Master Austrian German With One Word: A Quick Guide

There is no language called Austrian, but the official language of Austria is German, or more specifically, Austrian German. Austrian German differs from German as it is spoken in Germany and is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. While you can get by in Austria with basic German words, Austrians have their own German phrases and slang for various situations, and they appreciate it when foreigners make an effort to understand the local language. This paragraph will discuss how to speak Austrian with one word, by exploring the unique aspects of Austrian German and how it differs from standard German.

Greeting phrases

Greeting someone in Austria is usually accompanied by a handshake, regardless of age and gender. The handshake is brief and direct, with eye contact. The higher-ranking or older person typically extends their hand first.

Formal Greetings

• Guten Morgen ("Good morning") – This is typically used before 10 am. It can be shortened to Morgen, pronounced as Moagn.
• Grüss Gott ("God's greeting" or "God bless you") – This religiously-inspired greeting is used throughout the day.
• Guten Tag ("Good day")
• Guten Abend ("Good evening")

Informal Greetings

• Hallo ("Hi")
• Servus ("Hi") – This word comes from the Latin for "slave" and used to mean "your servant".
• Griaß di ("Hello there") – This is used among family and friends. The plural form is Griaß enk/Griaß eich.
• Grüß dich ("Hi")

Ordering beer

Ordering a beer in Austria is a great opportunity to practice your Austrian German. While you can get by with basic German words, Austrians will appreciate the effort of a foreigner trying to understand the local language.

Step 1: Saying "I'd like..." in Austrian German

You can express a wish or place an order in Austrian German in a few ways:

• "Ich möchte..." ("I'd like...")
• "Ich hätte gerne..." ("I'd like to have...")
• "Für mich ein/eine/einen..." ("For me, a...")

Step 2: Picking Your Beer

When ordering beer in Austria, you'll need to specify the type and size. The most common beer in Austria is Märzen, a full-bodied lager. Here are some other options:

• Pils/Pilsner/Pilsener: Light amber in color with a slight bitterness from hops.
• Berliner Weiße ("Berlin white"): A light wheat beer served in a short, wide glass with a shot of raspberry or woodruff syrup.
• Hefeweizen ("yeast wheat"): A cloudy wheat beer with a higher alcohol content than Berliner Weiße. Traditionally served in a curvy glass.
• Schwarzbier (black beer): A dark lager with a high roasted malt content, similar to a stout.
• Kölsch (beer from Cologne): Similar to Pilsner but often less bitter.

Step 3: Specifying the Size

In Austria, beer sizes are typically either 500ml or 300ml. A "Krügel" or "grosses Bier" is a large beer (500ml), while a "Seidl" or "kleines Bier" is a small beer (300ml).

Step 4: Putting It All Together

Now you can put it all together to order your beer! Here's an example:

"Ich hätte gerne einen halben Liter Hefeweizen, bitte." ("I'd like a half-liter of Hefeweizen, please.")

Don't forget to say "cheers" in Austrian German: "Prost!" or "Zum Wohl!"

Common Austrian slang

While there is no language called Austrian, the official language of Austria is Austrian German, which differs from German as it is spoken in Germany. Here are some common Austrian slang words and phrases:

• Servus, Hallo, Grüß dich: These are common Austrian greetings. Servus is also used when leaving.
• Grüß Gott: This greeting, which translates to "Greet God", is popular among the older generation.
• Auf Wiedersehen, Auf Wiederschauen: These are formal ways of saying goodbye.
• Tschüss, Pfiat di: These are informal goodbyes used among friends and family.
• Guten Morgen: Austrians use this greeting before 10 a.m., similar to Germans.
• Grüß Gott: Austrians use this greeting for the rest of the day, instead of Guten Tag or Guten Abend, which are not very common.
• Hallo, Servus, Grüß dich: These informal greetings can be used any time of the day.
• Eine Halbe Bier, A Hoibe: Austrians use these phrases to order half a litre of beer.
• Ein Seiterl Bier, A Seidl: These phrases refer to a small beer.
• Reperaturseidl: This is a small beer consumed after a night out to prevent a hangover.
• Topfenstrudel mit Schlagobers, Quarkstrudel mit Sahne: These are Austrian desserts that sometimes replace lunch.
• Kaiserschmarrn, Kasnocken, G’röste Knödel mit Ei: These are traditional foods enjoyed at an Austrian Almhütte, a great place to relax after a hike.
• Ein Ort zum Ausrasten: Austrians use this phrase to refer to a place to relax or recharge. However, Germans would translate it to "getting mad".
• Hüft's nix schodt's nix: This phrase means "if it doesn't help, it doesn't harm".
• Da Gscheidere gibt noch: This means "the smarter one gives in". It is used to tell someone to stop being stubborn.
• Die Oaschkortn ziagn: This phrase means "to pull the butt card".
• Blunzn: This word means "blood sausage".
• Leiwand: This adjective, meaning "great", "amazing", or "awesome", is frequently used in informal conversations in Vienna.
• Schmäh: This word means "trick", "joke", or "fib". It is also used to describe Viennese humour, which is known for being sarcastic and morbid.
• Oida: This is a modern phrase that is widely used in informal conversations across Austria. It is used to address someone, express displeasure, or complain about something.
• Na no na net: This is the long version of saying "yes", "obviously", or "of course". It is mainly used in and around Vienna to emphasise that something is very obvious.
• Heuer: This word, meaning "this year", tends to confuse Germans as it does not exist in German, except in parts of Bavaria.
• Deppert: This adjective means "stupid" or "idiotic". However, it is also used to express amazement or excitement, similar to "wow" or "awesome".
• Tschick: This is the Austrian-German word for "cigarettes".
• Grüss dich, wie geht’s dir?: This phrase means "Hey, hello, how are you?".
• Sackerl: This word means "bag". It is often used in the phrase "Sackerl für’s Gackerl", referring to a doggie-poo bag.
• Verlängerter: This is how Austrians refer to a simple black coffee.
• Jausenbrot: This is the Austrian word for a snack or a small cold dinner.
• Topfen: This word means "curd" and is used in baked goods. In the vernacular, it can also mean "nonsense" or "rubbish".
• Schmarrn: This word means "nonsense", "inferior product", or "baked goods". It is often used to refer to the Kaiserschmarrn, a famous Austrian baked product.
• Deka: This is the most common unit of measurement when buying something at a deli counter or farmer's market in Austria.
• Paradeiser: This word means "tomato". Fruit and vegetable names account for many regional differences in Austria.
• Zach: This is a popular word with Austrian youth that means "stressful", "burdensome", "uncool", or "pernicious".
• Hackn: This word refers to strenuous labour or a difficult job.
• Haberer: This word, derived from the Yiddish khaver, means "buddy", "lover", or just "man".
• Gspusi: This refers to a love affair or a paramour.
• Tschecherl, Tschocherl: These are quaint

