in den Sternen stehen

German

Etymology

Literally: “to be written in the stars”.

Verb

in den Sternen stehen

1. to be in the stars, in store, preordained; to happen in the future

   Ich würde gern mal wissen, was für uns beide in den Sternen steht.

   I’d like to know what’s in the stars for the two of us.

2. to be uncertain, unpredictable

   Was nach dem Tod meines Vaters mit der Firma passiert, steht noch völlig in den Sternen.

   What will become of the company after my father’s death is still entirely unpredictable.

Usage notes

• The second sense is by far the commoner of the two.