How do you say “Don't hold your breath” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Darauf kannst du lange warten., which literally means “You can wait a long time for that.”. English speakers use don't hold your breath to mean that something is unlikely to happen soon, or may not happen at all. Matches the sceptical tone of an unlikely promise. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
Darauf kannst du lange warten.
/daˈʁaʊf kanst du ˈlaŋə ˈvaʁtn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “You can wait a long time for that.”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German points to the long wait rather than holding your breath. The sentence often suggests that the promised thing may never happen.
Like the English reply, it can sound sharp. Use it about an unreliable promise, not as reassurance for someone who needs a serious answer.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
He says he'll apologise, but don't hold your breath.
German
Er sagt, er wird sich entschuldigen, aber darauf kannst du lange warten.
English
A free upgrade? Don't hold your breath.
German
Ein kostenloses Upgrade? Darauf kannst du lange warten.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19