How do you say “A pipe dream” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is ein Luftschloss, which literally means “a castle in the air”. English speakers use a pipe dream to mean a hope or plan that is very unlikely to come true. A familiar German match for an unrealistic dream or plan. It replaces the pipe with a castle that has no solid base. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
ein Luftschloss
/aɪn ˈlʊftʃlɔs/
- Literal meaning
- “a castle in the air”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Luftschlösser bauen” means building castles in the air. It suggests spending time imagining plans without a practical foundation.
For one idea, say “Das ist ein Luftschloss”. Like the English, it can sound unkind if the person has put serious thought into the plan.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
With our tiny budget, opening a cinema seemed like a pipe dream.
German
Mit unserem winzigen Budget schien ein eigenes Kino ein Luftschloss zu sein.
English
They called her idea a pipe dream, but she made it happen.
German
Sie nannten ihre Idee ein Luftschloss, aber sie hat sie verwirklicht.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04