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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Das Sprudelwasser

In times of climate change, reducing carbon dioxide and plastic bottles is a big topic. But this could be a sore spot for many Germans.

German word of the day: Das Sprudelwasser
A woman in Berlin quenches her thirst with Sprudelwasser on a sunny day. Photo: DPA

That's because Germans love bubbles in their water.

Sprudelwasser has many other names in German: Mineralwasser, Sprudel or Selters. All of those mean the same thing: Sparkling water.

Sprudel is an onomatopoeic word and describes the sound that sparkling water makes when you fill it into a glass. Mineralwasser, meanwhile, translates to “mineral water.”

But Selters is a different case. Back in the days it described sparkling water as well, nowadays it is protected and may just be used only for a water brand called Selters.

Still, in the colloquial language, some parts of Germany use it to describe the carbonated drink.

Sprudelwasser has been around for a long time: In the early 19th century, a watchmaker names Jacob Schweppe developed a way of aerating water with carbon dioxide to make it fizzy.

That technique became popular very quickly, as the carbon dioxide keeps water fresh – back then drinking water wasn’t always clean and safe to consume.

His technique is still used to this day and the name Schweppe can be found on a brand of tonic water, bitter lemon and ginger ale.

But if you're thinking about climate change, the consumption of Sprudelwasser in Germany can be a problem.

It is the most popular non-alcoholic drink in Germany – in 2015, every German citizen consumed some 147 litres of the fizzy drink.

But fizzy water doesn’t come from the tap, and not many people own a device to make their own. Hence, people usually buy Sprudelwasser at the shops.

And because glass bottles are too heavy, they usually buy plastic bottles. And even though most of these can be brought back to the shop and recycled (because of Germany’s Pfandsystem), it’s still a huge amount of plastic.

So if you live in Germany and are a big fan of Sprudel, maybe consider buying a soda maker – it really makes a difference.

Examples:

Sprudelwasser stillt den Durst viel besser als stilles Wasser.

Carbonated water quenches my thirst much better than still water.

Ich mag kein Sprudelwasser, es ist mir zu sauer.

I don’t like carbonated water; it’s too sour for me.

Sprudelwasser schmeckt gut mit einem Schuss Zitronensaft.

Carbonated water tastes great if you add some lemon.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Dudelsack

This hilarious sounding German word describes something quintessentially Scottish.

German word of the day: Dudelsack

Why do I need to know Dudelsack?

In the run-up to the German v Scotland opening match of Euro 2024, there were a lot of these gracing the streets of Munich. More importantly, why wouldn’t you want to know a word like Dudelsack?

Just say the word aloud and it will brighten your day. 

What does it mean?

Dudelsack (pronounced like this) is one of those German words that’s both charmingly literal and somewhat onomatopoeic, describing a big bag or sack that makes a ‘doodling’ kind of noise: in other words, the bagpipes.

As well as sounding like the noise this traditional Scottish instrument makes, dudeln also translates as ‘to drone’, and anyone who’s heard the bagpipes will know that this is also a fairly accurate description of how they sound. 

READ ALSO: 10 German words with hilarious literal translations

As Scotland geared up to play Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024 in Munich, many sacks were doodled in the Bavarian capital. 

Seeing parades of kilts and hearing the distinctive wail of the Dudelsack against the backdrop of Munich’s gothic town hall isn’t something you experience every day, and we’re sure it’s an experience the people of Munich also won’t forget for a while. 

Use it like this: 

Hör mal auf, Dudelsack zu spielen! Es geht mir auf die Nerven.

Stop playing the bagpipes! It’s getting on my nerves.  

Weißt du, wie der Dudelsack klingt? Man hört ihn überall in Schottland.

Do you know what the bagpipes sound like? You can hear them everywhere in Scotland. 

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