German word of the day: Absacker
If it's getting late but you're not ready to go home just yet, ask your German friends if they'll stick around for one of these.
Why do I need to know Absacker?
Because it's a great colloquial word to have up your sleeve when you're socialising with Germans - and it also gives us a little bit of insight into German culture and customs.
What does it mean?
Der Absacker (pronounced like this) has a few different meanings - and all of them relate to alcohol. If you pose the question, "Trinken wir noch 'ne Absacker?" you could be referring to a schnapps or liqueur that you drink after a meal to aid digestion, or you could be asking if a friend wants a final drink of the evening before you both head home.
In the latter sense of a farewell drink, ein Absacker is comparable to the English "nightcap", which denotes the last drink before bed. In other words, the drink that caps off the night.
READ ALSO: Prost! Why do Germans make eye contact when they clink glasses?
With Absacker, however, the meaning is slightly different, since the word is derived from the verb 'absacken', meaning to lower oneself down or come down. In this sense, an Absacker is a drink that relaxes you and brings your energy levels down after the excitement of the night, preparing you for your departure and a relaxing night's sleep (provided you don't overdo the Absackers, that is!).
Use it like this:
Ich hatte es vor, um 22 Uhr nach Hause zu gehen, aber dann hat Maria einen Absacker vorgeschlagen.
I was planning to go home at 10pm, but then Maria suggested a nightcap.
Magst du noch einen Absacker mit mir trinken?
Would you like to have another nightcap with me?
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Why do I need to know Absacker?
Because it's a great colloquial word to have up your sleeve when you're socialising with Germans - and it also gives us a little bit of insight into German culture and customs.
What does it mean?
Der Absacker (pronounced like this) has a few different meanings - and all of them relate to alcohol. If you pose the question, "Trinken wir noch 'ne Absacker?" you could be referring to a schnapps or liqueur that you drink after a meal to aid digestion, or you could be asking if a friend wants a final drink of the evening before you both head home.
In the latter sense of a farewell drink, ein Absacker is comparable to the English "nightcap", which denotes the last drink before bed. In other words, the drink that caps off the night.
READ ALSO: Prost! Why do Germans make eye contact when they clink glasses?
With Absacker, however, the meaning is slightly different, since the word is derived from the verb 'absacken', meaning to lower oneself down or come down. In this sense, an Absacker is a drink that relaxes you and brings your energy levels down after the excitement of the night, preparing you for your departure and a relaxing night's sleep (provided you don't overdo the Absackers, that is!).
Use it like this:
Ich hatte es vor, um 22 Uhr nach Hause zu gehen, aber dann hat Maria einen Absacker vorgeschlagen.
I was planning to go home at 10pm, but then Maria suggested a nightcap.
Magst du noch einen Absacker mit mir trinken?
Would you like to have another nightcap with me?
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