The Austrian language is different from German. Examples of linguistic differences for the food lexical group

November 17, 2015

If in our country a person speaking a dialect is often treated as uneducated and illiterate, then native speakers of German are proud of their dialects.

Arriving in Austria, you will simultaneously encounter the correct “high German”, Hochdeutsch (it is Hochdeutsch, the literary standard of the German language, that is taught in schools), and one of the local dialects, of which there are a great many in Austria (as well as in other German-speaking lands).

Hochdeutsch is spoken in “official” situations: in the media, in public places and educational institutions, with foreigners, and native Austrians switch to the dialect in informal communication.

In practice, this means that with sufficient knowledge of German, you can easily understand presenters on radio or television and will be able to communicate with the professor during a lecture. But it is quite possible that you will not understand a word in the conversation of your classmates or will not be able to understand anything from the explanations of the saleswoman in the supermarket. There are often situations when your classmate addresses the professor in Hochdeutsch, and pronounces the next phrase addressed to his friend in dialect.

Another thing is that pronunciation varies greatly within Germany: say, a Bavarian and a resident of Hamburg are unlikely to be able to understand each other if they speak a dialect.

In Austria you will also come across a certain number of local, “typically Austrian words”, usually related to the field of food and drink: a bun for a German is “Brötchen”, and for an Austrian it is “Semmel”, jam for some is “Marmelade”, for others - "Confiture". In addition, there are many words for local Austrian cuisine. In general, the dictionaries of the Austrian language (there are some) contain 12-15 thousand words.

Austrians consider their pronunciation more melodic and gentle than classical German (the Germans, of course, are sure of the opposite). Perhaps Austrian German does indeed sound somewhat softer, which is facilitated primarily by the common suffix -l in Austrian, which turns the dry German Pfand, Packung and Sack into Pfandel, Packerl and Sackerl.

Greetings are constructed quite differently and not so strictly in Austria. In Germany, where the address is most often omitted or a short address by last name is used, the greeting sounds very formal, distanced: “Guten Morgen”, “Guten Tag, Herr Jensen”. In Austria, however, detailed, lengthy appeals are easily acceptable, which are not considered inappropriate or offensive: “Guten Abend, gnädige Frau” (“Good morning, dear lady”), “Guten Morgen, Herr Doktor” (“Good evening, Mr. Doctor”), “Grüß Gott, Herr Ingenieur” (“Hello, Mr. Doctor”).

In Austria, as you know, they speak German, but many of those who are going to Austria wonder: is this “the” German that Austrians speak? Does it make sense to study German in Austria and is the German spoken in Austria correct?

After six months spent in Austria, I can say for sure: it does!

Hochdeutsch is spoken in “official” situations: in the media, in public places and educational institutions, with foreigners, and native Austrians switch to the dialect in informal communication. In practice, this means that with sufficient knowledge of German, you can easily understand presenters on radio or television and will be able to communicate with the professor during a lecture. But it is quite possible that you will not understand a word in the conversation of your classmates or will not be able to understand anything from the explanations of the saleswoman in the supermarket. There are often situations when your classmate addresses the professor in Hochdeutsch, and pronounces the next phrase addressed to his friend in dialect.

Don’t be offended if your classmates, who just yesterday spoke to you in more or less correct German, today address you in a completely incomprehensible dialect. This does not mean that you are not respected: the dialect is spoken primarily with fellow countrymen, and this means that the native Austrians accepted you as “one of their own.” In general, the higher the education and cultural level of the interlocutor, the easier it is to understand him. I didn’t have any problems with the language during classes or when talking with professors, but it was almost impossible to talk with cashiers at the supermarket: when asked “where is the cheese here,” I was given a phrase in such distorted German that I had to go look for the cheese myself.

It must be admitted that the correct Hochdeutsch in the mouth of an Austrian sounds a little different than in the mouth of a German. If there are no differences in the grammar that makes up the structure and basis of the language, then by the peculiarities of pronunciation it is really possible to distinguish an Austrian from a German or from a Swiss. Another thing is that pronunciation varies greatly within Germany: say, a Bavarian and a resident of Hamburg are unlikely to be able to understand each other if they speak a dialect. In Austria you will also come across a certain number of local, “typically Austrian words”, usually related to food and drink: a bun for a German is “Brötchen”, and for an Austrian it is “Semmel”, jam for some is “Marmelade”, for others - "Confiture". In addition, there are many words for local Austrian cuisine. In general, the dictionaries of the Austrian language (there are some) contain 12-15 thousand words.

