Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Did you know this famous phrase has similar versions all over the world?
Published on May 14, 2025
Credit: Pablo Arroyo
We all love those moments when something is so easy that we say, "It’s a piece of cake!" But did you know that this phrase exists in many different languages, each with its own unique twist? People around the world have found creative ways to express just how easy something can be. In this article, we’ll take a fun journey around the globe and explore 10 different ways to say "a piece of cake" in other languages.
French: As easy as sticking your fingers in the nose
Credit: Alejandra Coral
People often say that French is the most romantic language in the world—Paris is the city of love, after all. But hear this: in French, if something is "as easy as sticking your fingers in the nose," or simple comme bonjour, it means it’s a breeze to do. Not very romantic of them, is it?
The full expression is facile comme de mettre les doigts dans le nez, which literally translates to "as easy as putting your fingers in your nose." Yes, the phrase is as playful as it is descriptive. However, we strongly recommend you stick to just saying it—no need to actually act it out!
Japanese: Before breakfast
Credit: Rachel Park
Breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, it gives us the necessary energy to tackle the to-dos ahead. However, in Japanese, some things are considered so easy that you don’t even need breakfast to accomplish them. You can simply do it 朝飯前 (No, we don’t know Japanese either, so here’s how to pronounce it: asameshimae).
This phrase means that a task is so easy, you could do it "before breakfast." No energy needed, no preparation required—if it’s asameshimae, you’ve got it covered without breaking a sweat. After all, what’s easier than something you can do on an empty stomach?
Russian: Understandable to a hedgehog
Credit: George Kendall
If you ask a professional biologist, they’ll probably be able to tell you how smart a hedgehog is. But we’re not professional biologists—so we don’t know. What we do know is that in Russia, there’s a saying that describes certain tasks as so easy, they’re "understandable to a hedgehog" (ежу понятно, or yezhu ponyatno).
The phrase can be used for tasks or statements—basically, anything so straightforward that even a hedgehog could grasp it. So when something is crystal clear, it’s not just easy—it’s hedgehog-easy!
Turkish: As pulling a hair from butter
Credit: Marine Le Gac
Finding a hair in your food is never ideal. But if we had to choose, we’d rather find it in butter than in stew. Why? Well, here’s the Turkish guarantee—removing a hair from butter is actually quite simple.
The Turkish expression tereyağından kıl çeker gibi means something is "as easy as pulling a hair from butter."
Just imagine: a hair sliding out of soft butter with no resistance, no struggle. According to this Turkish simile, the task isn’t just simple—it’s smooth and effortless. We do hope the saying stays figurative… but hey, worse things have happened!
Welsh: As easy as breathing
Credit: JM Lova
We have to agree with this one; few things in life are as easy as breathing. I mean, it takes literally nothing from you and gives you nothing less than life!
In Welsh, when something is mor hawdd â anadlu, it’s as effortless as taking in a breath of air. That’s the literal translation of the phrase.
Breathing is the most natural, instinctive thing we do, so this expression perfectly captures the idea of something being second nature. When life hands you an easy task, just take a breath—and remember how simple things can be.
Greek: As butter on bread
Credit: Crazy Cake
We’re not sure what the deal is with languages and butter, but it seems to be the universal image of simplicity. Just like the Turks, the Greeks also use butter to metaphorically describe an easy task.
The Greek phrase σαν βούτυρο στο ψωμί (pronounced san voutyro sto psomi) translates to "as butter spread on bread." Just as butter smoothly spreads over a slice of bread, this expression describes something that’s effortlessly simple. And if you think about it, it’s true—some things just go smoothly, like butter on bread.
Portuguese: It’s chicken soup
Credit: Matthew Hamilton
If you’re reading this around lunch or dinner time, we bet you’re already getting hungry with all these food similes we’ve mentioned. Maybe now’s the time for some chicken soup—just to see what the Portuguese mean.
In Portuguese, the phrase é sopa, which literally means "it’s soup," is used to describe something that’s super easy. More specifically, _é canja_—"it’s chicken soup"—adds a layer of comfort and familiarity to the expression. When something is é canja, you know you’re in for a task as simple and soothing as sipping a warm bowl of soup.
Latvian: As easy as taking a candy from a child
Credit: Pete Wright
In Latvian, if something is tik viegli, kā paņemt konfekti no bērna, it’s "as easy as taking candy from a child." This expression emphasizes just how effortless a task can be, though it does carry a cheeky hint of slyness. It’s a light-hearted way of describing a situation where the difficulty is virtually nonexistent.
While you’d (hopefully) never actually take candy from a child, the phrase perfectly captures the idea of something being laughably easy.
Chinese: As easy as turning your hand over
Credit: Daiga Ellaby
We’re almost at the end, and we couldn’t resist including an expression like this one. In Chinese, the phrase 易如反掌 (don’t sweat it, the pronunciation is yì rú fǎnzhǎng) means something like "as easy as turning your hand over."
This expression suggests that the task requires just a simple movement, like flipping your hand from palm up to palm down. Funny how one of the most complex languages to learn has an expression like this!
Croatian: As simple as jam
Credit: Barbara Chowaniec
Let’s finish this article with yet another food-related expression. But this time, it’s not butter or cake—it’s jam.
In Croatian, when something is k’o pekmez, translated as "as simple as jam," it means the task is easy to do, with no complications or fuss.
Butter and jam have more than one thing in common: they’re smooth, sweet, eaten at breakfast, and both are used to describe simple tasks. When life gives you something easy, think of it as "as simple as jam."
