How do you say “Pay through the nose” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is sich dumm und dämlich zahlen, which literally means “to pay oneself stupid and daft”. English speakers use pay through the nose to mean to pay much more than something should cost. An expressive, informal complaint about paying far too much. It sounds stronger than a neutral comment about a high price. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
sich dumm und dämlich zahlen
/zɪç dʊm ʊnt ˈdɛːmlɪç ˈtsaːlən/
- Literal meaning
- “to pay oneself stupid and daft”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The German phrase piles up two similar words for foolishness to stress the painful expense. It is a complaint, not a literal claim about intelligence.
Use “für” for the purchase: “für das Zimmer”. The phrase can describe one overpriced purchase or costs that keep adding up.
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
We paid through the nose for a tiny room near the station.
German
Wir haben uns für ein winziges Zimmer am Bahnhof dumm und dämlich gezahlt.
English
You will pay through the nose if you buy the tickets at the last minute.
German
Wenn du die Karten in letzter Minute kaufst, zahlst du dich dumm und dämlich.
Related expressions
- What “Pay through the nose” means in English
- Cost an arm and a leg, To be very expensive.
Last updated 2026-10-01