How do you say “Make out with someone” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is mit jemandem knutschen, which literally means “to snog with someone”. English speakers use make out with someone to mean to spend time kissing someone romantically. A close, informal match for prolonged romantic kissing. It does not by itself mean having sex. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
mit jemandem knutschen
/mɪt ˈjeːmandəm ˈknʊtʃn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to snog with someone”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Knutschen” suggests more than a quick greeting kiss. It suits the affectionate or passionate kissing described by “make out”.
Use “mit” before the other person: “mit meinem Date”. The word is casual, so it would sound out of place in a formal account.
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
They were making out in the kitchen after the party.
German
Sie haben nach der Party in der Küche geknutscht.
English
I made out with my date outside the cinema.
German
Ich habe vor dem Kino mit meinem Date geknutscht.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01