The Austrians themselves, by the way, consider “their” version of German to be much more melodic and more beautiful-sounding than the “correct” German. I have heard many times from fellow Austrian students that the German they speak in Germany sounds very rude. A student I know, a native Austrian, says this: “I can’t stand this federal German! This is a very rude, soldier’s language - you can only march under it! Our Austrian German sounds much better.” To some extent, the Austrians are right. To my outside taste, the Austrian accent of German is indeed more melodic. This is also facilitated by the fact that in Austrian German the suffix –l is very common, so in Austria you will often hear endless Hendl, Wurstel, Packerl, Sackerl, Pfandel, etc. where the Germans would simply say Huhn, Würstchen, Packung, Sack, Pfand.

By the way, it is necessary to note the love that German-speaking countries have for their dialects. If in Russia the classic “Moscow” or “St. Petersburg” accents are becoming a thing of the past, then in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, each federal state cherishes and cherishes its own special dialect. Moreover, dialect is not at all considered a sign of lack of education. Yes, in many official situations (during public speaking, etc.) speaking the dialect is considered indecent, but only foreigners speak Hochdeutsch among friends. In a bookstore in any land (this applies to both Germany and Austria) you will definitely find a “Regional” section, where there are books on local history, stories about local attractions and... dictionaries of the local dialect. “A Concise Dictionary of Saxon”, “The Newest Dictionary of the Bavarian Language”, “Conversation in Berlin”, “Let’s Speak in Viennese”, “A Primer of Tyrolean” - I saw all these books during my trips to Germany and Austria. The dialect becomes, along with palaces and monuments, a local landmark that people take pride in.

Residents of Austria, regardless of nationality, speak German. However, those who want to stay or settle in this country are primarily concerned: will the locals understand ordinary German? Is it necessary to study the national dialect separately and what are the differences between Austrian and German speech?

Unlike Russia, where a person speaking a dialect will be considered illiterate by his compatriots, the Austrians are proud and cherish their dialect. They give concerts in regional dialects and publish literature. A separate subdialect with characteristic pronunciation, words and fixed expressions can be found in each of the nine federal states.

Dialects of Austria

Middle Bavarian - the lands of Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, northern Styria and Tyrol.
South Bavarian - lands of southern Austria (Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol).
Swabian - Tyrol (District Reutte).
Upper Alemannic - Vorarlberg.
Lower Alemannic - the extreme west of the country (Vorarlberg).
Middle Alemannic - northwest of Vorarlberg.
Southern Alemannic - Vorarlberg land.

German or Austrian?

The official language of Austria, according to the Constitution, is classical German - Hochdeutsch. It is used by the media, lectures are given, and classes are held in educational institutions. They use literary language to communicate with foreigners. In everyday life, Austrians speak exclusively regional languages.

The national language variant – Österreichisches Deutsch – was also officially recognized. The basics were consolidated in the Austrian Dictionary, published in 1951 by decision of the Ministry of Education. At the same time, the Austrian national version and colloquial Austro-Bavarian dialects were clearly separated.

Fluency in a regional language gives policymakers in the region an additional advantage over competitors who speak only Hochdeutsch. Local residents are wary of pure language speakers.

Seven differences between Austrian and German

Official Austrian has different vocabulary, grammar and phonetics from classical German. In the 19th century, German was unified and the “Complete Spelling Dictionary of the German Language” was published, edited by Duden. The rules were not extended to Austrian, so it did not lose its original flavor.

The country's spoken dialects and official Austrian are more similar to the Bavarian dialect of Germany and Swiss than to classical Hochdeutsch. Moreover, each regional dialect is actually a different language based on German.
In local speech, Austrianisms are common - linguistic norms that apply only in the national version. Their formation was influenced by both Hochdeutsch and Bavarian variants.
National pronunciation is softer and more melodic. The reason is the suffix –l. Strict with him Sack(bag) and Packung(package) become melodious Sackerl and In most regions, "a" is rounded and pronounced like "o".
In the national version there is no aspiration (aspiration) of the initial letters p-, t-, k-. The pronunciation of diphthongs (two vowels that appear in a word in a row) is also different.
There are up to two thousand morphological differences between languages. In grammar, the genders of nouns do not coincide: die Ausschank - der Ausschank, das Cola - die Cola, der Spray - das Spray, der Butter - die Butter, etc. There are differences in the formation of the plural (die Erlasse - die Erlässe) and comparative degrees for adjectives (Dunkler - Dünkler).
The national vocabulary of Austria contains more borrowings from Slavic languages, French and Italian. For example, locals will say Schale instead of Tasse (cup).
In Austria it is appropriate to address each other at length: “ Guten Abend, gnädige Frau"("Good morning, dear lady"), " Grüß Gott, Herr Ingenieur"(Hello, Mister Doctor"). In Germany, on the contrary, strict and formal phrases are accepted: “ Guten Morgen" ("Good morning"), " Guten Tag, Herr Jensen"("Good afternoon, Mr. Jensen"). Addressed officially, by last name.

