How to Get By At German National Night
What do you think of when you hear the word Germany?
Beer. Sausages. Football.
There is a lot more to Germany and their culture than just those elements. Did you know that Germany has a population of 82 million, making it the second most populated European country other than Russia? Or that the gummy bear was invented by Hans Riegel Bonn, a German candy maker in 1922? If not, keep reading and be enlightened by a different side of Germany than you might know.
Language
- German is the third most taught foreign language
- The first book was printed in German, by the German publisher Johannes Gutenberg
- Important German phrases:
| English | German | Pronunciation tips
-‘ei’ pronounced as a long ‘i’ sound -‘ie’ pronounced as long ‘e’ sound -‘w’ is pronounced like ‘v’ -‘s’ is pronounced like ‘z’ |
| Hello! How are you? (Informal) | Hallo! Wie geht’s? | |
| (Very) Good/Bad | (Sehr) Gut/Schlect | |
| Thank you | Danke | |
| My name is… | Ich heiße… | |
| I’ll get the beer | Ich besorge das Bier | |
| When pigs can fly! | Wenn Schweine fliegen | |
| Is it hot in here, or is it just you? | Ist es hier warm, oder bist du nur heiβ | |
| You are very sexy | Du bist sehr sexy |
Sport
- German National Football Team has won four FIFA world cups
- As of 2012, (in both summer and winter Olympics), German athletes have won 1,622 Olympic medals, putting them second in the world behind the USA
- Other popular sports in Germany include ice hockey, handball and motorsports
Food
- They have a large selections of sausages (Würstchen),including the famous bratwurst
- They also have a large selection of bread (Brot), including sunflower seeds in dark rye bread (Sonnenblumenkernbrot), pumpkin seeds in dark rye bread (Kürbiskernbrot) roasted onions in light wheat-rye bread (Zwiebelbrot)
- A popular dessert, apart from the infamous Blackforest cake, is Rote Grütze, which is a red fruit pudding made from currents and raspberries served with cream or vanilla sauce
Oktoberfest
- Although called Oktoberfest, it actually starts in September (GNN is the first night of Oktoberfest!)
- The first Oktoberfest was a wedding celebration for Prince Ludwig of Bavaria
So be sure to show off your new German knowledge and put those German phrases to work next Saturday (20th of September) and German National Night!
