How do you say “When pigs fly” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Wenn Ostern und Weihnachten auf einen Tag fallen, which literally means “When Easter and Christmas fall on one day”. English speakers use when pigs fly to mean this expression means that an event will never happen because it is completely impossible. A familiar joking way to say something will never happen. It is informal and common in everyday German.
Closest natural German
Wenn Ostern und Weihnachten auf einen Tag fallen
/vɛn ˈoːstɐn ʊnt ˈvaɪnaxtn̩ aʊf ˈaɪnən taːk ˈfalən/
- Literal meaning
- “When Easter and Christmas fall on one day”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
English imagines an impossible animal. German imagines two holidays sharing one date.
Both are playful ways to say “never”. They can also sound dismissive, especially when used about someone’s promise.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
Am Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag
Literally: “On Saint Never’s Day”
A humorous imaginary date for something that will never happen.
Das kannst du vergessen
Literally: “You can forget that”
Blunter, useful for dismissing an unrealistic hope.
Don't translate it literally
Wenn Schweine fliegen
The calendar expression is the established German choice; the flying-pig wording can sound borrowed from English.
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in German, not as expressions.
In context
English
He’ll tidy his room when pigs fly.
German
Er räumt sein Zimmer auf, wenn Ostern und Weihnachten auf einen Tag fallen.
English
They’ll pay us back when pigs fly.
German
Die zahlen uns am Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag zurück.
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-12