How do you say “A piece of cake” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Ein Kinderspiel, which literally means “A child's game”. English speakers use a piece of cake to mean something that is very easy to do. Completely natural and very common; slightly less jokey than the English phrase. It is informal, neutral and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Ein Kinderspiel
/aɪn ˈkɪndɐʃpiːl/
- Literal meaning
- “A child's game”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
"Ein Kinderspiel" carries the same message, this took no effort, and is used in the same everyday situations.
The image is different: English reaches for something pleasant, German for something a child could manage. That makes the German slightly more about simplicity and slightly less about enjoyment.
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.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Das ist ein Klacks.
Literally: “That's a dollop.”
Casual and closest to the throwaway tone of 'piece of cake'.
Das schaffe ich mit links.
Literally: “I can do that with my left hand.”
Boastful and playful, used about your own ability.
Das ist doch keine Hexerei.
Literally: “That's no witchcraft.”
Reassuring someone that a task is not complicated.
Don't translate it literally
Ein Stück Kuchen
This only means an actual slice of cake. It has no figurative sense in German at all.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
The exam was a piece of cake.
German
Die Prüfung war ein Kinderspiel.
English
Installing it is a piece of cake.
German
Die Installation ist ein Klacks.
Related expressions
- What “A piece of cake” means in English
- Cut corners, To skimp on quality to save time or money.
- Go the extra mile, To make an extra effort.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11