# A piece of cake



## Messquito

I would like to know how people refer to easy things in different languages.

In Chinese:
小case (little case)
小菜一碟 (a side dish)
小事一樁 (a little thing)


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## Red Arrow

In Dutch:
*een eitje* (a little egg)
*een fluitje van een cent* (a 1 cent whistle)
*een makkie* => comes from the word ''(ge)makkelijk'' (easy)

*Ik kan het met mijn ogen dicht.* (I can do it with my eyes closed.)


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## Nawaq

*French:
*
_C'est du gâteau_, "it's (some) cake"
_C'est simple comme bonjour_, "it's as simple as hello"
_(C'est) fastoche !_ "from _facile_, easy"


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## Polyglot123

It's a piece of cake
It's child's play.


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## twinklestar

Chinese: In addtion
易如反掌 as easy as turning your palm

English: in addtion
duck soup

German:
einfach (adj.) : one drawer


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## apmoy70

Greek:

*«Βούτυρο στο ψωμί του/της»* [ˈvutiɾo sto p͡soˈmi tu] (masc.), [ˈvutiɾo sto p͡soˈmi tis] (fem.) --> _butter (spread) on his/her bread_


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## ger4

twinklestar said:


> German:
> einfach (adj.) : one drawer


An addition to German: _einfach_ is of course correct. It just means 'simple'. _Ein Fach, _'One drawer' is pronounced similarly but written in two words. Etymologically, _einfach_ is a compound which means something like one/single-layered so it's true, there is a logical connection.

Looking for another, more figurative expression with a similar meaning as 'a piece of cake', I would suggest _das ist kinderleicht_ (lit. 'that's children-easy').

Another phrase, meaning "it's a piece of cake for me" is _das schaff' ich mit links_ (lit. 'I manage to do that with left', i.e. 'with my left hand') which has just been discussed on the German forum. mit links schaffen


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: 
раз плюнуть - to spit once


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## Red Arrow

Polyglot123 said:


> It's child's play.


In Dutch: 't Is kinderspel.


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## Dymn

Catalan:
_bufar i fer ampolles_ - to blow and make bottles

Spanish:
_coser y cantar _- to sew and sing
_pan comido _- eaten bread


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## pomar

Italian: _è uno scherzo_ (lit.: it is a joke).
Looking for an English translation I found _breeze, cakewalk _and _walk in the park_, but I don't really know the way these expressions are used.


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## ilocas2

Czech:

*to je brnkačka* (this word doesn't have any other meaning, it is derived from _brnkat_ - to strum)
*to je hračka* - it is toy


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## 810senior

Japanese:　朝飯前(before breakfast) or 赤子の手をひねる(twist a toddler's hand)


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## twinklestar

810senior said:


> Japanese:　朝飯前(before breakfast) or 赤子の手をひねる(twist a toddler's hand)


Hi, would you please explain why "before breakfast" can mean it is very easy? I don't figure it out.

Thank you!


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## kloie

Holger2014 said:


> An addition to German: _einfach_ is of course correct. It just means 'simple'. _Ein Fach, _'One drawer' is pronounced similarly but written in two words. Etymologically, _einfach_ is a compound which means something like one/single-layered so it's true, there is a logical connection.
> 
> Looking for another, more figurative expression with a similar meaning as 'a piece of cake', I would suggest _das ist kinderleicht_ (lit. 'that's children-easy').
> 
> Another phrase, meaning "it's a piece of cake for me" is _das schaff' ich mit links_ (lit. 'I manage to do that with left', i.e. 'with my left hand') which has just been discussed on the German forum. mit links schaffen


Could you use kinderspiel?


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## 810senior

twinklestar said:


> Hi, would you please explain why "before breakfast" can mean it is very easy? I don't figure it out.
> 
> Thank you!



Hello. That means it's quite easy to do with it without eating breakfast, the first meal of the day from which you can get energy.


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## wildan1

Besides _It's a piece of cake, _in AE there are also:_ It's a snap. It's a cinch. It's easy as pie. Easy-peasy. You can do it with your eyes closed. You can do it with one hand behind your back._


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## twinklestar

810senior said:


> Hello. That means it's quite easy to do with it without eating breakfast, the first meal of the day from which you can get energy.



Thank you very much, 810senior!

It reminds me of another Chinese expression which means very easy.

不费吹灰之力=needless the strength which is used to blow off dust = without effort


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## ger4

kloie said:


> Could you use Kinderspiel?


I forgot that,  thanks!  Even though I haven't heard it very often recently it's still idiomatic: _Das ist ein Kinderspiel_ (lit. a children's game'). 

The other expression, _etwas mit links schaffen_, seems to be taking over, I guess it's associated with 'coolness'.


