How do you say “A slam dunk” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is eine sichere Sache, which literally means “a sure thing”. English speakers use a slam dunk to mean something expected to succeed easily. A natural German choice for an outcome treated as certain. It lacks the basketball image. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
eine sichere Sache
/aɪnə ˈzɪçəʁə ˈzaxə/
- Literal meaning
- “a sure thing”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
91 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Eine sichere Sache” stresses confidence in the result rather than how little effort it takes. It can describe a competition or an expected approval.
“Keine sichere Sache” is useful when warning someone not to assume success. There may still be a good chance of getting it.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
With three champions on our team, we thought the final was a slam dunk.
German
Mit drei Champions in unserer Mannschaft hielten wir den Sieg im Finale für eine sichere Sache.
English
Getting the grant is not a slam dunk; several strong teams have applied.
German
Die Förderung zu bekommen, ist keine sichere Sache; mehrere starke Teams haben sich beworben.
Related expressions
- What “A slam dunk” means in English
- A walk in the park, something that is very easy to do
Last updated 2026-10-01