How do you say “Fly off the handle” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is an die Decke gehen, which literally means “to go up to the ceiling”. English speakers use fly off the handle to mean to suddenly become very angry and react without much self-control. A close everyday match. It usually suggests the reaction was too angry. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
an die Decke gehen
/an diː ˈdɛkə ˈɡeːən/
- Literal meaning
- “to go up to the ceiling”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German sends the angry person towards the ceiling. “Gleich” adds the idea of reacting immediately: “Geh nicht gleich an die Decke” means “Don't fly off the handle.”
Like the English warning, it can sound dismissive. “Die Beherrschung verlieren” gives a more neutral account of the outburst.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
aus der Haut fahren
Literally: “to drive out of one's skin”
Another vivid expression for losing one's temper.
die Beherrschung verlieren
Literally: “to lose one's self-control”
A calmer way to describe the same behaviour.
In context
English
He flew off the handle when he saw the bill.
German
Als er die Rechnung sah, ging er an die Decke.
English
Don't fly off the handle; let me explain first.
German
Fahr nicht gleich aus der Haut; lass mich erst erklären.
Related expressions
- What “Fly off the handle” means in English
- Lose it, Suddenly lose emotional control.
- Drive someone up the wall, Make someone extremely annoyed.
Last updated 2026-09-16