die Heizung anmachen

German uses the verb anmachen for many electrical or mechanical things. Since anmachen is a separable verb, the an flies to the very end of the sentence. For example, you would say: Ich mache die Heizung an. If you are asking a question, it becomes: Kannst du die Heizung anmachen? It is simple, effective, and keeps you from freezing.

Use this the moment your nose starts feeling cold indoors. You will use it at home with your roommates, in the office when the morning chill lingers, or even in a car. It is a very common request. If you are visiting a German friend and you are shivering, it is perfectly polite to ask them to die Heizung anmachen—though they might suggest you put on a sweater first!

Do not use anmachen if you are talking about lighting a fire in a fireplace; for that, use anzünden. Also, avoid using it for putting on clothes, even if they keep you warm. That would be anziehen. Finally, be careful with anmachen in romantic contexts—it can also mean 'to hit on someone,' but context usually makes it clear you are talking about the radiator, not the person!

Heating in Germany is a serious topic. Most German homes use hot-water radiators with a dial numbered 1 to 5. There is a legal 'heating period' (Heizperiode) from October to April where landlords must ensure the heat works. Also, watch out for the 'Stoßlüften' culture. Germans will turn the heating off, open all windows for five minutes to get fresh air, and then die Heizung anmachen again. It is a national ritual.

You might also hear die Heizung einschalten, which is a bit more formal or technical. Another very common one is die Heizung aufdrehen. This literally means 'to turn up' the heat, referring to the physical act of twisting the radiator valve. If you want to turn it off, just swap an for aus: die Heizung ausmachen.