literally means “to admit everything”. English speakers use come clean to mean to admit the truth about something you have hidden. A straightforward German equivalent for admitting what happened. It is less colourful than the English. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
alles eingestehen
/ˈaləs ˈaɪnɡəʃteːən/
- Literal meaning
- “to admit everything”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Eingestehen” works for admitting a mistake or something embarrassing. “Alles” adds the sense that the person is no longer holding anything back.
The verb separates in a simple sentence: “Ich gestehe alles ein.” In the past, say “Ich habe alles eingestanden.”
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.
In context
English
I came clean and admitted that I had broken the vase.
German
Ich habe alles eingestanden und zugegeben, dass ich die Vase zerbrochen hatte.
English
She finally came clean about reading my private messages.
German
Sie hat endlich eingestanden, dass sie meine privaten Nachrichten gelesen hatte.
Related expressions
- What “Come clean” means in English
- Spill the beans, To give away a secret.
Last updated 2026-10-01