How do you say “Have ants in your pants” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Hummeln im Hintern haben, which literally means “to have bumblebees in your bottom”. English speakers use have ants in your pants to mean to be too restless or excited to sit still. German uses bumblebees rather than ants. This playful expression also describes someone who cannot stay still. Register: informal. Usage frequency: occasional.
Closest natural German
Hummeln im Hintern haben
/ˈhʊml̩n ɪm ˈhɪntɐn ˌhaːbn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to have bumblebees in your bottom”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- occasional
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Du hast wohl Hummeln im Hintern!” is a teasing remark to someone who keeps moving. “Hintern” is a familiar word for bottom.
Keep it for an informal setting. It describes visible restlessness rather than a specific feeling such as fear.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Leo had ants in his pants while we waited for the party to start.
German
Leo hatte Hummeln im Hintern, während wir auf den Beginn der Feier warteten.
English
Have you got ants in your pants? You’ve changed seats three times.
German
Hast du Hummeln im Hintern? Du hast schon dreimal den Platz gewechselt.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13