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In this article we look at the most typical sayings about beer in German, the language of the Reinheitsgebot, the purity law that turned 500 in 2016.
Beer runs deep in German culture. Every April 23, most of the country celebrates German Beer Day in memory of the Bavarian purity law of 1516.
First we will see how to say beer in German, and then the most curious German expressions about beer along with their English translation.
How Do You Say Beer in German?
The German word for beer is Bier, a neuter noun, so it is das Bier. It is pronounced roughly “BEE-ar,” with a long i, and the plural is Biere.
To order one at a bar, ein Bier, bitte (a beer, please) is all you need. If you want to specify the size or the style, these are the words you will hear in any Biergarten, Kneipe or Brauerei in Germany.
| German | Approximate pronunciation | What it means |
| das Bier | dahs BEE-ar | beer |
| ein Bier, bitte | ine BEE-ar, BIT-tuh | a beer, please |
| Prost | prohst | cheers (when toasting) |
| die Maß | dee mahss | one-liter mug, the Oktoberfest one |
| das Helle | dahs HEL-luh | Bavarian pale lager (Helles) |
| das Dunkle | dahs DOONK-luh | dark lager (Dunkel) |
| das Weißbier / Weizen | dahs VICE-beer / VITE-sen | wheat beer |
| das Pils | dahs pils | pilsner, the most popular lager in Germany |
| vom Fass | fom fahss | on tap |
| die Brauerei | dee BROW-er-eye | the brewery |
| der Biergarten | dair BEER-gar-ten | open-air beer garden |
| die Kneipe | dee KNY-puh | bar, pub |
| der Stammtisch | dair SHTAHM-tish | the regulars’ table |
| der Hopfen / das Malz | dair HOP-fen / dahs mahlts | hops / malt |
10 German Sayings and Proverbs About Beer
Almost all of them are popular tavern rhymes by anonymous authors, repeated on beer mugs, aprons and brewery signs. They appear in German with their literal translation.
1. Im Himmel gibt’s kein Bier, drum trinken wir es hier
There is no beer in heaven, so we drink it here. It is the best known of them all and the chorus of a 1956 folk song that is still sung at Oktoberfest.
2. Zwischen Leber und Milz passt immer noch ein Pils
Between the liver and the spleen there is always room for a Pilsner beer. The rhyme works because Milz (spleen) and Pils sound alike.
3. Bier her, Bier her, oder ich fall’ um
Bring the beer, bring the beer, or I’ll fall over. It is the opening line of a drinking song chanted to the rhythm of mugs pounding on the table.
4. Mit des Bieres Hochgenuss wächst des Bauches Radius
With the delight of beer, the radius of the belly grows. A humorous warning about the beer belly, the Bierbauch.
5. Bei kaltem Wetter läuft die Nase, bei kaltem Bier passiert’s der Blase
In cold weather your nose runs, and with cold beer the same happens to your bladder.
6. Das einzige Gemüse, das ich mag, ist das Bier
The only vegetable I like is beer. It plays on the old idea of beer as “liquid bread” made from grain.
7. Lieber Pils-Bier als Shakespeare
Better a Pilsner than Shakespeare. A pun between Pils-Bier and “Shakespeare,” based on their similar endings.
8. Am 8. Tag schuf Gott das Bier, und seitdem hört man nichts mehr von ihm
On the eighth day God created beer, and nobody has heard from him since.
9. Der Kopf tut weh, die Füße stinken, höchste Zeit ein Bier zu trinken
My head hurts, my feet stink, it’s high time to drink a beer.
10. Der kluge Mensch, glaubt es mir, der redet nicht und trinkt sein Bier
The wise man, believe me, does not talk but drinks his beer.
German Beer Day, Every April 23
The Tag des Deutschen Bieres has been celebrated since 1994 at the initiative of the German Brewers’ Association, the Deutscher Brauer-Bund, and commemorates April 23, 1516, when Duke William IV of Bavaria enacted the law that limited the ingredients of beer to water, barley and hops.
On that day breweries open their doors, Munich’s beer gardens fill up and many of the sayings on this list show up on the mugs. If you are curious about the technical side of that tradition, at The Beer Times we explain what krausening is, the German technique for natural carbonation, and the history of the beer boot used for toasting at many of those festivals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do you say beer in German?
Beer in German is Bier, a neuter noun (das Bier), pronounced roughly “BEE-ar.” The plural is Biere. To order one you say “ein Bier, bitte,” and to make a toast, “Prost.”
2. How do you order a beer in Germany?
“Ein Bier, bitte” is enough, but people usually name the style and the size, for example “ein Helles, bitte” or “eine Maß Weißbier.” In Bavaria the Maß is the one-liter mug and the Halbe is the half-liter one.
3. What is the most famous German saying about beer?
“Im Himmel gibt’s kein Bier, drum trinken wir es hier,” which means “there is no beer in heaven, so we drink it here.” It is the chorus of a 1956 folk song sung at Oktoberfest.
4. What is celebrated on April 23 in Germany?
German Beer Day (Tag des Deutschen Bieres), established in 1994 by the Deutscher Brauer-Bund to commemorate the Bavarian purity law of April 23, 1516, the Reinheitsgebot, which limited the ingredients of beer to water, barley and hops.
5. What does Prost mean?
Prost is the German toast, the equivalent of “cheers.” It comes from the Latin prosit, “may it be good for you.” In Bavaria you will also hear “Prosit” and, among friends, “Zum Wohl.”
Recommended
- Reinheitsgebot, the German purity law and its 500 years of history
- Wiesn Koks, the white powder of Munich’s Oktoberfest
