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German · At the Bar

einen Kater haben

INE-en KAH-ter HAH-ben · /ˈaɪ.nən ˈkaː.tɐ ˈhaː.bn̩/

To have a hangover

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"To have a tomcat"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

Germans wake up with a tomcat, not a sore head — supposedly a corruption of "Katarrh" (catarrh), reinterpreted as a yowling cat clawing your skull, which honestly fits. A savage one is a "Brummschädel" (buzzing-skull). The cure is a "Konterbier" (counter-beer) or a hearty "Katerfrühstück" (hangover breakfast). Completely clean.

Heard in the wild

Ich hab einen fürchterlichen Kater.

I've got a terrible hangover.

Where it lands

Germany, Austria, Switzerland — universal

Quick answers

What does "einen Kater haben" mean?
In German, "einen Kater haben" means "To have a hangover". Literally it's "To have a tomcat". Germans wake up with a tomcat, not a sore head — supposedly a corruption of "Katarrh" (catarrh), reinterpreted as a yowling cat clawing your skull, which honestly fits. A savage one is a "Brummschädel" (buzzing-skull). The cure is a "Konterbier" (counter-beer) or a hearty "Katerfrühstück" (hangover breakfast). Completely clean.
Is "einen Kater haben" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "einen Kater haben"?
Say it "INE-en KAH-ter HAH-ben" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈaɪ.nən ˈkaː.tɐ ˈhaː.bn̩.

Related in German

besoffen buh-ZOFF-en Sloshed / plastered / hammered voll wie eine Haubitze FOLL vee INE-uh how-BIT-suh Drunk as a lord / completely wasted blau sein BLOW zine To be drunk / sloshed Prost! PROHST Cheers! Auf ex! OWF EX Down it in one! / Bottoms up! Mist! MIST Crap! / Rats! — the family-friendly 'damn'

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Hungover".

how to say "Hungover" →

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