How do you say “Make a mountain out of a molehill” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen, which literally means “to make an elephant out of a mosquito”. English speakers use make a mountain out of a molehill to mean to treat a small problem as if it were a much more serious one. A very close match; the small-to-large image uses animals instead of hills. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen
/aʊs ˈaɪnɐ ˈmʏkə ˈaɪnən eleˈfantn̩ ˈmaxn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to make an elephant out of a mosquito”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
98 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
A mosquito becomes an elephant: the small-to-huge contrast is much like the English one. The phrase criticises someone for making too much of a problem.
In a warning, say “Mach aus einer Mücke keinen Elefanten.” It can reassure, but may sound dismissive if the other person's concern is reasonable.
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?
übertreiben
Literally: “to exaggerate”
A direct verb that also applies beyond problems.
etwas unnötig dramatisieren
Literally: “to dramatise something unnecessarily”
Direct wording for when you want to explain the problem.
In context
English
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill; it's only a small delay.
German
Mach aus einer Mücke keinen Elefanten; es ist nur eine kleine Verzögerung.
English
He made a mountain out of a molehill over one missing receipt.
German
Wegen eines einzigen fehlenden Belegs machte er aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten.
Related expressions
- What “Make a mountain out of a molehill” means in English
- A storm in a teacup, Great anger or worry about something unimportant.
- Cry over spilt milk, To worry uselessly about past mistakes.
Last updated 2026-09-16