“Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” Meaning in English
“Ein Prosit” is German toast often sung by crowds during Oktoberfest celebrations around the world. The song was written by Bernhard Dietrich in the 1800s and the joyful toasts lives on today. So, what does “ein prosit” mean? Here are the lyrics to the popular song to help you sing cheers in German:
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit [a toast, a toast]
der Gemütlichkeit [to cheer and good times]
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit [a toast, a toast]
der Gemütlichkeit [to cheer and good times]
Oans! Zwoa! Drie! [One! Two! Three!]
G’suffa! [Drink Up!]
Other Popular German Toasts
Prost!
Translation: Cheers!
Toss on an “Ein Toast!” at the end to encourage a celebratory “bottoms up!” before drinking your Märzen with friends. Fun fact: if you find yourself in Switzerland with a beer in hand, you can substitute “Broscht!” for “Prost!” This is the Swiss-German way to say “Cheers!”
Zum wohl!
Translation: To your health!
This toast is similar to “Prost!”, but it’s typically used in more formal situation situations like a fancy dinner or retirement party. Prost is typically used as a toast for drinking beers, and Zum Wohl is usually the go-to toast for wine, schnapps, or spirits.
Gesundheit!
Translation: "good health."
This toast might sound familiar – it’s been adapted in English as a phrase to use when someone near you sneezes. But, it is more commonly used in Germany as an alternative to “Prost!” in nearly all occasions where adult beverages can be enjoyed.
Wo früher meine Leber war, ist heute eine Minibar!
Translation: "There is now a minibar where my liver once was."
No further explanation needed.
German Beer Drinking Etiqutte
- Always toast before drinking with friends.From the first drink to the fourth round, don’t forget a quick “Prost!” or “Ein Prosit” before taking your first sip.
- Always make eye contact when toasting.
- Don't toast with water.It’s considered bad luck in Germany. According to a Huffington Post article, “it is considered that proposing a toast to somebody with water, is akin to wishing bad luck, and maybe even death, on him or her. Many people also believe that by toasting with water you are also wishing death upon yourself, as this liquid reflects your future watery grave.”
- Never drink Weissbier or wheat beer out of a bottle. Weissbier (i.e., Hefeweizen or Weizen) should always be served in a slender glass with lots of head room. The reason for this custom and tradition is simply because it tastes better. The yeast needs to be poured to spread evenly, and you just can’t get the same flavor profile drinking weizen from a bottle.
- Clink the bottom of your glass - not the top.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of Ein Prosit and German beer drinking, you’re ready to celebrate Oktoberfest at home.
FAQs
At Oktoberfest, every 15 minutes or so, the band will play the traditional German drinking song, Ein Prosit, and the entire tent will sing along. Its lyrics roughly translate to “A toast, a toast of comfort!”, and if there is one song you need to learn before heading to Munich, it's this one.
What is the traditional German toast at Oktoberfest? ›
To make a simple toast (ein Prosit), lift your mug or stein and call out, ''Prost! '' (''Cheers! ''). Die Maß (or Mass), a Bavarian word for ''measure,'' refers to the single-serving liter of beer in the standard Oktoberfest mug or stein.
What is the German cheers chant? ›
Prost! Translation: Cheers! Toss on an “Ein Toast!” at the end to encourage a celebratory “bottoms up!” before drinking your Märzen with friends. Fun fact: if you find yourself in Switzerland with a beer in hand, you can substitute “Broscht!” for “Prost!” This is the Swiss-German way to say “Cheers!”
What do Germans say at Oktoberfest? ›
“Prost!” Though this might look the same as the “cheers” used by Northern Germans when they toast, you'll have to soften your consonants and roll your rrs to make the Bavarian equivalent sound correct.
What is the German beer chant? ›
Ein Prosit song lyrics (German)
After the band plays this song, everyone raises their glasses and says: “Oans, zwoa, drei, Gsuffa!” meaning “one, two, three, drink!”. You must sing this song, and drink after each song. It's the law. Raise your beers and sing along to Ein Prosit.
What does Tiki Taki Oi Oi Oi mean at Oktoberfest? ›
Ein Prosit ends with the band asking if you are having fun with either “Zicke Zacke Zicke Zacke?” or “Ticky Tocky Ticky Tocky?” and you respond “Oi Oi Oi” meaning yes we are.
What does eins Zwei G suffa mean? ›
“Oans, zwoa, g'suffa!” is the Bavarian dialect for “eins, zwei, getrunken!”, meaning “one, two, drunk!”. You'd hear this toast plenty of times at the Oktoberfest in Munich, seeing that visitors last year have toasted with an impressive 7.5 million litres of beer.
What is the Bavarian drinking song? ›
One important basic skill of all bavarian beer drinkers is to tune in into a song called “Ein Prosit”. Traditional German bands entertain the crowd in most of the oktoberfest beer tents and create a cozy and sociable atmosphere.
What does "zicke zacke" mean in German? ›
(Translation: a toast to your comfort)  “Zicke Zacke, hoi hoi hoi”! ❤️🍺 💃🏼🌺❤️🎹🥁👍🎵🍹🥨💋🌭🙏🎺 INFO/BOOKINGS:...
What is the meaning of Ziggy Zaggy oi oi oi? ›
“Ziggy Zaggy, Ziggy Zaggy, Oi Oi Oi!” What's all that gibberish about? It's the ending to a song called “Ein Prosit” a traditional German toast to health and well-being.
The German word "prost"
Prosit is a Latin word, meaning roughly "be well", which is a toast in Latin and modern Italian, from which the German short form "prost" is derived. This is a toast in German.
How to not get too drunk at Oktoberfest? ›
Want To Moderate Your Oktoberfest Drinking? Try These 5 Tips
- Keep Your Body Hydrated. Julie's first moderation tip is to drink plenty of water. ...
- Eat Plenty of Food. ...
- Pace Yourself. ...
- Identify and Respect Your Limits. ...
- Plan a Safe Trip Home.
Very often, Ein Prosit is followed by the simple toast, “Oans, zwoa, drei, gsuffa!”, which means, “one, two, three, drink”.
What do Germans say when toasting beer? ›
As we've already mentioned if you want to say cheers in German you use the word “prost,” one of many must-know phrases for the beer halls of Oktoberfest.
What do they say at the start of Oktoberfest? ›
O'zapft is!: (Ō-tsapft is) literally means “It's tapped!”. This is the opening cheer when the first keg is tapped, kicking off Oktoberfest. See what leads up to this important declaration at Munich's Oktoberfest here.
What does "zicke zacke hoi" mean? ›
Every so often, the band would stop its number and bid us raise our glasses with this refrain: “Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi!” (meaning something like “A toast, a toast, a cozy place! One, two, three, drink!”)
What does the mayor yell to start Oktoberfest? ›
O'zapft is!
This phrase is what the mayor of Munich shouts out every year to mark the start of Oktoberfest – and of course that is after he has successfully hammered a tap into the very first keg of beer.
What is the German toasting phrase? ›
In German culture, it's important to toast a fellow drinker by using the phrase “Prost!” and making direct eye contact with each member of your party while doing so.
