How do you say “The elephant in the room” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Der Elefant im Raum, which literally means “The elephant in the room”. English speakers use the elephant in the room to mean an obvious problem that everyone is aware of but nobody wants to discuss. A borrowing from English that is now well established in German media and business language, though older speakers may not use it. It is neutral and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Der Elefant im Raum
/deːɐ ˈeːlefant ɪm ʁaʊm/
- Literal meaning
- “The elephant in the room”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
This is one of the rare cases where the literal translation is also the natural one, because German has adopted the image directly from English.
It is safest in journalism, business and among younger speakers. In a conversation where you are unsure, "das Offensichtliche ansprechen" carries the meaning with no risk.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity5 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Das Offensichtliche ansprechen
Literally: “To address the obvious”
Plain and always understood.
Reden wir mal Klartext.
Literally: “Let's talk plain text.”
Use when your point is to stop avoiding the subject.
Das Tabuthema
Literally: “The taboo topic”
Useful when the avoided subject is genuinely off-limits.
In context
English
Let's address the elephant in the room.
German
Sprechen wir über den Elefanten im Raum.
English
Nobody mentioned the elephant in the room.
German
Niemand hat das Offensichtliche angesprochen.
Related expressions
- What “The elephant in the room” means in English
- Beat around the bush, To avoid the main point.
- Sit on the fence, To stay deliberately neutral.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11