Today's words · 🏡 Housewarming
Invited to a German housewarming? Bring these 10 words
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Today you'll find out why Germans turn up at a housewarming with bread and salt.
A German friend messages you: "Wir machen eine Einweihungsparty! Kommst du?" You'd love to go — but what should you bring? And what do you say when you get there?
Today's ten words are made for housewarming parties. With them you can reply to the invitation, ask what to bring and tell your hosts how cosy their place is. Don't arrive empty-handed! 🏡
📋 The ten words at a glance
- die Einweihung — inauguration, opening (ceremony); housewarming
- die Party — party
- die Einladung — invitation
- der Gast — guest
- der Gastgeber — host; host country
- mitbringen — to bring (along)
- das Brot — bread
- das Salz — salt
- gemütlich — cosy, snug; relaxed, comfortable
- einrichten — to furnish, fit out; to set up
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
die Einweihung
[INE-vy-oong]inauguration, opening (ceremony); housewarming(Pl. die Einweihungen)
📌 Zur Einweihung der neuen Brücke kam der Bürgermeister.
→ The mayor came to the opening of the new bridge.
💡 weihen (to bless) is also in Weihnachten (Christmas) 🎉 You ‘bless’ the new home by opening it.
Bonus housewarming party = die Einweihungsparty
die Party
[PAR-tee]party(Pl. die Partys)
📌 Kommst du am Samstag zu meiner Party?
→ Are you coming to my party on Saturday?
💡 Straight from English 🥳 Sounds almost the same too.
⚠ The plural is die Partys, not ‘Parties’!
die Einladung
[INE-lah-doong]invitation(Pl. die Einladungen)
📌 Danke für die Einladung zu deiner Party!
→ Thanks for the invitation to your party!
💡 einladen (to invite) + -ung = invitation 💌 -ung is always die!
Bonus Thanks for the invitation! = Danke für die Einladung!
der Gast
[gahst]guest(Pl. die Gäste)
📌 Heute Abend kommen Gäste.
→ We're having guests tonight.
💡 Same root as English guest 🧑🤝🧑 Look: g-st in both.
⚠ Plural with umlaut: die Gäste.
der Gastgeber
[GAHST-gay-ber]host; host country(Pl. die Gastgeber)
📌 Der Gastgeber begrüßte jeden Gast persönlich.
→ The host greeted every guest personally.
💡 Gast (guest) + Geber (giver) = the one who gives to the guests 🎁
Bonus A female host is die Gastgeberin.
mitbringen
[MIT-bring-en]to bring (along)(bringt mit – hat mitgebracht)
📌 Soll ich etwas zum Essen mitbringen?
→ Shall I bring something to eat?
💡 mit (with) + bringen (bring) = bring along 🍷
⚠ Separable: Ich bringe einen Kuchen mit. Past participle: mitgebracht.
das Brot
[broht]bread(Pl. die Brote)
📌 Zum Frühstück esse ich Brot mit Butter.
→ For breakfast I eat bread and butter.
💡 Same root as English bread 🍞 Germany has hundreds of kinds!
Bonus A bread roll is das Brötchen.
das Salz
[zalts]salt((pl. rare))
📌 Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben?
→ Can you pass me the salt, please?
💡 Brother of English salt 🧂 Salzburg means ‘salt castle’.
Bonus pepper = der Pfeffer · Salz und Pfeffer
gemütlich
[guh-MUET-likh]cosy, snug; relaxed, comfortable(gemütlicher – am gemütlichsten)
📌 Das Café ist klein, aber sehr gemütlich.
→ The café is small but very cosy.
💡 Gemüt (heart, mood) + -lich = easy on the heart 🛋️ One of the nicest compliments in German.
Bonus The noun die Gemütlichkeit = cosiness, a relaxed atmosphere
einrichten
[INE-rikh-ten]to furnish, fit out; to set up(richtet ein – hat eingerichtet)
📌 Wir haben die Wohnung neu eingerichtet.
→ We've refurnished the flat.
💡 ein (in) + richten (arrange) = arrange the inside of your flat 🪑
⚠ Separable: Wir richten die Wohnung ein. → hat eingerichtet
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
There's an old German tradition of giving bread and salt (Brot und Salz) as a housewarming gift. It's a wish that the new home will never run short of the basics. These days flowers, wine or a homemade cake are popular too.
Hosts often warn the neighbours in advance, for example with a note in the stairwell saying it might get a bit loud on Saturday. Many buildings have set quiet hours at night, and respecting them is good manners.
Whether you take your shoes off depends on the household. A simple "Soll ich die Schuhe ausziehen?" at the door does the trick! 🍞
✅ Quick quiz
Q. A friend invites you to their housewarming. How do you ask whether you should bring something?
- ① Ich habe die Wohnung eingerichtet.
- ② Der Gastgeber kommt am Samstag.
- ③ Soll ich etwas mitbringen?
Show the answer
③ Soll ich etwas mitbringen?
mitbringen = to bring along, so this means ‘Shall I bring something?’
Look around your room today and say Mein Zimmer ist gemütlich! out loud. You'll be everyone's favourite guest at the next housewarming! 🥂
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 💐 Graduation