Culture
Kölle Alaaf
KUR-luh ah-LAHF
The carnival cry — roughly 'Cologne above all'. Say Alaaf here; saying Helau, which is Düsseldorf's, is a genuine provocation.
Karneval
KAR-nuh-val
The fifth season, running from 11 November and peaking in the week before Lent. Weiberfastnacht and Rosenmontag effectively close the city.
Food
Kölsch
kurlsh
Both the local beer and the local dialect. The beer comes in 200ml glasses that are replaced without asking until you put your beer mat on top.
Köbes
KUR-bess
The waiter in a traditional Kölsch brewery, who is professionally gruff and will keep bringing beer until you signal otherwise. The rudeness is the service.
Halver Hahn
HAL-ver hahn
Literally 'half a chicken' — it is a rye roll with cheese. Ordering it expecting poultry is the classic newcomer joke, and locals enjoy it.
Daily life
Anmeldung
AN-mel-doong
Registering your address, legally required within two weeks of moving in, and the gateway to your tax ID, bank account and everything else.
Veedel
FAY-dl
A neighbourhood, in Kölsch dialect. Cologne identity is strongly local — people identify with their Veedel before the city.
Kaltmiete / Warmmiete
KALT-mee-teh
Cold rent versus warm rent — base rent versus rent plus heating and service charges. Listings quote cold; your bill is warm.
Schufa
SHOO-fah
The credit scoring agency. Every landlord asks for a Schufa-Auskunft, and a newcomer has no record.
Social
Et kütt wie et kütt
et koot vee et koot
'It comes as it comes' — from the Kölsches Grundgesetz, the eleven half-joking articles of local philosophy. It captures the city's temperament precisely.
Transport
Rheinschiene
RYNE-shee-nuh
The Rhine corridor — Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr, densely linked by regional rail. You can live in one and work in another easily.
Emergency
112 / 110
—
112 for ambulance and fire, 110 for police. 112 works across the EU.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.