Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington

Every fall, people from all across the country head to Leavenworth to celebrate Oktoberfest. This charming alpine village will make you feel like you are right in the heart of Bavaria. 

We have put together a list of some German phrases that will come in handy. 

“O’zapft is!” 

One of the most authentic Oktoberfest expressions, this saying means ‘It’s tapped’, signaling the first keg has been tapped, thus officially starting the festivities! 

“Servus!” 

Greet your fellow revelers with this informal greeting which is the Bavarian equivalent of ‘hello’, although it also means ‘goodbye’. 

“Oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa!” 

This Bavarian drinking cry basically translates as “one, two, three, drink!” And make sure you also use… 

“Prost!” 

You will probably hear this expression a lot at Oktoberfest. Prost means ‘cheers’. You might also hear ein Prosit, which means ‘a toast’, as a signal for you to raise your stein. 

“Zum Wohl!” 

For an alternative to prost, you can use this German drinking expression, which means ‘to your health’. 

“Guten Appetite!” 

One of the easier German sayings to decipher, this is their version of ‘bon appetite’. Raise your glass and say guten appetite whenever you see anyone tucking into a pretzel or Bratwurst.