How do you say “Hit the ground running” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is sofort voll durchstarten, which literally means “to immediately take off at full throttle / to perform a go-around at full power”. English speakers use hit the ground running to mean to begin an activity or a new job immediately with great energy and without any delay. Native speakers routinely use 'durchstarten', often reinforced with 'sofort' or 'voll', when discussing a new hire or project beginning at peak momentum. It conveys the exact same blend of speed, competence, and proactive energy. It is neutral, informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
sofort voll durchstarten
[zoˈfɔʁt fɔl ˈdʊʁçˌʃtaʁtn̩]
- Literal meaning
- “to immediately take off at full throttle / to perform a go-around at full power”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
92 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The English idiom 'hit the ground running' draws imagery either from military paratroopers or people disembarking from moving vehicles, landing with enough speed and poise to dash forward immediately. It is an extremely common staple in corporate job descriptions and performance evaluations, highlighting an employee's ability to be productive without requiring a lengthy ramp-up phase.
German captures this identical concept through the aviation metaphor 'durchstarten' (which originally describes an aircraft executing a go-around or accelerating suddenly). When combined with 'sofort' (immediately) or 'voll' (fully), it carries the exact same energetic, confident nuance in modern business and casual German.
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?
einen fliegenden Start hinlegen
Literally: “to pull off a flying start”
A slightly more vivid sports-derived idiom that also emphasizes rapid early success.
aus dem Stand voll durchstarten
Literally: “to accelerate fully from a standing position”
Emphasizes producing top performance without any ramp-up time or warm-up.
vom ersten Tag an voll einsatzbereit sein
Literally: “to be fully ready for action from the first day”
A slightly more formal, corporate variant common in job descriptions.
Don't translate it literally
rennend auf den Boden treffen
A direct translation sounds like someone physically crashing into the dirt while on a run.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
She started her new job on Monday and hit the ground running.
German
Sie hat am Montag im neuen Job angefangen und ist sofort voll durchgestartet.
English
We can't afford a long onboarding period; we need someone who can hit the ground running.
German
Wir können uns keine lange Einarbeitungszeit leisten; wir brauchen jemanden, der sofort durchstarten kann.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11