This lesson provides you with an overview of some important words and phrases that you might need when spending New Year's in Germany. It focuses on conversations you might find yourself having around New Year's Eve.
Happy New Year
You decided to spend your winter break, or Winterferien (vin-TEHR fear-ree-ehn), in Germany and successfully survived Christmas with your host family. The year is almost over and fortunately your host sister invites you to come with her to a New Year's Party, known as a Silvesterfeier (sil-VEHS-tahw FIY-aw).
The Invitation: Die Einladung (IYN-law-doong)
Your host sister asks you if you have plans for New Year's, or Silvester (sil-VEHS-tahw; you will pronounce this almost like the name Sylvester Stallone, but the 's' in the beginning is softer). You just shake your head and say, Noch nicht, which means 'not yet,' secretly hoping she will invite you.
Super!, great, she screams, then you are coming with me to my friends' Silvesterfeier, or New Year's Party.
New Year's Party: Die Silvesterfeier
At the party, many of your host sister's friends ask you about your resolutions for the next year, or Vorsätze für das neue Jahr. To be honest, you haven't really thought about it, but you don't want to admit that, so you you quickly come up with some of those things your parents would say: mehr Sport machen (play more sports), gesünder essen (eat healthier) and weniger TV gucken (watch less TV).
Gut gemacht, good job, you can make small talk in German!
Midnight & the Turn of the Year: Mitternacht (MEH-tehr-nahwcht) & Der Jahreswechsel
Close to midnight everybody rushes outside to count down the last seconds of the old year together:
Zehn, neun, acht, sieben, sechs, fünf, vier, drei, zwei, eins....(ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four three, two, one...) - Frohes neues Jahr! (FRAW-ehs NOY-ehs YAHR), everybody yells, which means happy New Year!
Happy New Year
You decided to spend your winter break, or Winterferien (vin-TEHR fear-ree-ehn), in Germany and successfully survived Christmas with your host family. The year is almost over and fortunately your host sister invites you to come with her to a New Year's Party, known as a Silvesterfeier (sil-VEHS-tahw FIY-aw).
The Invitation: Die Einladung (IYN-law-doong)
Your host sister asks you if you have plans for New Year's, or Silvester (sil-VEHS-tahw; you will pronounce this almost like the name Sylvester Stallone, but the 's' in the beginning is softer). You just shake your head and say, Noch nicht, which means 'not yet,' secretly hoping she will invite you.
Super!, great, she screams, then you are coming with me to my friends' Silvesterfeier, or New Year's Party.
New Year's Party: Die Silvesterfeier
At the party, many of your host sister's friends ask you about your resolutions for the next year, or Vorsätze für das neue Jahr. To be honest, you haven't really thought about it, but you don't want to admit that, so you you quickly come up with some of those things your parents would say: mehr Sport machen (play more sports), gesünder essen (eat healthier) and weniger TV gucken (watch less TV).
Gut gemacht, good job, you can make small talk in German!
Midnight & the Turn of the Year: Mitternacht (MEH-tehr-nahwcht) & Der Jahreswechsel
Close to midnight everybody rushes outside to count down the last seconds of the old year together:
Zehn, neun, acht, sieben, sechs, fünf, vier, drei, zwei, eins....(ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four three, two, one...) - Frohes neues Jahr! (FRAW-ehs NOY-ehs YAHR), everybody yells, which means happy New Year!
Berlin Fireworks Welcoming the New Year
Fireworks
All eyes go up to the sky to see the fireworks, or Feuerwerk (FOY-ehr-vehrk). There is some champagne, called Sekt, and everybody seems to be in a really good mood, or gute Laune.
You made a lot of new friends. You also said one sentence so many times, you will now never forget it: Ich wünsche dir einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr (EECH VEEN-sheh DEER IYN FRAW-ehs NOY-ehs YAHR), which means 'I wish you a happy New Year.' Or, you snicker, maybe it was this sentence: Kann ich noch ein bisschen Sekt haben?, which means 'may I have some more champagne, please?'
Good to Know: Gut zu wissen
In many areas people like to eat doughnuts for New Year's, known as Berliner. These delicious pastries, which have the same name as the inhabitants of Germany's capital, are usually filled with jam, or Marmelade, but one out of eight Berliner is filled with Senf, or mustard. Let's hope you don't pick that one!
The Next Day: Der nächste Tag
You went to bed very late, so when you wake up, your host family is already gathered around the breakfast table, called a Frühstückstisch. Your host dad asks you, Bist du gut in's neue Jahr gestartet?, which means 'did you have a good start to the new year?' You pause and think for a moment, remembering your Berliner, which was full of delicious Marmelade, the beautiful Feuerwerk and the many new friends you made at the Silvesterfeier. You answer, Ja, es war toll! Yes, it was great!
Lesson Summary
Let's recap and look at some of the most important German words to know on New Year's.
New Year's Eve - Silvester
New Year's party - Silvesterfeier
Invitation - Einladung
Midnight - Mitternacht
Happy New Year! - Frohes neues Jahr
Fireworks - Feuerwerk
I wish you a happy new year - Ich wünsche dir ein frohes neues Jahr
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