How do you say “Put your money where your mouth is” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is seinen Worten Taten folgen lassen, which literally means “to let actions follow one’s words”. English speakers use put your money where your mouth is to mean to support what you say with action or money. A close German match for following words with action. It does not specifically suggest spending money. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
seinen Worten Taten folgen lassen
/ˈzaɪnən ˈvɔʁtn̩ ˈtaːtn̩ ˈfɔlɡn̩ ˌlasn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to let actions follow one’s words”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Lass deinen Worten Taten folgen” challenges someone to act on what they have said. The action could be a donation, a repair or practical help.
Change the possessive for the person: “Ich lasse meinen Worten Taten folgen”. That turns the challenge into your own commitment.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I praised the garden project, then put my money where my mouth is and donated.
German
Ich lobte das Gartenprojekt, ließ meinen Worten Taten folgen und spendete.
English
If you care about the park, put your money where your mouth is and help clean it.
German
Wenn dir der Park wichtig ist, lass deinen Worten Taten folgen und hilf beim Aufräumen.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04