How do you say “Hit it off” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Sich auf Anhieb gut verstehen, which literally means “To understand each other well at the first attempt”. English speakers use hit it off to mean to like someone and get along well from the first meeting. A very natural way to describe people getting along immediately. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
Sich auf Anhieb gut verstehen
/zɪç aʊf ˈanhiːp ɡuːt fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːən/
- Literal meaning
- “To understand each other well at the first attempt”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
English uses a compact phrase whose literal words do not explain the connection. German says directly that people understood each other well from the start.
Both are warm and work for friendship or dating. Neither by itself means the connection was romantic.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Sofort einen Draht zueinander haben
Literally: “To immediately have a wire to one another”
Casual and vivid, for an instant personal connection.
Auf einer Wellenlänge sein
Literally: “To be on one wavelength”
Stresses compatibility without necessarily meaning a first meeting.
Common translation traps
Es abschlagen
This verb does not mean forming an instant friendly connection.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in German.
In context
English
My sister and my flatmate hit it off straight away.
German
Meine Schwester und mein Mitbewohner haben sich auf Anhieb gut verstanden.
English
We hit it off when we met at work.
German
Wir haben uns auf Anhieb gut verstanden, als wir uns bei der Arbeit kennengelernt haben.
Related expressions
- What “Hit it off” means in English
- Break the ice, Make it easier to start talking.
- See eye to eye, To agree completely with someone.
Last updated 2026-09-12