How do you say “Gravy train” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is leicht verdientes Geld, which literally means “easily earned money”. English speakers use gravy train to mean a source of easy money with little effort. Describes easy earnings; the sentence supplies any criticism about unfair rewards. Register: informal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural German
leicht verdientes Geld
/laɪçt fɛɐ̯ˈdiːntəs ɡɛlt/
- Literal meaning
- “easily earned money”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
89 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Das war leicht verdientes Geld” makes clear that little effort was needed. It does not by itself accuse anyone of wrongdoing.
Describe the generous payment or lack of work if you mean to criticise the arrangement. Someone can also say this happily about a simple job.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 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
That contract was a gravy train: they paid us even when nothing needed doing.
German
Mit dem Vertrag war das leicht verdientes Geld: Wir wurden bezahlt, auch wenn nichts zu tun war.
English
The gravy train ended when the company stopped renewing those easy contracts.
German
Mit dem leicht verdienten Geld war es vorbei, als die Firma diese einfachen Verträge nicht mehr verlängerte.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04