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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

Austrian German word of the day: Der Fenstertag

Nothing beats making the most of public holidays - and a Fenstertag or two can help you do just that.

Published: 7 March 2022 16:32 CET
Updated: 27 October 2023 08:49 CEST
Austrian German word of the day: Der Fenstertag

Translating literally as ‘window day’, this word does exactly what it says on the tin: when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, eagle-eyed Austrians will smugly book a day off of work on the Monday or Friday, effectively ‘bridging’ the holiday and the weekend.

This tactic gives you a luxurious four days of relaxation, and only costs one annual leave day from your holiday allocation. 

These Fenstertage have become deeply ingrained in the Austrian cultural consciousness though sometimes they are known as Zwickltag – but Austrians never refer to them as the German variant Brückentag.

READ ALSO: Working in Austria: How many holidays can I take?

Nobody quite knows why the day is called “window day”, but one possible explanation is that it comes from the calendar: days off are often marked with an X, and a window day would then appear between the Xs similar to an old open window.

This level of fixation on efficient holiday extensions has developed because of Austria’s irritating rule of not giving employees an extra day off whenever a public holiday falls on a weekend.

READ ALSO: Brückentag, Fenstertag or Zwickeltag? All the German words for getting longer holiday weekend

Examples:

Wie willst du deinen Fenstertag nächste Woche verbringen?

How do you want to spend your bridge day next week?

Nimmst du sich die Fenstertag um Ostern frei?

Are you taking the bridge days off at Easter?

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Bloß

This fun German word has a myriad of meanings, from describing going sock-less to making a strong statement.

Published: 5 September 2024 16:17 CEST
German word of the day: Bloß

Why do I need to know bloß?

Like many colloquial words in German, bloß is a word you’ll hear everywhere on the streets.

But unlike other filler words like na and halt, it can also double up as an adjective and adverb. 

Here’s how it’s used

So what exactly does this fun four letter word mean? In its simplest form it’s a substitute for nur, or only, as in Ich war bloß eine Woche in Wien (I was only in Vienna for a week). 

It’s also commonly used in the phrase “not only…but also”, as in Ich war nicht bloß in Wien, sondern auch in Wiener Neustadt (I was not only in Vienna, but also in Wiener Neustadt).

When used as an adjective, the little word also means bare or naked, as in mit bloßen Füßen (barefoot) or mit meiner bloßen Hand (with my bare hand)

You’ll also commonly hear it being used to place emphasis on a statement or exclamation, especially when it’s a negative one. An angry parent might scold their misbehaving teenager with “Mach das bloß nie wieder!” (Don’t you ever do that again!) Or “Komm mir bloß nicht auf die unschuldige Tour!” (Don’t play innocent with me!).

It’s also used to express regret or resignation, similar to its cousin filler word ‘halt’. Lamenting their strong words, the parent might also sigh and say, “Ich hätte das bloß nicht gesagt’ (I shouldn’t have said that).

Someone who’s exasperated about any situation might also utter, “Was soll ich bloß machen?” (What exactly should I do now?”) While the sentence can be said without the “bloß”, putting it in there gives an extra punch, showing extra urgency. “Was soll ich machen?” is what you might ask about a house chore, but if you lock yourself out and no one is around, that “bloß” definitely belongs in the middle.

Where does it originate?

While the word is commonly used today, it actually dates back to the Old High German “bloz” and is closely related to the Dutch word “bloot”. It has its origin in the Indo-Germanic root “bhel-“, which means “to shine” or “to glow”, so obviously the meaning has evolved a lot over the years. 

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