How do YOU pronounce "Saaz"?

[ebbelwoi]

So I came up with a clever name for my Bohemian pilsner, but quickly realized that a commercial brewery must have come up with the same name by now. I googled it, but didn't find anything.

I thought about it for a while, and one guess was that my idea only works with one pronunciation of "Saaz". Or maybe I'm just not as clever as I think I am.

 

[MaxStout]

#3. "Zahts" if you pronounce it as the Germans would, but I hear lots of people here say "sahts."

 

[Velnerj]

In actual Bohemia it's pronounced Žatecky poloraný červeňák

 

[Vale71]

Saaz is the "germanization" (is that even a word?) of the original name, Žatec. It's the name of the city, by the way.

Since it's a German word I would say the German pronunciation is the correct one, that would be "Saats" with an initial soft "s".

I wouldn't even try and use the Czech version unless you want to spend most of your time teaching folks how to pronounce it, assuming you can pronounce it correctly yourself. It took me two trips to "Plzen" to learn how to pronounce it halfway right. Because of my background I have a hard time with languages that suffer from chronic vowel deficiency syndrome.

 

[ebbelwoi]

I'm more interested in how people honestly pronounce it. I'm not out to tell anyone what's correct, I'm just curious.

 

[Soulshine2]

almost like the fizzy centered candy Zotz....sotz

 

[kh54s10]

I Americanize it. SAWZ. So the closest, and my vote is "bras"

 

[SEndorf]

I've always pronounced it as it's spelled. (Rhymes with jazz). Not technically correct, but my LBS knows what I'm talking about, doesn't laugh, and doesn't try to correct me. When it's time to learn a foreign language, I'll get the tapes....

 

[Braumeise]

I say Saazer like Saarland without the r adding zer.
When I try to pronounce it like we do here in the US I fail terribly

> soft s long aaaah tzss
Sssaaaahtzs
I usually end up pointing to it or ordering it online to avoid having to say it

 

[balrog]

I studied German 2 years in college and it never crozzed my mind to use German pronunziation until I zaw this question.

So I used to say 2 but will hereafter und sofort nummer drei sagen.

 

[kh54s10]

If your LHBS allows you to select your own hops, just take the package. Then you don't have to pronounce it.....

If they don't, order online. That way you never have to say "Saaz"

 

[Braumeise]

I studied German 2 years in college and it never crozzed my mind to use German pronunziation until I zaw this question.

So I used to say 2 but will hereafter und sofort nummer drei sagen.

lol - I am German hence the hop is known to me as Saazer

If your LHBS allows you to select your own hops, just take the package. Then you don't have to pronounce it.....

If they don't, order online. That way you never have to say "Saaz"

They do let me take it out of the fridge but since I usually have a list that I read to whomever is still talking to me... lol

 

[ebbelwoi]

The names I came up with are based on the "zahts" pronunciation. You'll see why they don't work with any of the others:

Saaz Amore!
Saaz Ale, Folks!
Saaz Ale, Folks Lager? Faux Lager? Couldn't figure that one out.
Saaz Ale She Wrote

I played around with Saaz Amorale, but it looks too much like amoral.

 

[bracconiere]

i tried googling it....found this, lol

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-pronounce-saaz.52454/

(apparently this has come up before)

 

[balrog]

The names I came up with are based on the "zahts" pronunciation. You'll see why they don't work with any of the others:

Saaz Amore!
Saaz Ale, Folks!
Saaz Ale, Folks Lager? Faux Lager? Couldn't figure that one out.
Saaz Ale She Wrote

I played around with Saaz Amorale, but it looks too much like amoral.

"Saaz A Great Beer!"


I vote for the Ale She Wrote.

 

[snarf7]

The names I came up with are based on the "zahts" pronunciation. You'll see why they don't work with any of the others:

Saaz Amore!
Saaz Ale, Folks!
Saaz Ale, Folks Lager? Faux Lager? Couldn't figure that one out.
Saaz Ale She Wrote

I played around with Saaz Amorale, but it looks too much like amoral.

love it! go for it!

might i suggest

The Saaz Meow?

 

[kh54s10]

lol - I am German hence the hop is known to me as Saazer

Where does the er come from?????

 

[ebbelwoi]

The -er denotes origin, among other things. Hallertauer hops are from Hallertau, frankfurters are from Frankfurt, a Stuttgarter is from Stuttgart. It can be used as a noun or adjective, for people or things.

Also, regarding naming convention, Saaz hops can be grown anywhere, but Saazer Saaz means they are truly from the Saaz area.

 

[Bilsch]

Had this very same question for the tour guide at the Pilsner Urquell about the pronunciation of Saaz. I had to have her repeat it three times and still my brain couldn't quite hear it right. But zatekh sounds the closest.

 

[ebbelwoi]

Had this very same question for the tour guide at the Pilsner Urquell about the pronunciation of Saaz. I had to have her repeat it three times and still my brain couldn't quite hear it right. But zatekh sounds the closest.

In Czech, I think Ž is pronounced "zh" and c is pronounced "ts", so was it maybe "zha-tets"? But I've never seen Žatec hops at any of the websites I buy hops from. They say "Czech Saaz".

 

[Braumeise]

The -er denotes origin, among other things. Hallertauer hops are from Hallertau, frankfurters are from Frankfurt, a Stuttgarter is from Stuttgart. It can be used as a noun or adjective, for people or things.

