How do you say “Pull someone's leg” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is jemanden auf den Arm nehmen, which literally means “to take someone onto one's arm”. English speakers use pull someone's leg to mean to tease someone by telling them something untrue as a joke. "Jemanden auf den Arm nehmen" is the direct and most natural German counterpart to pulling someone's leg. It is universally understood and captures the exact blend of playful deceit and affectionate teasing. It is informal, humorous and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
jemanden auf den Arm nehmen
[ˈjeːmandn̩ aʊ̯f deːn ˈʔaʁm ˈneːmən]
- Literal meaning
- “to take someone onto one's arm”
- Register
- informal, humorous
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
Both "pull someone's leg" and "jemanden auf den Arm nehmen" convey the exact same sentiment: telling someone a fictional story or an absurd claim with a straight face just to see if they fall for it. While English grounds the metaphor in tripping someone by the leg, the German idiom likely stems from treating an adult like a gullible toddler who has to be carried around on an arm.
The German idiom operates across identical social contexts, ranging from lighthearted workplace banter to teasing among family and friends. It is completely benign and implies good humor without any genuine malice or intent to deceive.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 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?
jemanden veräppeln
Literally: “to apple someone”
A very common colloquial synonym with an equally playful tone.
jemanden aufziehen
Literally: “to wind someone up”
Closer to ribbing or teasing someone repeatedly about an embarrassing detail.
Don't translate it literally
jemandes Bein ziehen
This is a word-for-word calque of the English idiom that makes no sense in German and suggests literal physical violence or tripping someone.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
Don't get upset, he's just pulling your leg.
German
Reg dich nicht auf, er nimmt dich doch nur auf den Arm.
English
Are you pulling my leg, or did you really win the lottery?
German
Nimmst du mich auf den Arm, oder hast du wirklich im Lotto gewonnen?
Related expressions
- What “Pull someone's leg” means in English
- Take it with a pinch of salt, To treat a claim with mild scepticism.
Last reviewed 2026-09-11