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## twinklestar

another expression in Chinese:

小儿科： department of paediatrics


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## Nawaq

I just thought of another one in *French:
*
_C'est du pipi/de la pisse de chat_ "it's cat' pee/piss"


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## mataripis

Tagalog: kaputol( a piece or part)


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## AutumnOwl

*Swedish:*
_Lätt som en plätt_ - easy as a drop scone/cake
_Rena barnleken_ - pure child's game


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## ThomasK

Nawaq said:


> I just thought of another one in *French:
> *
> _C'est du pipi/de la pisse de chat_ "it's cat' pee/piss"


We could use in the negative sense: "Het is *geen* kattenpis", it is not simple.


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## velisarius

apmoy70 said:


> Greek:
> 
> *«Βούτυρο στο ψωμί του/της»* [ˈvutiɾo sto p͡soˈmi tu] (masc.), [ˈvutiɾo sto p͡soˈmi tis] (fem.) --> _butter (spread) on his/her bread_



I'm not sure about that: is really an equivalent expression, apmoy? I see _Βούτυρο στο ψωμί του/της_ being used to mean "grist to someone's mill", or "providing ammunition" for an opponent's argument.

I'm afraid I can think of nothing more colourful than _Είναι παιχνιδάκι _(it's like a game).


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## sound shift

ThomasK said:


> We could use in the negative sense: "Het is *geen* kattenpis", it is not simple.


We here in England could say "It's a piece of piss" if we wanted to explain in a vulgar way that it's easy - but we wouldn't say *"It's not a piece of piss."


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## apmoy70

Another Greek one is *«παιχνιδάκι»* [pexniˈðaci] (neut.) --> _little toy, small game_ diminutive of MoGr *«παιχνίδι»* [peˈxniði] (neut.), learned *«παιγνίδι»* [peˈɣniði] (neut.) --> _toy, plaything, game_ < Classical neut. diminutive *«παιγνίδιον» pai̯gnídiŏn*, Ionic var. *«παιχνίδιον» pai̯kʰnídiŏn* of Classical neut. *«παίγνιον» paí̯gniŏn*, Ionic var. *«παίχνιον» paí̯kʰniŏn* --> _childish behaviour_, later _toy, game_ < 3rd declension masc. or fem. noun *«παῖς» paî̯s* (nom. sing.), *«παιδός» pai̯dós* (gen. sing.) --> _child, boy, son, slave, servant_, (fem. rarer) _girl, daughter_ (PIE *peh₂-u- _few, little_ cf Skt. पुत्र (putrá), _son_, Lat. paucus, Proto-Germanic *fawaz > Eng. few).
Eg:
-Can you fix this please?
-«Παιχνιδάκι!» (like a) small game!


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## Anja.Ann

Ciao a tutti 

In Italian:

- "facile come bere un bicchiere d'acqua"
    (literally):  as easy as drinking a glass of water;

- "è un gioco da ragazzi"
    (literally): it's a child's play.


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## Nawaq

Ah, since others have said it, it reminded me of it in *French* too: _"un (vrai) jeu d'enfants"_ (childs play)


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## spindlemoss

Anja.Ann said:


> - "è un gioco da ragazzi"
> (literally): it's a child's play.





Nawaq said:


> Ah, since others have said it, it reminded me of it in *French* too: _"un (vrai) jeu d'enfants"_ (childs play)



Yes, in Welsh there's "Mae fel chwarae plant" (It's like child's play) too.

You could also just say "Mae'n hawdd iawn" (It's really easy) or "Does dim byd haws" (There's nothing easier).

But we do have "Mae'n hawdd fel dŵr" (It's as easy as water) or "Mae'n hawdd fel baw" (It's as easy as muck)!


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## Nawaq

spindlemoss said:


> "Does dim byd haws" (There's nothing easier).



Rien de plus facile "nothing easier"


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## Anja.Ann

spindlemoss said:


> ... "Does dim byd haws" (There's nothing easier"





Nawaq said:


> Rien de plus facile "nothing easier"



Right!  In Italian too: "niente di più facile" 

We also say "facile come respirare", literally "as easy as breathing"


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## ger4

spindlemoss said:


> Does dim byd haws" (There's nothing easier).





Nawaq said:


> Rien de plus facile "nothing easier"





Anja.Ann said:


> Right!  In Italian too: "niente di più facile"


... and in German too: "_Nichts ist einfacher " _or:_ "Nichts ist leichter" _("nothing is easier").


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## 810senior

If it is for a case when someone asks you a quite easy favor(at least for you), you can as well say in Japanese お安いご用(oyasui-goyou) _there's nothing to it_ lit. it's a cheap errand.


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## Karton Realista

Polish: bułka z masłem - a bun with butter.


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## Rani_Author

Indonesian: 
- Semudah membalikkan telapak tangan (As easy as turning the palm of the hand).
- Itu bisa dilakukan dengan mata tertutup (It could be done with closed eyes).
- Itu bisa dilakukan dengan satu jari (It could be done with one finger).


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