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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

EXPLAINED: The German phrases you need as bars and restaurants reopen

Nervous about your German skills now that restrictions are easing? Here are some handy phrases for once it's possible to grab dinner or a drink with friends again.

Published: 20 May 2021 11:29 CEST
Updated: 23 May 2021 09:48 CEST
EXPLAINED: The German phrases you need as bars and restaurants reopen
Two restaurant employees in Dresden set up chairs and tables on Wednesday to prepare for the opening of outdoor dining. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Sebastian Kahnert

In many areas of Germany, bars and restaurants are once again opening their doors – or at least their terraces – to customers. Months of lockdowns, curfews and pub closures mean it feels like an eternity since we have been able to catch up with friends in a pub or cafe.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The rules in Germany on outdoor dining

To help you avoid any embarrassment over the next few weeks, we have compiled a list of useful phrases to try out at your local restaurant or bar:

Small talk

If you are seeing your pals after a long time, before you even get to ordering, you may need to brush up on the small talk you’ve managed to avoid over the past few months.

Wie geht es dir? Lange nicht gesehen! – ‘How are you? Long time no see!’ Easing restrictions mean that many people will be able to socialise with friends they may not have seen since last autumn – or longer. It’s likely that ‘lange nicht gesehen’ will become a very useful addition to your phrase book.

Wie läuft’s bei dir so? – ‘What have you been up to?’ Given the heavy restrictions in place up until now in Germany, the answer to this may be pretty short. Try it out if you want to hear about how your friends have passed the time during lockdown. 

Ich freue mich auf meine Covid-Impfung – ‘I’m excited for my Covid vaccine’ As it is all anyone can really think about at the moment, it is likely the pandemic will come up at some point during your conversation. Especially if you want to make plans for the future, it will be good to know when your friends are getting their vaccine doses. 

READ ALSO: Here’s the German vocabulary you need to get the Covid-19 vaccine

Kann ich einen Tisch reservieren, bitte? – ‘Can I book a table, please?’ With bars and restaurants able to open for outdoor dining for the first time in months, there is likely to be fierce competition for tables. It is definitely worth booking in advance to ensure you aren’t disappointed. 

Ist dieser Tisch frei? – ‘Is this table free?’ If you do try your luck and approach a restaurant without booking, use this phrase to ask staff if they can squeeze you in. 

Ordering 

Ich hätte gern ein… – ‘I would like a…’ Hopefully you haven’t forgotten this basic phrase while the bars have been closed, but in any case, this is your time to use it. You could also try the more colloquial ‘ich nehme ein…’ or ‘I’ll take a…’ if you want to sound a bit more casual when ordering your drinks. 

Ich besorge das Bier – ‘I’ll get this beer’ This one’s for those of you who are feeling generous. Maybe you’ve saved a few cents while the bars have been closed and you want to cover the cost of your friend’s drink for them. Use this phrase to let them know this one’s on you. 

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How you can visit a bar in Berlin from Friday

         A Berlin bartender pours a drink in November. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christophe Gateau

Eating/Drinking

Guten Appetit! – ‘Bon appetit!’ No matter if you’re in a restaurant or not, this is a good phrase to have in your pocket. In Germany, it is common to say this before you begin any meal and is a friendly way to kick off your dinner. 

Nicht lange schnacken, Kopf in Nacken – ‘Stop talking, start drinking.’ Particularly if you have been waiting months to have a drink in your favourite bar, you may want to cut the small talk and get straight to business. 

Hat es dir geschmeckt? ‘Did you enjoy your meal?’ If you have been out to a restaurant for the first time in what feels like an eternity, you are likely to savour every mouthful. Use this question to check everyone else at your table has enjoyed the experience too.

Wir brauchen ein Katerfrühstück – ‘We need a hangover cure.’ Hopefully you won’t need to use this phrase, but if you’ve overdone it on your first night socialising with friends, you might be on the search for something to ease your headache the next morning. 

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Der Kater

Lass uns bald wieder treffen – ‘Let’s do this again soon.’ Hopefully your night has gone well, and you have been able to wow your friends with your grasp of the German language. This phrase will let them know you don’t want this to just be a one time thing. 

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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