New here? This is lesson 210 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Festivals and traditions in German
Early December at Bäckerei Krause. Lights are up, and Priya wants a Christmas-market plan with Renate.
Anton is already wishing people a good start to the new year, exactly on time, weeks too soon.
You'll greet people at Christmas and New Year, ask how they spend Silvester, and invite someone to the Weihnachtsmarkt.
You'll also learn a Berlin rule: do not wish a birthday early. Renate will not let that slide.
By the end of this lesson
Greet people at German festivals, invite someone to the Christmas market, and follow the birthday-wish rule.
- Frohe Weihnachten!Merry Christmas!
- Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!Have a good start to the new year!
- Frohes neues Jahr!Happy New Year!
- Gehen wir zusammen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt?Shall we go to the Christmas market together?
- Wie feiert ihr Silvester so?How do you usually spend New Year's Eve?
- Man gratuliert nicht vor dem Geburtstag.You don't wish someone a happy birthday early.
Scene — early December
It is early December on Fliederstraße. The bakery window is fogged. Paper stars hang over the counter, and the coffee machine hisses.
Priya has just come in. Renate is wiping the counter. Anton sits at the corner table with two chairs and a Milchkaffee he has not touched.
Learn — festival wishes
Six lines cover Christmas and New Year wishes, a Christmas-market invite, a Silvester question, and a birthday rule.
Watch the month: Guten Rutsch belongs to New Year's Eve, not October.
Frohe Weihnachten!
Merry Christmas!
When to use it: Say this from Advent through Christmas Day, to friends and regulars.
Keep this as one set wish for the Christmas days.
Say it: The ch in Weihnachten is like the ch in Bach.
Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!
Have a good start to the new year!
When to use it: Say this around New Year's Eve for a good start to the year.
This wish belongs to New Year's Eve, not to autumn.
Say it: Rutsch puts the stress on the first syllable.
Frohes neues Jahr!
Happy New Year!
When to use it: Say this on New Year's Day and in the days after.
After midnight you switch from the Rutsch wish to this one.
Gehen wir zusammen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt?
Shall we go to the Christmas market together?
When to use it: Ask a friend this when you want to go to the Christmas market together.
The verb stands first in this shall-we question.
Wie feiert ihr Silvester so?
How do you usually spend New Year's Eve?
When to use it: Ask a group of friends how they usually spend New Year's Eve.
ihr here is you-plural, when you ask more than one person.
Say it: Final -er in Silvester is a weak sound.
Man gratuliert nicht vor dem Geburtstag.
You don't wish someone a happy birthday early.
When to use it: Use this to stop an early birthday wish, or to explain the custom.
Wait until the birthday day; this line is the whole rule.
Story — the wrong month
Watch the bakery in early December. Anton is on time for New Year, weeks too soon, and Renate blocks an early birthday wish.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Paper stars hang above the counter. Renate looks up.
PriyaFrohe Weihnachten!Merry Christmas!
RenateDanke, Kind. Komm erst mal rein.Thanks, love. Come in first.- PriyaGehen wir zusammen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt?Shall we go to the Christmas market together?
- RenateGute Idee. Heute Nachmittag, wenn weniger los ist.Good idea. This afternoon, when it is quieter.
- Priya glances at the calendar by the till. It is only the first week of December.
AntonGuten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!Have a good start to the new year!- PriyaAnton, es ist erst Anfang Dezember. Silvester ist noch Wochen hin.Anton, it's only early December. New Year's Eve is still weeks away.
- RenateIm Oktober hat er das auch gesagt. Pünktlich, falscher Monat, wa?He said that in October too. On time, wrong month, eh?
- PriyaWie feiert ihr Silvester so?How do you usually spend New Year's Eve?
- AntonIch sitze hier. Pünktlich. Der Milchkaffee wartet.I'll sit here. On time. The coffee with milk is waiting.
- RenateIch backe Pfannkuchen und bleibe hier. Mehr nicht.I'll bake jam doughnuts and stay here. That's all.
- AntonFrohes neues Jahr!Happy New Year!
- RenateDas kommt nach Mitternacht, nicht im Dezember.That comes after midnight, not in December.
- PriyaWann hast du Geburtstag?When's your birthday?
- RenateNächste Woche. Aber jetzt noch nicht gratulieren.Next week. But don't congratulate yet.
- PriyaDann schon mal alles Gute!All the best already then!
- RenateMan gratuliert nicht vor dem Geburtstag.You don't wish someone a happy birthday early.
- PriyaOkay, dann warte ich.Okay, then I'll wait.
- AntonViel Spaß auf dem Weihnachtsmarkt.Have fun at the Christmas market.
- Anton looks at his cup and does not drink.
Practice — Christmas or New Year
Ten short tasks wait here. You'll listen, match, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.
They stay on these festival wishes, so the round stays tight.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
German
Frohe Weihnachten!Drop the English hereGuten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!Drop the English hereFrohes neues Jahr!Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
It is Christmas Day at the bakery. Wish Renate a merry Christmas.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
How do you usually spend New Year's Eve?
Wie feiert ihr ____ so?
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
You don't wish someone a happy birthday early.
Man gratuliert nicht ____ dem Geburtstag.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Frohes neues Jahr!
Build the line
Build the line
Have a good start to the new year!
!
Tap the words in order.
Swap the word
Swap the word
Invite her to the Christmas market, not just any market.
Gehen wir zusammen auf den ____?
Pick the reply
Renate says:
Pick the reply
Gehen wir zusammen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt?
Shall we go to the Christmas market together?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want the date of Renate's birthday, not to wish it yet.
Pick the reply
Renate says:
Pick the reply
Ich gehe gleich auf den Weihnachtsmarkt.
I'm going to the Christmas market in a minute.
And you reply with:
Say it — say it back
Now you're Priya at the bakery in December. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak each line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.
- RenateNa, Priya. Der Dezember ist da.Hey, Priya. December is here.
- Priya (you)Wish her a merry Christmas.
Wish her a merry Christmas.
Frohe Weihnachten!
Merry Christmas!
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Frohe Weihnachten! | Merry Christmas! | |
| Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! | Have a good start to the new year! | |
| Frohes neues Jahr! | Happy New Year! | |
| Gehen wir zusammen auf den Weihnachtsmarkt? | Shall we go to the Christmas market together? | |
| Wie feiert ihr Silvester so? | How do you usually spend New Year's Eve? | |
| Man gratuliert nicht vor dem Geburtstag. | You don't wish someone a happy birthday early. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these festival wishes handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the Christmas and New Year lines ready.
Open Yak Cards