Also, regarding naming convention, Saaz hops can be grown anywhere, but Saazer Saaz means they are truly from the Saaz area.

^This

if I remember right it indicates the nominative however I might be wrong

 

[ebbelwoi]

if I remember right it indicates the nominative however I might be wrong

If you talk about Münchner Helles in the dative case, does it remain unchanged? It doesn't change to something like dem Münchnen Hellen, does it?

 

[Vale71]

If you talk about Münchner Helles in the dative case, does it remain unchanged?

Yep. That is, until you've three or four of them, then all bets are off.

 

[Beer Nuts]

saws

I knew a guy from the middle East a few years ago.
His name is Saad. Pronounced Say-ahd.

 

[Braumeise]

If you talk about Münchner Helles in the dative case, does it remain unchanged? It doesn't change to something like dem Münchnen Hellen, does it?

Helles is not "male" it is das Helle not der Helle hence it can't end in ~er

it gets ~es for the ending as in "the beer is a lager" = das Bier ist ein Helles.

But your example is correct it does change to "Münchner Hellen" if you want to say "the history of Munich lager" you would say
"Die Geschichte des Münchner Hellen"

I am trying to think when you would use "dem Münchner Hellen" because that is absolutely correct too...
"We know this hop aroma from Munich lager" = Wir kennen das Hopfenaroma von dem Münchner Hellen (however it would probably be shortened to "von dem = vom" hence "wir kennen das Hopfenaroma vom Münchner Hellen".

PS: can you tell I was terrible at Grammar?

 

[balrog]

still better than I was. After two years of university German, the professor proudly proclaimed, "Congratulations, after two years you now have the capability to converse with a 4 year old".

 

[Braumeise]

still better than I was. After two years of university German, the professor proudly proclaimed, "Congratulations, after two years you now have the capability to converse with a 4 year old".

lol

but I am German. I should be able to explain why not only know which one is correct and which one isn't "good/correct German"

 

[ebbelwoi]

Well, I think you were very close in your explanation. Helles is a nominalized adjective. The underlying noun (Bier) is removed, but the -es remains. Ein Bier --> ein helles Bier --> ein Helles. And I guess if you wanted to build a shrine to Münchner Helles, you would use the inscription "Dem Münchner Hellen" on the facade, like the Reichstag in Berlin? What's the word for that... Widmung?

BTW, why is it Berliner Weiße and not Berliner Weißes?

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

like bras only longer.

Saaaaaz

With my picky out in an extremely snooty way while looking down upon all other hops

 

[balrog]

...while looking down upon all other hops

Well they *ARE* noble, after all.

 

[ESBrewer]

Learn it here by listening to the examples & recording your own pronounciation (flash support needed).

@ebbelwoi "Saaz in the bras" could be nice if you boiled or dry hopped using bras instead of hop socks (or dried your homegrown Saaz in the bras..).

 

[wepeeler]

I've always said, "Saahz". Never had anyone correct me...

 

[ListerH]

I think it's supposed to be pronounced "Zots".... or so I have been told when I called it #1 - "S" rhyming with Jazz.

I haven't changed how I say it, but I am happy to go on pronouncing it wrong!

 

[Soulshine2]

So I came up with a clever name for my Bohemian pilsner, but quickly realized that a commercial brewery must have come up with the same name by now. I googled it, but didn't find anything.

I thought about it for a while, and one guess was that my idea only works with one pronunciation of "Saaz". Or maybe I'm just not as clever as I think I am.

I actually looked up its czech pronunciation...tzatz with the "a" pronounced like the "a" in almond

 

[Robert65]

Czech Žateč is pronounced "tzots." German Saaz is pronounced "zots" without the initial "t" sound.
The vowels are subtly different but that short "o" will get English speakers close on both.

 

[bracconiere]

All this talk about german, czech and stuff....got me thinking of this...

 

[Velnerj]

Czech Žateč is pronounced "tzots." German Saaz is pronounced "zots" without the initial "t" sound.
The vowels are subtly different but that short "o" will get English speakers close on both.

Sorry but that is just wrong. Ž sounds like s in the word measure. Almost like a soft G in garage. The c in Czech is a ts sound Žatec or jatets is close. But Czechs have a completely different name for Saaz Žatecký poloraný červeňák (č sounds like ch in church) It litteraly means late harvested red bine from Žatec (which is a town in cz). You're better off calling it saz like jazz.
Source: I've lived in the Czech Republic for over a decade.

 

[smata67]

I don't have a need to pronounce the name of this hop. I carry around a sign at the end of a stick with the word "SAAZ" printed on it in large capital letters, times roman font, bold. If I'm looking for this particular hop at the LHBS, I just whip it around from behind my back and point at it with a wide, ear to ear grin. Works most of the time.

 

[Steveruch]

I don't pronounce it, I buy sterlings.

 

[Robert65]

Sorry but that is just wrong. Ž sounds like s in the word measure. Almost like a soft G in garage. The c in Czech is a ts sound Žatec or jatets is close. But Czechs have a completely different name for Saaz Žatecký polorani Červenka (č sounds like ch in church) It litteraly means late harvested red bine from Žatec (which is a town in cz). You're better off calling it saz like jazz.
Source: I've lived in the Czech Republic for over a decade.

Thank you! I'm glad someone with firsthand knowledge has set me straight. I only know German firsthand. I think I'll stick with the German pronunciation, much easier for me.