How do you say “Fly the coop” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is sich aus dem Staub machen, which literally means “to get oneself out of the dust”. English speakers use fly the coop to mean to leave or escape from a place. A close German equivalent for slipping away. It can suggest leaving to avoid an awkward situation or a duty. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
sich aus dem Staub machen
/zɪç aʊs deːm ʃtaʊp ˈmaxn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to get oneself out of the dust”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
This fits guests who leave before the chores or someone who disappears without saying goodbye. The departure is often the important surprise.
It sounds more evasive than simply “gehen”. For an ordinary planned move away from home, use a more neutral verb.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
By the time we started washing up, the guests had flown the coop.
German
Als wir mit dem Abwasch anfingen, hatten sich die Gäste schon aus dem Staub gemacht.
English
We looked in his room, but he had already flown the coop.
German
Wir sahen in seinem Zimmer nach, aber er hatte sich schon aus dem Staub gemacht.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01