How do you say “A sitting duck” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is eine leichte Beute, which literally means “easy prey”. English speakers use a sitting duck to mean an easy target with little protection. A close German match for an easy victim or target. It works beyond physical attacks. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
eine leichte Beute
/aɪnə ˈlaɪçtə ˈbɔʏtə/
- Literal meaning
- “easy prey”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
German keeps a hunting image but does not name a duck. “Leichte Beute” can describe something easy to steal or someone easy to defeat.
Say who poses the threat with “für”: “eine leichte Beute für Betrüger” means an easy target for scammers.
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
An unlocked bike outside all night is a sitting duck for thieves.
German
Ein unverschlossenes Fahrrad, das die ganze Nacht draußen steht, ist eine leichte Beute für Diebe.
English
Without a goalkeeper, our team was a sitting duck.
German
Ohne Torwart war unsere Mannschaft eine leichte Beute.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-10-01