Differences between German and Austrian German

Austrian German and German German are indeed different, with variations in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. While the two are mutually intelligible, there are some notable differences between the two varieties.

Vocabulary

Austrian German has a smaller vocabulary than Standard German, and often uses different words to convey the same meaning. For example, in Austrian German, a potato is called an "Erdapfel", while in German, it is called a "Kartoffel". Similarly, tomatoes are called "Paradeiser" in Austrian German and "Tomaten" in German.

Grammar

Austrian German grammar rules differ from those of Standard German in several ways. For instance, verb placement is often different, and feminine nouns often take on a different ending. Additionally, the perfect tense in Austrian German sometimes uses "sein" ("to be"), instead of "haben" ("to have") as in Standard German.

Pronunciation

Austrian German uses different pronunciation rules, resulting in a distinct accent. The letter 'r' is trilled, similar to the sound of a rolling 'r' in Spanish. The letter 'g' is often pronounced as a /k/ sound, especially at the beginning of a word. For example, the word 'gemacht' (made) is pronounced /ke-MAKT/ in Austrian German.

Dialects

The dialects of German vary significantly from one region to the next, and this is especially true for Austria. Austrian German dialects can be quite different from German, with the Southern Dialects spoken in regions including Graz and Innsbruck being the most divergent and difficult for speakers of other German dialects to understand.

Slang and Phrases

Austrians have their own German phrases and slang for various situations. For example, Austrians might say "Ein Ort zum Ausrasten" ("a place to Ausrasten") to mean relaxing or recharging, while Germans would interpret "ausrasten" as "getting mad". Austrians also have a unique word for a small beer consumed to prevent hangovers: "Reperaturseidl".

Austrian German phrases

Austrian German differs from German as it is spoken in Germany and is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. German is the official language of Austria, and nearly all Austrians learn and speak it. However, there are some differences in vocabulary and grammar between Austrian German and German. Here are some common phrases and words used in Austrian German:

Greetings and Goodbyes

• Servus
• Grüß Gott – translates to "greet God"
• Grüss dich
• Auf Wiedersehen – formal goodbye
• Auf Wiederschauen
• Tschüss and Pfiat di – commonly used among friends and family
• Guten Morgen – good morning
• Guten Tag – not very common
• Guten Abend – not very common
• Hallo – informal greeting

Ordering Food and Drinks

• Eine Halbe Bier, A Hoibe, or Ein Seiterl Bier, A Seidl – ordering a beer
• Reperaturseidl – a small beer consumed to prevent hangovers
• Topfenstrudel mit Schlagobers, Quarkstrudel mit Sahne – cheesecake with whipped cream
• G’röste Knödel mit Ei, Geröstete Knödel mit Ei – fried dumplings with egg
• Kaiserschmarrn, Kasnocken, G’röste Knödel mit Ei – traditional foods enjoyed at an Almhütte
• Ein Ort zum Ausrasten – a place to relax; "ausrasten" means to relax or recharge in Austrian German, while Germans would translate it to "getting mad"
• A Schnitzel und a Hoibe – ordering a schnitzel and half a litre of beer
• Ich geh ma a Jausn kaffn. Gehst mit? – "I'll go for a snack. Do you want to join me?"
• Geh ma auf an Kaffee? – "Shall we go and drink a coffee?"

Common Austrian Slang

• Hüft's nix schodt's nix – if it doesn't help, it doesn't harm
• Da Gscheidere gibt noch – the smarter one gives in
• Die Oaschkortn ziagn – to pull the "butt card"
• A Blunzn / Des is mir Blunzn – blood sausage / that's blood sausage to me
• Ein Verlängerter – ordering a black coffee
• Jause – a snack or a small cold dinner
• Topfen – curd or nonsense
• Schmarrn – baked goods, nonsense, or an insulting term for a product, statement, or work of art
• Zach – stressful, burdensome, uncool, or pernicious
• Haberer – boyfriend, friend, or just man
• Gspusi – a love affair or a paramour
• Das Tschecherl /Tschocherl – quaint, tiny establishments that primarily serve alcohol
• Krügerl – half-liter of beer
• Panier – coating on the Wiener Schnitzel; also used to describe a bathrobe (Einserpanier) or being drunk (Paniert sein)
• Bussi – a greeting peck on the cheek
• Servus / Baba / Wiederschaun / Pfiat di – various ways to say goodbye

Frequently asked questions