How do you say “Have skin in the game” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is selbst etwas aufs Spiel setzen, which literally means “to put something of your own at stake”. English speakers use have skin in the game to mean to have something personal at risk in the outcome. An idiomatic risk expression with “selbst” added to show personal exposure. It focuses on what someone stands to lose. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
selbst etwas aufs Spiel setzen
/zɛlpst ˈɛtvas aʊfs ʃpiːl ˈzɛtsn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to put something of your own at stake”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
87 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Simply saying that someone is involved would miss the risk. Name the savings, reputation or other personal stake if it matters to the argument.
“Aufs Spiel setzen” describes taking a risk, whereas the English can describe already having a stake. Adjust the sentence to the situation.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I have skin in the game: my savings are paying for the café.
German
Ich setze selbst etwas aufs Spiel: Meine Ersparnisse finanzieren das Café.
English
She has skin in the game because her reputation depends on the project.
German
Sie setzt selbst etwas aufs Spiel, denn ihr Ruf hängt von dem Projekt ab.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01