People from different parts of the country sometimes do not understand each other. In Upper Austria the dialect is similar to Bavarian. In western Tyrol, speech is influenced by the Alemannic dialect. In the capital there is a separate language variant - Weinerisch. Therefore, even relatives living in different lands encounter language misunderstandings.

Examples of linguistic differences for the food lexical group

Difficulties in mastering a dialect

Austrian for foreigners is a separate language, less distinguishable by ear than classical German. In some, it, along with the Chinese, instills horror, while in others it forces them to gradually get used to it and understand it. In addition, the literary speech here is constantly replenished from Viennese and regional dialects.

To those who study Österreichisches Deutsch, it will not seem more complicated than the classic one. For those who already speak Hochdeutsch with the correct articles and endings, for clear pronunciation they will need to relearn the sound of half the sounds.

The most difficulties will arise with sayings and established expressions. Therefore, ideally, to master Austrian fluently you need:

settle with an indigenous family;
go to language courses;
apply for a job;
communicate more often with locals.

For a person working in a team where a dialect is spoken, over time the basic “correct” Hochdeutsch mutates. Subconsciously, he will copy the expressions and intonation of those around him. The main assistants in this matter are a solid knowledge of the grammar and spelling of standard German.

Subtleties of mutual understanding in Austria

All residents of the country, from teenagers to grandmothers, understand ordinary Hochdeutsch, although they speak with a clear accent. At the same time, residents of the Alpine regions have difficulty perceiving “classics” by ear. A visitor with knowledge of German can easily understand the speech of television and radio presenters and communicate with the professor. But the seller’s answer or the conversation of new friends will not be clear to him.

After a couple of months of living in one of the regions of the country, the guest will understand the principle of differences in adverbs and will easily translate what he hears into classical speech in his mind. It will also reveal the main similarities between Hochdeutsch and Österreichisches Deutsch, for example, in prepositions.

If you have any difficulties communicating in Austria or are just planning to travel to this country and are learning German, ask questions in the comments to the article. Do you have any speaking experience in the dialect? Share it with your readers!

Geography of Austria

Austria is a country located almost in the center of Europe. On its northern side it borders on the Czech Republic, on the northeastern side its neighbor is Slovakia. Austria's eastern neighbor is Hungary, and its southern neighbors are Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia. Crossing the western border of Austria you can get to Germany, Switzerland, as well as Liechtenstein.

Several of the largest European rivers flow through Austria - the Mur, Drava, Danube, Inn and Salzach. In the mountains there are many large and small lakes with crystal clear water.

The famous mountains called the Alps occupy about seventy percent of the country's total area. Their highest point is a mountain with two peaks - Großglockner. Its height is 3997 meters above sea level.

Austrian government

The State of Austria is a state governed by parliament. The head of the republic, also known as the Federal President, is elected to office and then rules the country for six years. The head of the republic appoints members of the government, who then elect the Federal Chancellor. The Parliament of the Austrian Republic consists of two parts, the Federal Assembly. One of the chambers is the Federal Council, the other is the National Council.

Weather in Austria

In Austria, weather conditions depend on the region, as Atlantic, continental and Mediterranean air masses affect individual areas of Austria differently.

In the western and northern parts of the country, northwest winds are dominant almost all the time. They bring with them mild weather and constant high humidity from the Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern part of the state, the weather is influenced by continental air currents. There is little precipitation here, although there are showers in the summer season.

In the mountainous part of the country, local winds “rule”. The main one is a dry and warm hairdryer. In the capital, the average temperature ranges from minus three to plus twenty-five.

Language of Austria

As in neighboring Germany, German (with Austrian pronunciation) is the official language of the Austrian state. It should be noted that, despite the similarity of the Austrian and non-German languages, Austrian speech still has its own characteristics, both in rhythm and stress, and in vocabulary. The inhabitants of the Alpine regions have their own dialects, which even the inhabitants of Austria have difficulty understanding.

Religion of Austria

Almost eighty percent of the total population are true Catholics. Twelve percent are atheists, five are Protestants, and Muslims make up only two percent.

Currency of Austria

The main currency of the state is the EUR.

The most profitable exchange place is a bank that exchanges any currency and traveler's checks. The official exchange rate and their ratio are set by the Vienna Stock Exchange.

In small exchange offices located at airports and train stations, a small percentage is added to the established rate. All banks and exchange offices are open daily, starting at eight in the morning and ending at eight in the evening.

Customs restrictions

Foreign citizens can bring into the country up to two hundred cigarettes or fifty cigars intended for personal use or as gifts. It is also allowed to import up to two hundred and fifty grams of tobacco, two liters of wine, or other tinctures or liqueurs that contain no more than twenty-two percent alcohol. Those who decide to introduce beer to Austria need to remember that you can only take three liters and one liter of any other alcoholic drink. All of the above goods are allowed to be imported into the country only for oneself, without pursuing commercial purposes. In addition to alcohol and cigarettes, you can take any goods in an amount that does not exceed one hundred seventy-five euros per person.

