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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Öffis

You’ll see this shorthand word used often in newspapers or in everyday conversation about local travel.

Published: 4 December 2023 17:19 CET

Word of the day

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

What does it mean?

Öffis is a slang term for public transport and is often used in colloquial conversations or by tabloid newspapers.

How do you use it or where might you see it?

The full word for “public transport” in German – öffentlicher Verkehr – doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

So Germans often just shorten this to öffis in everyday conversation. Öffis is also a blanket term to refer to all modes of possible public transport – whether its bus, train, tram, or even ferry.

Passengers wait for a bus at Zoo Station in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Monika Skolimowska

How to use it?

Das €49 Ticket gilt für alle Öffis.

The €49 Ticket is good for all public transport.

Ich nehme Öffi und nicht mit dem Auto.

I take public transport instead of the car.

READ ALSO: Why the future of Germany’s €49 transit pass is up in the air

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German phrase of the day: Hau ab!

Why do I need to know hau ab?

Because this phrase, which suggests anger or frustration, might help you escape annoying situations, or even worse… annoying people!

What does it mean?

If someone comes into the room and starts talking rubbish to you when all you want is some alone time, you might shout (or at least think to yourself): “Hau ab!”

As you can probably gather, hau ab!, which sounds like this, is a rather strong way of urging someone to stop what they’re doing and get out of your way as soon as possible.

While it might be considered rude (but are there any polite ways to shout to someone to go away?), this German slang term could be translated to “get lost!”, or even “piss off!” in English.

Hau ab is the imperative form of the verb abhauen, which is a colloquial term, meaning to escape or take off quickly.

The verb hauen alone means to beat or to clobber something, so together with the Latin prefix ab- (meaning off, away from), it would literally translate to beat off in English.

READ ALSO: Nerdy flowers to alcoholic birds – the 12 most colourful German insults

Other fun and slightly silly English expressions that can help learners grasp the meaning of hau ab are “take a hike!”, “buzz off!” or “hit the road”.

You might also use hau ab to encourage someone to hurry up.

Make no mistake, though – this is a slang word and you should only use it when you feel strongly about something or in a colloquial context with your mates.

Use it like this:

Wenn’s dir nicht gefällt, hau ab!

If you don’t like it, get lost!

Checkst du nicht, dass ich gerade arbeite? Hau ab!

Don’t you realise I’m working right now? Beat it!

Hau ab, sie warten!

Hurry up, they’re waiting!

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