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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: Rechtsruck

The word describes a trend in German politics that has been worrying many foreigners.

German word of the day: Rechtsruck

The word Rechtsruck comes up from time to time in German politics. It was recently plastered all over the German headlines the day after the European parliamentary elections, for example.

If you want to discuss the mood of the country’s voters in broad terms, Rechtsruck is a good term to have up your sleeve.

What does it mean?

Der Rechtsruck (pronounced like this) can best be translated as a lurch to the right.

It describes a sudden shift in politics to favour right-wing parties, and in some cases, the right-wing extremist and right-wing populist parties like Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).

Disillusionment with Germany’s centre-left government is peaking presently, and it appears that voters are increasingly turning to the right-wing CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD in elections and opinion polls.

This played out in the recent EU elections with the coalition parties losing 21 points between them, while the CDU/CSU emerged victorious and the AfD significantly increased their vote share.

READ ALSO: What do Germany’s far-right gains in EU elections mean for foreigners?

Beyond elections, ein Rechtsruck can also denote a more general embrace of conservative and right-wing ideas, such as a socially conservative stance on marriage or the LGBTQ+ community. This can play out as a lurch to the right within parties themselves, if more hard-line voices gain influence while moderates are left on the side-lines. 

Alongside Rechtsruck, you may also come across the term Rechtsrutsch, which means a slide to the right or a right-wing landslide. This version is more extreme, and usually means that a far-right party has unexpectedly made huge gains in an election.

Though it hasn’t happened too much recently in Europe, there is of course such a thing as a Linksruck: a lurch to the left in which left-wing voices suddenly gain influence in parties and elections. 

Use it like this:

Was ist der Grund für den aktuellen Rechtsruck in der deutschen Politik? 

What’s the reason for the current shift to the right in German politics?

Viele Ausländer machen sich Sorgen über den Rechtsruck in Deutschland. 

Many foreigners are worried about the shift to the right in Germany.

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