How do you say “Jump down someone's throat” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is jemanden anschnauzen, which literally means “to snap at someone”. English speakers use jump down someone's throat to mean to react to someone with sudden, harsh criticism. A close informal match for speaking to someone harshly. It focuses on the angry reply rather than its length. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
jemanden anschnauzen
/ˈjeːmandn̩ ˈanʃnaʊtsn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to snap at someone”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Warum schnauzt du mich so an?” asks why someone is snapping at you. It suits a sharp response to a reasonable question.
The verb separates: “Sie schnauzte ihn an.” It does not mean physically attacking the other person.
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.
In context
English
I only asked where the keys were; there was no need to jump down my throat.
German
Ich habe nur gefragt, wo die Schlüssel sind; du hättest mich nicht so anschnauzen müssen.
English
She jumped down his throat before he could explain the mistake.
German
Sie schnauzte ihn an, bevor er den Fehler erklären konnte.
Related expressions
- What “Jump down someone's throat” means in English
- Blow a fuse, to suddenly lose your temper
Last updated 2026-10-01