Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Gesundheits Haus

You know that funny sounding German word you say when people sneeze? Well it happens to mean health or blessing, and in Munich it’s the name for anything from a health clinic, to a spa, to a mental hospital, to a gymnasium or fitness center. I came across this Gesundheits Haus on Dachau Strasse, close to the Lowenbraukeller, but have come across four or so more around Munich since this. And the word that most Americans think is an anomaly is actually quite well engrained in the German language. “Wie geht es ihnen gesundheitlich” is another way to say how are you. So the next time you say Gesundheit, know that it’s a real German word, spoken by real German people in Munich every day.

1 comment:

Harvey Morrell said...

This reminds me of the joke that made the rounds back in the day.

An American tourist sneezes and a person says, "Gesundheit."

The tourist turns to that person and says, Oh, you speak English! Can you tell me how to get to the Hofbrauhaus?"

It's better told in the original Bavarian......