Leslie Massey
Austrians speak German, but with a twist. Austrian German is to Standard German what American English is to British English. The Austrian Hochdeutsch (High German) used in writing and formal contexts is similar to German Hochdeutsch, but there are significant differences in the way German is spoken in everyday life. German speakers may notice that the spirit of the Austrian language is different: Germans are direct and straight to the point, while Austrians tend to be more ambiguous and ironic. There are several ways to say hello in Austrian German, including Servus, Griaß di, and Grüß Gott.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Language | German |
| Written German | Similar to German Hochdeutsch |
| Spoken German | Different from German Hochdeutsch |
| Greeting before 10 a.m. | Guten Morgen |
| Greeting before 10 a.m. (informal) | Morgen or Moagn |
| Greeting after 10 a.m. | Grüss Gott |
| Greeting (informal) | Servus, Griaß di, Griaß enk/Griaß eich |
| Greeting (formal) | Grüss Gott, Auf Wiederschauen |
| Greeting (slang) | Moagn |
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What You'll Learn
Austrians speak German, but with a twist
Austrians tend to sound more vague and ambiguous than Germans, who are more direct and to the point. Austrian German is also more ironic, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings. For example, Germans sometimes accuse Austrians of being inappropriate, while Austrians criticise Germans for their lack of humour.
There are several ways to say hello and goodbye in Austria, each suited to different contexts. Servus, which comes from the Latin word for "slave", is an informal way to greet someone. Griaß di is another informal greeting, with the plural form being Griaß enk/Griaß eich. Grüß Gott, which translates to "greet God", is a traditional and formal way to say hello. Before 10 am, Austrians use Guten Morgen, shortened to Morgen, and pronounced as Moagn in slang. For the rest of the day, Grüss Gott is used. In formal contexts, the German Auf Wiedersehen is used, with an Austrian twist: Auf Wiederschauen.
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German and Austrian German have fundamental differences
Austrian German is the official language of Austria and is used in education, media, and administrative communications. German and Austrian German are indeed very similar, as they both stem from the West Germanic language family, and Austrians and Germans can generally understand each other without much difficulty. However, there are fundamental differences in the way the language is used in everyday life.
Firstly, the spirit of the Austrian language is notably different. Germans tend to be direct and straight to the point, whereas Austrians are more likely to be vague, ambiguous, and roundabout in their speech. Austrian German is also more ironic, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings with Germans, who occasionally accuse Austrians of being inappropriate. Austrians, on the other hand, criticise Germans for their lack of humour. Austrians also tend to be more traditional in their greetings and use formal titles with a lot of respect and precision.
Secondly, there are grammatical differences between Austrian German and Standard German. For example, in the perfect tense, Austrian German sometimes uses "sein" ("to be"), whereas Standard German would use "haben" ("to have"). Additionally, Austrian German uses different diminutive forms, adding "-el" and "-erl" to the end of words, while Standard German uses "-chen" or "-lein". For example, the Austrian German word for a "little girl" is "Mäderl", compared to "Mädchen" in Standard German.
Thirdly, there are differences in vocabulary between Austrian German and Standard German, especially concerning food. For example, a potato is "Kartoffel" in Standard German but "Erdapfel" in Austrian German. Even native German speakers can struggle to understand each other across these regional variations.
Despite their shared history, Austria and Germany have developed distinct cultures, and this is reflected in their languages. While there are many similarities between Austrian German and Standard German, these differences can be challenging for language learners and native speakers alike.
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Austrians tend to sound more vague and ambiguous
Austrians speak German, or more specifically Austrian German (Österreichisches Deutsch). German is the official language of Austria, with roughly 97-98% of people in the country speaking it, and a little over 93% calling it their mother tongue. German is used in the media, in schools, and for official publications and announcements. Austrian German has a softer pronunciation than German and some variations in terminology.
Austrian German has its roots in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in 1774, along with several reforms of administration in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. The written standard at the time was Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. However, instead of creating a new standard based on the Southern German dialects, they adopted the already-standardized chancellery language of Saxony (Sächsische Kanzleisprache or Meißner Kanzleideutsch).
Austrian German differs from German in that Austrians tend to sound more vague and ambiguous. Austrians are also more ironic, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings with Germans, who sometimes accuse Austrians of being inappropriate, while Austrians criticise Germans for their lack of humour. German speakers are very direct and straight to the point, whereas Austrians are more reserved and quiet.
In Austria, verbs that express a state tend to use "sein" as the auxiliary verb in the perfect, as well as verbs of movement. For example, "sitzen" (to sit), "liegen" (to lie) and, in parts of Styria and Carinthia, "schlafen" (to sleep). The Austrian variant avoids potential ambiguity with the words "stehen" (to stand) and "gestehen" (to confess), which are identical in the present perfect in German: "habe gestanden".
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Austrian German is more ironic
Austrians speak German, or more specifically, High German, which is similar to the German used in writing and formal contexts in Germany. However, there are significant differences in the way the language is used in everyday life. German and Austrian German have different dialects and expressions, which can make it difficult for Germans to understand their Austrian neighbours.
Austrian German is considered to be more ironic and ambiguous than German. This has occasionally led to small misunderstandings, with Germans accusing Austrians of being inappropriate, and Austrians criticising Germans for their lack of humour. This difference in humour is also reflected in the cabaret scene in Vienna, which has a great tradition. In a worldwide survey by the social media platform Badoo, Germans were ranked as having the worst sense of humour.
The Austrian sense of humour is called "Wiener Schmäh" and consists of self-irony and sarcasm. Austrians do not take life too seriously and can laugh at themselves. This is reflected in their language, which is more indirect and vague than German. For example, Austrians use the greeting "Servus", which translates to the archaic "your servant". This is considered an informal way to greet someone, whereas in Germany, the same greeting would be more formal.
Another example of the difference in language between the two countries is the use of the greeting "Grüß Gott", which translates to "greet God". This greeting is used throughout the day in Austria, whereas in Germany, the more direct greetings "Guten Tag" and "Guten Abend" are more common.
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Greeting someone in Austria
Austrians speak German, but with a twist. Austrian German is to Standard German what American English is to British English. The Austrian "Hochdeutsch" (High German) used in writing and formal contexts is similar to German "Hochdeutsch", but there are significant differences in the spoken language. German and Austrian German also differ in tone: Germans are direct and to the point, while Austrians tend to be more ambiguous and ironic.
If you're greeting someone in Austria before 10 a.m., you can say "Guten Morgen", or the shorter "Morgen", which is the same as in Germany. You could also say "Moagn", which is Austrian slang. For the rest of the day, Austrians use "Grüß Gott", which translates as ""Greet God". The German "Guten Tag" and "Guten Abend" are not commonly used.
Other informal ways of saying hello include "Servus", which comes from the Latin for "your servant", and "Griaß di", which translates as "hello" or "hello there". The plural form is "Griaß enk/Griaß eich", and it's a friendly greeting for fellow hikers. "Grüß Gott" is also used as a more traditional and formal greeting.
If you're in a Viennese cafe, a loud and polite "Grüß Gott" is a good greeting.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrians speak German, but with a twist. Austrian German is to Standard German what American English is to British English.
Austrians have several ways to say hello, depending on the formality of the situation. Some common ways to say hello include Servus, Griaß di, and Grüß Gott.
There are many ways to say goodbye in Austrian German, including Servus, Priat di, Pfiat di, and Auf Wiedersehen.
