How do you say “On tenterhooks” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen, which literally means “to sit on glowing coals”. English speakers use on tenterhooks to mean to be anxiously waiting to find out what will happen. A German image for tense or impatient waiting. It may stress impatience more than the English does. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen
/aʊf ˈɡlyːəndn̩ ˈkoːlən ˌzɪtsn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to sit on glowing coals”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The hot coals suggest that you cannot sit comfortably while waiting. It works well for results or news that could change your plans.
For a gripping book, “in Spannung halten” is a more natural choice. It means keep someone in suspense and suits the second example.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
We were on tenterhooks until the audition results arrived.
German
Wir saßen auf glühenden Kohlen, bis die Ergebnisse des Vorsprechens da waren.
English
The final chapter kept me on tenterhooks until the last page.
German
Das letzte Kapitel hielt mich bis zur letzten Seite in Spannung.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-13