How do you say “A pet peeve” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is etwas, das einen besonders nervt, which literally means “something that particularly annoys you”. English speakers use a pet peeve to mean a particular habit or small thing that repeatedly annoys you. A natural way to name a particular irritation without making it sound like serious hatred. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
etwas, das einen besonders nervt
/ˈɛtvas das ˈaɪnən bəˈzɔndɐs nɛʁft/
- Literal meaning
- “something that particularly annoys you”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Was mich besonders nervt, ist …” introduces your own pet peeve. It makes clear that this is your reaction, not a rule everyone must share.
For another person, change “mich” to “sie” or “ihn”. This wording can describe a small habit without making it sound like a serious hatred.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
People playing loud videos on the train are a pet peeve of mine.
German
Was mich besonders nervt, sind Leute, die im Zug Videos laut abspielen.
English
Her pet peeve is finding empty cartons left in the fridge.
German
Was sie besonders nervt, sind leere Kartons, die im Kühlschrank stehen gelassen werden.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04