How do you say “Off the cuff” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is aus dem Stegreif, which literally means “out of the stirrup”. English speakers use off the cuff to mean without preparing what to say beforehand. A close German match for speaking or performing without preparation. It can also describe an immediate answer from memory. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
aus dem Stegreif
/aʊs deːm ˈʃteːkɡʁaɪf/
- Literal meaning
- “out of the stirrup”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Aus dem Stegreif reden” means speak without a prepared text. The phrase does not imply that the speech is poor.
“Stegreif” is an old word for stirrup. In the expression, the point is being ready to respond without stopping to prepare.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
She spoke off the cuff when someone asked her to say a few words.
German
Sie sprach aus dem Stegreif, als man sie bat, ein paar Worte zu sagen.
English
That was an off-the-cuff remark, not a promise.
German
Das war eine Bemerkung aus dem Stegreif, kein Versprechen.
Related expressions
- What “Off the cuff” means in English
- On the spur of the moment, without planning ahead, following a sudden impulse
Last updated 2026-11-13