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Some people will advocate a policy, like higher taxes, and then try to get out of it themselves. This is hypocrisy (Heuchelei).

Others will gladly do themselves what they advocate for others. These people "practice what they preach."

How do you say "practice what you preach" in German?

Tom Au
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7 Answers7

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It's not a perfect match, but you can

den Worten Taten folgen lassen.

Hendrik Vogt
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We have a phrase for the exact opposite:

Wasser predigen und Wein trinken

  • I would also vote this - if it wasn't the /opposite/ of the OPs question :) – axk Sep 14 '11 at 06:03
  • There is this great think called negation. "Er predigt nicht öffentlich Wasser und trinkt heimlich Wein" works. – hajef Jul 01 '19 at 12:55
  • But Wasser predigen und Wein trinken" is normally used to criticize* that behaviour and therefore both proverbs do have the same meaning in regard to what is good and what is bad. – Volker Landgraf Jul 04 '19 at 07:21
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The expression I use is:

Mit gutem/leuchtendem Vorbild vorangehen

Closer to the given proverb we may also use:

Nicht nur reden, sondern handeln!

Takkat
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    Similar to "practise what you preach", but in my opinion the emphasis is different: If you ask that someone should "mit gutem Beispiel vorangehen", this doesn't necessarily imply that that person has "preached" anything. – Hendrik Vogt Sep 09 '11 at 14:43
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Seine Worte/Das Gesagte leben/vorleben.

axk
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Ganz schlicht:

zu tun was man sagt.

user unknown
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4

Keine leeren Versprechungen machen

leere Versprechungen is here a common german phrase, esp. for politicians ;)

Hauser
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  • This is somewhat different. If you preach then you don't really promise anything, but advertise some ideas. – Hendrik Vogt Sep 11 '11 at 09:33
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    @hendrik what the difference between leere Versprechungen und keine Taten folgen lassen then? Taten implies more than a way of living in politics?! ... Arent most relgious sermons full of promises? ;) "You are a better human if you live this way, i promise you" If you talk about lowering taxes, leere Versprechungen is imo much more common and connotes Heuchelei perfectly (Oxymoron) – Hauser Sep 11 '11 at 10:16
  • Leere Versprechungen is a perfect example of Heuchelei indeed, but if someone says "You are a better human if you live this way, I promise you", then he does not promise that he'll live that way, does he? – Hendrik Vogt Sep 11 '11 at 10:18
  • @hendrik lol thats probably the logical explanation/plea why priests actually not have higher moral standards than average joe. But of course if you climb onto a high rostrum and preach you imply to live that way as a priest...sry but thats linguistic hairsplitting to me ;) Following your reasoning none of priests in recent past would had to quit because of personal immoral lapses. Of course preaching carries personal moral behaviour and way of living. imo you mix up preaching with saying something – Hauser Sep 11 '11 at 10:48
  • OK, I won't deny being a Haarspalter. But let me give an example: If I hear "Keine leeren Versprechungen machen", then I think of someone saying "I promise, tomorrow I'll take care of that" or of a politician promising before the elections that he'll employ more teachers. If I hear "practice what you preach", then I think of a situation like this (which I find quite different): a politician says that we all need to save energy to preserve our planet; then I'll expect him not to use his BMW to go and buy stamps. – Hendrik Vogt Sep 11 '11 at 11:36
  • @hendrik agree, the question/confusion is more when are politicians serious about a example they make at all and when we are not in, after, before a election ;) There is a reason why Neusprech is esp. used by Politicians... – Hauser Sep 11 '11 at 11:51
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I would translate "These people practice what they preach." with

Diese Leute leben, was sie lehren.

Chris Lercher
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  • +1 Good one, but imo only in a somewhat "esoterical" context, where there is some reference to actual "teachings" in a narrower sense. I think it would sound a bit grandiloquent in the context of e.g. a political debate. – Mac Sep 27 '11 at 13:15