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“Prosit” sounds exactly like the russian word for “asks”. Well, to prost is actually kind of to ask.. to ask somebody to drink a glass of beer with you… Right? Right?
Of course ;)
“is there a difference between `prost` and `zum wohl`?” – When I lived in Berlin (and also tended bar there), I’d hear “Prost” in bars, kneipen, and other places where drinking beer or spirits was common. “Zum Wohl” was something I’d hear among wine drinkers in cafes and at the dinner table. So I associate “Prost” with beer, and “Zum Wohl” with wine.
You described it quite well. It’s more the setting than the drink. “zum Wohl” is more distinguished. But a bunch of people yelling Prost and then sipping some red wine would be kind of odd :)
It’s interesting that the Germanic word for “cheers” was “Skoll”. In Australia, “skol” has come to mean “finish your drink in one go as quickly as you can” (or “chug!”, as I think Americans would say). A common argument is whether the word is spelled “skol” or “scull” (the latter being the way Australians actually pronounce it because I think the intended vowel sound in “skol” just confuses everyone). There is a common tradition of politicians or other prominent people “skoling/sculling” their beers at public events to prove how in touch they are with the ways of the ordinary people.
Is there a word for this concept in German?
That would be “auf Ex”.
“I could drink the whole bottle in one go.” – “No way!” = “Ich könnte die ganze Flasche auf Ex trinken.” – “Niemals.”
“Scul it.” (?) = “Auf Ex und hop.”
That is the most common expression for something like that (in my region). There are several other ways to say it. For example there is a movie with Matthias Schweighöfer, if that tells you something, which has the title “Rubbeldiekatz”. Which would also be the way they express this action. No idea whether that was just made up for the movie or if that is really a phrase in the Ruhr area.
In Berlin, it’s “auf ex”, too. And we use the verb “exen”
– Ich habe mein Bier geext.
Sounds awful, looks awful.
And can be awful, Maria decided to “ex” my drink to piss me of. Little did she know that it was 70% strong rum XD
I know, I know, this is German-is-Easy, but… In Sweden where I live, “Skål” is the word for “Cheers”, “Prosit”, “Na zdorovlya”, “Salute”, “L’Chaiyim” – however, there is a nuance in “Skål”: if you are drinking wine, or beer, or just want to be polite, you sorta mumble, “Skål”, look at everyone with a glas, take a sip and then look at everyone again and put down your glass. IF AND WHEN there is serious drinking to be done, “SKÅL” is said loudly and clearly and the glances before drinking are more meaningful, as if to DARE you to not drink up – at a “Skål” like this, you empty the shot glass, and that’s it. If you don’t, comments will be made. Typical at Christmas, Easter and Midsommar (when Swedes imbibe copious amounts of schnapps). Although methinks Swedish schnapps and German Schnapps are not really the same thing.
“imbibe” is such a funny word. Oh English…. the lovechild of the Romans and the Germanic tribes.
Just in case someone missed it… “imbibe” is related to Spanish “beber” (to drink) and goes back to the Latin word for it. And guess what else comes from that…. Beer. Literally “drink”.
I have to say, in my experience, I’ve tended to hear “zum Wohl(e)” more often than “prost” (regardless of beverage).
Quite the aristocrats you hang with ;). Seriously, Frohes neues Jahr mein Lieber!!
is there a difference between `prost` and `zum wohl`?
No, “zum Wohl” is just more high brow.
Vielen Dank. I had wondered where Prost!/Prosit! came from, but never got around to tracking it down. Toast expressions in many languages are in the “Good health!” vein, which makes overlap with sneeze responses understandable. (Thank you, Amerikanerin, for that insight.) In Spanish “¡salud!” is apparently used for both. There are other languages, too, that have one expression for both situations or two very similar. ….Now I’m trying to suppress images of beer being sneezed.
“Prosit” is the Swedish version of “Gesundheit”, or ‘”Bless you” when someone sneezes. “Prost” in Swedish is a priest of higher standing – but honestly, who cares? This is GERMAN-is-Easy, not Swedish-is-Easy. To toast Maria you’d say, “I (would like to) raise a glass to Maria”, or “A toast to Maria”. Same as aoind already wrote. In English you don’t need the “in a toast fashion” because there are no other circumstances under which you’d raise a glass to someone. Unless you are THROWING it at them, in which case, no words are necessary…
I never knew Prosit was the same as Prost. All the times I’ve heard that song “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” and it didn’t occur to me. Seems obvious now! For zuprosten I think simply “to raise ones glass to (someone)” or “to toast (someone) with a glass/drink”.