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How to Say ‘A pilsner or a wheat beer?’ in German

Ein Pils oder ein Weizen?

ine pils OH-der ine VYE-tsen

[ine pils OH-der ine VYE-tsen]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Simply asking for ein Bier in Germany usually earns this follow-up, since there's no single default beer. Answering with just the style name is perfectly normal.

Phrase Breakdown

Ein Pils

ine pils

A pilsner

A pilsner is a crisp, light lager. 'Pils' is said with a short 'i'.

Example

Ich nehme ein Pils.

I'll have a pilsner.

Words in this phrase

Ein

[ine]

The indefinite article 'ein'.

Example

Ich brauche ein Auto.

I need a car.

Pils

[pils]

pilsner

A pale, crisp, hoppy lager beer; very common in Germany.

Example

Ich trinke gern ein kaltes Pils.

I like drinking a cold pilsner.

oder ein Weizen?

OH-der ine VYE-tsen

or a wheat beer?

'Weizen' is wheat beer. 'W' sounds like 'v' and 'z' sounds like 'ts': 'VY-tsen'.

Example

Lieber ein Weizen.

Rather a wheat beer.

Words in this phrase

oder

[OH-der]

Used to present an alternative, often playfully in conversation.

Example

Oder willst du lieber so tun, als hättest du mich nicht bemerkt?

Or would you rather pretend you didn't notice me?

ein

[ine]

The indefinite article 'ein'.

Example

Ich brauche ein Auto.

I need a car.

Weizen

[VYE-tsen]

wheat beer

Short for Weizenbier, a cloudy beer brewed with wheat; literally 'wheat'.

Example

Ein Weizen passt gut im Sommer.

A wheat beer is nice in summer.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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