How do you say “Lose your marbles” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank haben, which literally means “not to have all the cups in the cupboard any more”. English speakers use lose your marbles to mean to stop thinking sensibly or clearly. A colourful German match for behaving irrationally. It can sound more insulting than a joke about simple forgetfulness. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank haben
/nɪçt meːɐ̯ ˈalə ˈtasn̩ ɪm ʃʁaŋk ˈhaːbn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “not to have all the cups in the cupboard any more”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
85 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The missing cups stand for missing good sense. “Hast du nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank?” sharply challenges what someone is doing.
Use it cautiously, even among friends. For a simple mistake, “Ich war wohl kurz unaufmerksam” means I must have stopped paying attention for a moment.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I put my keys in the fridge. I must be losing my marbles.
German
Ich habe meine Schlüssel in den Kühlschrank gelegt. Ich habe wohl nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank.
English
You want to cycle there in a snowstorm? Have you lost your marbles?
German
Du willst bei einem Schneesturm dorthin radeln? Hast du nicht mehr alle Tassen im Schrank?
Related expressions
- What “Lose your marbles” means in English
- Not playing with a full deck, not thinking sensibly or clearly, said as an insult
Last updated 2026-10-01