Why do I need to know die Gelse?
Die Gelse is a very useful Austrian word because it’s what many people in Austria say instead of the standard German die Mücke.
You’ll hear it when people complain about bites, buy mosquito spray, warn you to close the window, or discuss whether sitting outside near water is still worth it in the evening. It’s especially useful in summer, but you can start hearing it as soon as the weather warms up. In Vienna and eastern Austria, in particular, die Gelse is a normal everyday word.
So if someone says Es gibt so viele Gelsen, they mean there are lots of mosquitoes, not some mysterious Austrian insect you haven’t heard of before.
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What does it mean?
Die Gelse means mosquito. The plural is die Gelsen.
In standard German, the usual word is die Mücke. In Austria, die Gelse is common enough that you’ll see it in shops, weather reports, local warnings and product names.
You may come across words such as der Gelsenspray, meaning mosquito repellent spray, and der Gelsenstecker, a plug-in mosquito repellent device. Another useful phrase is zerstochen sein, meaning to be covered in bites.
For example, Ich bin total zerstochen means “I’m completely covered in mosquito bites”.
There is also der Gelsenstich, meaning a mosquito bite, and die Gelsenplage, meaning a mosquito plague or mosquito nuisance, usually used when there are far too many of them around.
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Use it like this:
Mach bitte das Fenster zu, sonst kommen die Gelsen rein.
Please close the window, otherwise the mosquitoes will come in.
Hast du einen Gelsenspray dabei?
Do you have mosquito spray with you?
Nach dem Abend am See bin ich komplett zerstochen.
After the evening by the lake, I’m completely covered in bites.
If you’re spending spring and summer evenings in Austria, die Gelse are bound to keep you company every now and then.
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