Oktoberfest emblem with a beer stein, pretzel and accordion One of the most famous gems of German culture known worldwide is the Oktoberfest, a 16-day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria. The name suggests that it takes place in October, although nowadays, this is only partly true. It begins in September, having been brought forward to benefit from better weather conditions. It now usually starts in the second half of September and ends on the first Sunday in October. More than 6 million people from around the world typically attend Oktoberfest, which, as a celebration of beer, is also the world’s largest Volksfest, or people’s fair.

The origins of Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest takes place in an area called Theresienwiese (the field or meadow of Therese), so called because it is where citizens of the city were invited to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in October 1810. The wedding was followed by a horse race, which was such a success that it was held again the following year. An annual tradition was born. Horse racing has since fallen by the wayside and been replaced with beer tents and fairgrounds, and the fields in which it takes place and the local name for the festival have since been abbreviated to die Wiesn.

The Oktoberfest around the world

The Oktoberfest has become an essential part of local culture and has been copied in several places around the globe, including London, Canberra, Argentina and Palestine. Many cities where these festivals take place have large communities of German descent, so if you can attend one, you will doubtless get the chance to practise some of the language skills acquired in your private German lessons. Using what you’ve learned in an informal setting such as this is great fun. It can help you expand your vocabulary, provided you engage in conversation with people before they become Bierleichen, literally “beer corpses”, the word for those who over-indulge.

Wherever you celebrate, you can emulate ze Germans by wearing traditional clothing: Lederhosen for men and Dirndl for women, or vice versa. Whatever takes your fancy.

Essential German phrases for Oktoberfest

Apart from emulating Germans in their garb, how about emulating them at this year’s Oktoberfest by speaking their language? Here are a few phrases you may find helpful should you come across a German or should you wish to insist on ordering your drinks and food in German:

German language tip: ordering drinks at Oktoberfest

‘Ein Bier, bitte.’ = one beer, please

Should you order drinks for your mates simultaneously, you would still use the singular for Bier but add a different number: zwei, drei, vier, fünf. How many beers can you carry in one run?

German grammar in action: ordering food at Oktoberfest

You can use the same formula when ordering food: the number followed by the food in the singular. If the grammatical gender of the food you order is feminine (die), as is the case for Wurst, then you’d say ‘eine Wurst’ instead of ein. If the food or drink is a masculine noun (der), then you’d say ‘einen Schnaps’. Most alcoholic drinks are masculine in German, whereas beer is neuter. At the Wiesn, though, beer comes by the litre, and that is die Maß, which is feminine: ‘eine Maß, bitte’. Remember to add ‘bitte’ to keep things courteous.

Improve your German: making connections at the Oktoberfest

Should you take a shine to someone German at the Oktoberfest, you can ask for their telephone number by saying, “Was ist deine Telefonnummer?” Having been successful in obtaining their number, you need to seriously start thinking about communicating with prospective in-laws in German, and that is when private German lessons in London put you on the right footing.

Prosit!