How do you say “Play devil's advocate” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is des Teufels Advokat spielen, which literally means “to play the devil's advocate”. English speakers use play devil's advocate to mean to argue against an idea, even if you do not agree with the argument, just to test whether the idea is good. Widely used in business, media, and debate contexts. The Latin variant 'den Advocatus Diaboli spielen' is equally natural and common among educated speakers. It is neutral, formal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
des Teufels Advokat spielen
[dɛs ˈtɔɪ̯fl̩s ʔatvoˈkaːt ˈʃpiːlən]
- Literal meaning
- “to play the devil's advocate”
- Register
- neutral, formal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Both the English and German expressions stem from the historical Roman Catholic office of the *advocatus diaboli*, an official appointed to argue against the canonization of a candidate to ensure rigorous scrutiny. In German, this concept transitioned seamlessly into intellectual and professional discourse. Speakers use either the semi-translated genitive form *des Teufels Advokat spielen* or the direct Latin loan *den Advocatus Diaboli spielen* with identical meaning and tone.
While the German word for a modern lawyer is *Anwalt* or *Rechtsanwalt*, the idiom strictly preserves the archaic term *Advokat*. Translating the phrase literally as *den Anwalt des Teufels spielen* sounds like a clumsy film-title translation and should be avoided in authentic conversation or professional meetings.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity5 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
den Advocatus Diaboli spielen
Literally: “to play the advocatus diaboli”
A very common variant that directly retains the original Latin ecclesiastical term.
die Gegenposition einnehmen
Literally: “to adopt the counter-position”
A neutral, descriptive alternative often used in professional or academic meetings.
bewusst Kontra geben
Literally: “to deliberately push back”
More conversational, focusing on testing an argument through deliberate opposition.
Don't translate it literally
den Anwalt des Teufels spielen
This is a clumsy literal calque from English; native speakers stick strictly to the archaic 'Advokat' or the Latin 'Advocatus Diaboli'.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
Let me play devil's advocate for a second: what if the market crashes?
German
Lass mich mal kurz des Teufels Advokat spielen: Was passiert, wenn der Markt einbricht?
English
She wasn't actually opposed to the plan; she was just playing devil's advocate.
German
Sie war nicht wirklich gegen den Plan; sie hat nur des Teufels Advokat gespielt.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11