How do YOU pronounce "Saaz"?

[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.

 

[kh54s10]

I don't pronounce it, I buy sterlings.

How do you pronounce "sterlings"?

 

[BruceH]

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?

I think this is why when I am in Deutschland and speak German more than half of the time I am answered in English. I know plenty of words but putting them together with the proper masculine, feminine, or neutral way to say the word and "the" makes my head spin.

FWIW I lived in Germany for two years, 1986 to 1988. I've gone back twice since then and really want to speak German when I'm there. Sadly, my command of the German language must really suck because anyone who speaks English replies to me in English. Either that or they really want to make use the English they have learned.

To answer the original question I pronounce it as Saaz, lol.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Geez... I always thought it was "sawz". I'm so naive...

 

[Robert65]

I think this is why when I am in Deutschland and speak German more than half of the time I am answered in English. I know plenty of words but putting them together with the proper masculine, feminine, or neutral way to say the word and "the" makes my head spin.

FWIW I lived in Germany for two years, 1986 to 1988. I've gone back twice since then and really want to speak German when I'm there. Sadly, my command of the German language must really suck because anyone who speaks English replies to me in English. Either that or they really want to make use the English they have learned.

To answer the original question I pronounce it as Saaz, lol.

Where it starts to gets really arcane is when to use the strong or weak declension. There are supposed to be scientific rules. I mean, they're German, of course there are. But in fact they're so nuanced, it's something you just have to develop an instinct for, and if you're not German, you'll still get it wrong all the time. And they'll just speak English to put themselves out of your misery.

 

[murphyslaw]

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

This is the right answer.

 

[Robert65]

And if the question is how DO you pronounce it, not how SHOULD you pronounce it, then good old "saahzz," because when I'm at the LHBS, I want to get my hops, not a glassy-eyed stare.

 

[BruceH]

Where it starts to gets really arcane is when to use the strong or weak declension. There are supposed to be scientific rules. I mean, they're German, of course there are. But in fact they're so nuanced, it's something you just have to develop an instinct for, and if you're not German, you'll still get it wrong all the time. And they'll just speak English to put themselves out of your misery.

Yes, it makes their head hurt to listen to my caveman German. FWIW a German national who worked with us once said "in order to speak proper German you must drink at least three beers".

 

[bracconiere]

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.

LOL, and...

 

[SEndorf]

I just ask my dude at the local brew shop for "Humulus lupulus"
He comes out straight away with saaz…...