How do you say “Rack your brain” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is sich den Kopf zerbrechen, which literally means “to break one's head”. English speakers use rack your brain to mean to think very hard while trying to remember or solve something. Can suggest worry as well as a search for an answer. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
sich den Kopf zerbrechen
/zɪç deːn kɔpf tsɛɐ̯ˈbʁɛçn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to break one's head”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
97 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German puts the strain on the head rather than the brain. “Ich zerbreche mir den Kopf” works for a difficult decision or a stubborn memory search.
It can also suggest worry. Add the question you are trying to solve if you want to keep the focus on thinking rather than anxiety.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I racked my brain trying to remember his name.
German
Ich zerbrach mir den Kopf, um mich an seinen Namen zu erinnern.
English
We've been racking our brains over a name for the café.
German
Wir zerbrechen uns seit einer Weile den Kopf über einen Namen für das Café.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-09-19