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. Register: informal, neutral. Usage frequency: common.
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.
Common translation traps
Ein Stück Kuchen
This only means an actual slice of cake. It has no figurative sense in German at all.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in German.
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 updated 2026-09-11