“Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof”
It's all Greek to me
Daily LifeInformalB1
Literal Translation
Word for word: “I understand only train station”
Pronunciation
/ɪç fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːə nuːɐ̯ ˈbaːnˌhoːf/
When to Use This Phrase
The most popular explanation traces it to World War I soldiers who were so tired of the war that the only word they wanted to hear was 'Bahnhof', the station where trains left for home. It's casual, so in a meeting or class, 'Das habe ich leider nicht verstanden' is the safer choice.
Example Sentences
Kannst du das noch mal erklären? Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof.
Can you explain that again? It's all Greek to me.
Mein Kollege hat mir das neue System erklärt, aber ich habe nur Bahnhof verstanden.
My colleague explained the new system to me, but I didn't understand a word.
Word Breakdown
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