Reinheitsgebot

German

Alternative forms

• Deutsches Reinheitsgebot

Etymology

From Reinheit (“purity”) +‎ Gebot (“commandment, order, decree”). First used in the 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈraɪ̯nhaɪ̯tsɡəˌboːt/, [ˈʁaɪ̯n.haɪ̯t͡s.ɡəˌboːt]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Reinheitsgebot n (strong, genitive Reinheitsgebotes or Reinheitsgebots, plural Reinheitsgebote)

1. A legal regulation, eventually going back to the 16th century, prescribing that German beer must not contain any ingredients other than water, malt, hops, and yeast, and that bottom-fermented beer must be brewed with barley.

Usage notes

• The Reinheitsgebot is still incorporated in German law. The extent of possible exceptions varies between federal states. In Bavaria, it continues to be illegal to brew nonconforming beer even if the designation Bier is not used. In practice, virtually all German beers adhere to the Reinheitsgebot.
• Under EU law, foreign beers may be sold freely on the German market, however.

Declension

Declension of Reinheitsgebot [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Reinheitsgebot	die	Reinheitsgebote
genitive	eines	des	Reinheitsgebotes, Reinheitsgebots	der	Reinheitsgebote
dative	einem	dem	Reinheitsgebot, Reinheitsgebote1	den	Reinheitsgeboten
accusative	ein	das	Reinheitsgebot	die	Reinheitsgebote

¹Now rare, see notes.