How do you say “Fall off the wagon” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is rückfällig werden, which literally means “to relapse”. English speakers use fall off the wagon to mean to start drinking alcohol again after a period without it. A direct German equivalent for returning to a habit or addiction. It can sound more serious than a joking English use. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
rückfällig werden
/ˈʁʏkˌfɛlɪç ˈveːɐ̯dn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to relapse”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The German wording does not involve a wagon. It names the return to something the person had stopped.
With alcohol, the context makes the meaning clear. A joking use about sweets needs the habit named so it is not mistaken for a more serious relapse.
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
After six months without alcohol, he fell off the wagon and asked for support.
German
Nach sechs Monaten ohne Alkohol wurde er rückfällig und bat um Unterstützung.
English
I fell off the wagon with my no-sweets plan and bought a bag of chocolates.
German
Bei meinem Vorsatz, keine Süßigkeiten zu essen, wurde ich rückfällig und kaufte eine Tüte Pralinen.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01