How do you say “Put lipstick on a pig” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is nur kosmetische Änderungen vornehmen, which literally means “to make only cosmetic changes”. English speakers use put lipstick on a pig to mean to hide serious faults with surface improvements. A plain German paraphrase for changing appearances without fixing the problem. It is less mocking than the English. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
nur kosmetische Änderungen vornehmen
/nuːɐ̯ kɔsˈmeːtɪʃə ˈɛndəʁʊŋən ˈfoːɐ̯neːmən/
- Literal meaning
- “to make only cosmetic changes”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Kosmetisch” can describe changes that only affect the surface. It works for a new coat of paint or a business changing its image.
Keep “nur” if the criticism is that the change does too little. Without it, cosmetic changes need not sound like a bad idea.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone3 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Repainting the leaking boat is just putting lipstick on a pig.
German
Das undichte Boot neu zu streichen, bedeutet nur kosmetische Änderungen vorzunehmen.
English
A new logo will not fix the poor service; it is lipstick on a pig.
German
Ein neues Logo behebt den schlechten Service nicht; damit nimmt man nur kosmetische Änderungen vor.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01