With Oktoberfest just around the corner, we got our Popos in gear to find some necessary German phrases so you can hold your own in the Bierzelte. And don’t forget your Lederhosen or Dirndl.
The Basics:
pic credit: Sierra Nevada
"O'zapft is!"
A Bavarian saying and the official call for the start of Oktoberfest. It means the beer has been tapped. Without this phrase, Oktoberfest doesn’t begin and you don’t get your beer and pretzels. Listen for this phrase during the first day and enjoy!
"Frohe Oktoberfest!"
While people in Germany probably don’t say Happy Oktoberfest to each other to the same amount that we do, but this is how you wish another fest-goer a happy oktoberfest.
"Prost!"
Cheers! Say this when you pick up your Maß to drink while out with your friends. You probably already know this handy phrase.
"Maß"
Pronounced ‘mass’, with a sharp ‘s’.
A unit of measurement. One large German glass. A regulation mug holds 1 liter of beer. Yes, you read that right: a regulation mug in Germany holds 1 liter of beer. Happy Oktoberfest to us indeed.
"ein Maß bitte!"
When you want another beer, just say "ein Maß bitte!". It literally means “One big german glass please!”, since Mass is both the glass and the unit of measurement.
"die nächste Runde geht an mich!"
This phrase means to “The next round is on me!”. You should really offer to buy your friends beer more often.
"ein/zwei/drei Brezel bitte" or “ein/zwei/drei Wurst bitte”
When you’re hungry at Oktoberfest, there’s only two types of food that hit the spot: pretzels and sausages. Just say the number - ein/zwei/drei is one/two/three, and Brezel is pretzel, obvious right, and Wurst, which is sausage. Every province in Germany has their own specialty sausage so there will be some different Wursts to try this Oktoberfest. And don’t forget bitte, please.
“Trink!”
When you’re calling your group of friends and new acquantences to finish their drinks (so you can buy that next round you promised), just call out Trink!, or ‘drink!’. Bet you could figure that one out.
"Guten Appetit"
Once your pretzels and sausages and other German food like roast chicken and sauerkraut are delivered, wish your table bon appetit by saying ‘Guten Appetit!”.
Getting your flirt on
pic credit: oktoberfesttours.travel
"du siehst in Lederhosen gut aus"
When you see someone who is just really repping that Lederhosen and looks fiiiiiine, just slide up to him and tell him “du siehst in Lederhosen gut aus” (you look good in a Lederhosen). He’ll appreciate your language skills.
"du bist schön"
If you want to tell someone they look fine, you can tell them “du bist schön”, which means ‘you’re pretty’. Everyone likes being told they’re pretty. And getting into Lederhosen and Dirndl is hard work, so you should appreciate it.
"ich mag deinen Bart"
This guy in the beer tent has a great beard, and you really need to let him know. What better way to congratulate a young man on his facial hair than “"ich mag deinen Bart"? He’ll love how much you like his beard.
"wie heißt du"
All your compliments have worked and now you need the name of this lovely Lederhosen wearer. Just ask "wie heißt du", and hopefully you’ll get their German name, like Rolf, Friedrich, Hans or Liesl.
"can ich deine Nummer haben?"
Flirting is working with this fine young German beer drinker and you’re ready for the next step. You ask "can ich deine Nummer haben?" and they give you the 10 best digits you could hope for - their phone number.
“gehen wir zu mir"
Oktoberfest was the best fest of all, since you now have the opportunity to take things further. Ask “gehen wir zu mir" to see if they want to go home with you. If you’re into offering the option, try asking "bei dir oder bei mir?". If all goes well....
Post-Oktoberfest
pic credit: GQ
"Ich habe einen Kater"
or, implied: I have a hangover
You can say this phrase factually if you have a male cat. Otherwise this implies that you have a hangover. And if you have enough Mass, you will definitely have a hangover. Apparently Germans are acclimatized to their 1 liter of beer glasses than we are.
"du warst gestern Abend so besoffen"
And when you return to Oktoberfest the next day, your wild revelries will haunt you when your friends approach you and say the most damning phrase in any language: "du warst gestern Abend so besoffen". They will reproach you for being so drunk the night before, but the secret is...they were probably just as drunk. Let the cycle continue!
