How do you say “Kill two birds with one stone” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen, which literally means “To hit two flies with one swat”. English speakers use kill two birds with one stone to mean to achieve two aims with a single action. Extremely common and used exactly as the English is, in planning and at work. It is neutral, informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen
/t͡svaɪ ˈfliːɡən mɪt ˈaɪnɐ ˈklapə ˈʃlaːɡən/
- Literal meaning
- “To hit two flies with one swat”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The structure is identical and only the animals change. Both praise efficiency and both are entirely standard in professional conversation.
"Klappe" here is a fly swat, not a flap or a clapperboard.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Zwei Sachen auf einmal erledigen
Literally: “To deal with two things at once”
Plain wording when you want no image at all.
Don't translate it literally
Zwei Vögel mit einem Stein töten
The literal version is understandable but unmistakably translated. Germans swat flies, they do not throw stones at birds.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
I'll visit the supplier while I'm there and kill two birds with one stone.
German
Ich besuche den Lieferanten, wenn ich schon da bin, und schlage zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe.
English
That would kill two birds with one stone.
German
Damit würden wir zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen.
Related expressions
- What “Kill two birds with one stone” means in English
- Go the extra mile, To make an extra effort.
- Cut corners, To skimp on quality to save time or money.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11