In the case where a foreign citizen arrives in Austria, not by plane, but by crossing a land border, the amount is reduced to one hundred euros. There are no restrictions on the export or import of any currency in Austria.

Tips

As a rule, the tip in Austria is five percent of the total amount of the order. At the same time, in all large restaurants in the country it is customary to leave a tip equal to ten percent of the order. Each of the waiters will bring the change back, and only after his return should you leave a tip.

In a cafe or bar, you can leave any amount in the form of small coins. In small street cafes, it is not customary to leave a tip. You can leave up to ten percent above the amount or any small change to the taxi driver.

Purchases

Those foreign citizens who do not reside permanently in the EU can expect a VAT refund when purchasing for amounts over seventy-five euros. But only if the goods are exported to a country outside the EU.

In order to return an amount equal to approximately thirteen percent, a foreign citizen needs:

In stores that have a silver-blue “TAX FREE Shopping” product logo, you must request a receipt, along with an envelope.
- the check must be filled out by the seller.
- before leaving Austria, the receipt and goods are presented at customs. The customs officer must put his stamp on the check.
- You can get your money back directly at customs in the payment areas.

Souvenirs

From a trip to Austria you can bring back traditional Salzburg chocolate, gingerbread, Austrian wines, folk costumes, as well as Savarowski crystal products.

Office hours

Museums and exhibitions usually have a day off on Monday. Although they have the right to appoint it themselves.

Shops are open from half past ten or ten to eighteen hours. The break is most often one hour long and starts at noon. Many private stores, especially grocery stores, open at seven in the morning. Huge supermarkets are open without breaks, but on Saturday they are only open until noon.

All banks are open on weekdays from eight to three o'clock. On Thursday you can get to the bank until half past five.

Safety

Recently, the number of petty thefts has increased in the country.

Mains voltage:

220V

Code of the country:

+43

Geographic first level domain name:

.at

Emergency numbers:

Emergency service - 120
fire service - 122
police - 133
ambulance - 144

Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and part.

The lands located under Austria-Hungary now belong to many states, in particular:

Czech Republic.

The vast historical experience of Austria has left a noticeable imprint on its culture and development, including its language. And today the question of the official languages of Austria remains open, since this state manages to include more than twenty representatives of different linguistic groups. So, what language is spoken in Austria?

Official language of Austria

We need to start with the fact that the official and state language, according to Wikipedia, considered German. It is spoken by most of the country, signs are made, government documents are concluded, advertisements and films are made, and training is conducted in schools and universities. But perhaps a surprising fact for some people is that Austrian German is significantly different from classical German. If you listen to official news and interviews with politicians, you will hardly notice the difference in dialects that is present in Austria. This country is famous for its Austrian language, incomprehensible to Germans, which is found among ordinary residents.

When studying the German language, which is familiar to many, you need to be prepared for the fact that it will be very difficult to understand the dialect of the native Austrians. In addition, Austrians are very jealous of their language. No wonder. It was formed over a very long time, a process in which unique words, phrases and expressions were included in the language, which are now considered purely “Austrian”. When speaking to Austrians in pure German, they can be a little wary. Many people say that when communicating, an Austrian and a German will understand each other without any problems. This is true, but this does not exclude some difficulties in fully understanding the meaning of the conversation. There is a language barrier.

By the way, Austrian German has many dialects, depending on the area and neighboring countries.

Viennese dialect

So, in different parts of the country there are different varieties of official German. There are really a huge number of dialects and the most popular of them considered Viennese. Vienna is an example for other cities to follow. Using his example, linguistic structures were formed and changes were made to dialects. Since this dialect has become part of the colloquial speech of the country, it can be heard not only in the capital, but also in other, even small villages.

The indigenous people are very proud and sincerely love their variety of language, considering it much better, more beautiful and more melodic than the classical one. The Austrian dialect has become so ingrained in the culture that it is spoken at various events, celebrations, schools, TV series and films. You can hear it not only in Vienna, which makes it practically a separate Austrian language.

If you understand the component of the dialect, it is almost entirely based on German. But some words and phrases were borrowed from other countries, so you might not be surprised to see references to Italian, Hungarian and even Polish.

The official language of Austria and its other varieties

As mentioned earlier, Austria is considered a very multicultural country, which includes parts and components of other states. This country is home to many representatives of different national groups, people from other territories and continents, which makes it almost impossible to have only one language in the state. Therefore, in Austria you can notice not only different dialects, but even different, foreign speech.

Most often you can find representatives of the Hungarian linguistic group. Why? This is understandable from a historical point of view, since Austria and Hungary existed for a long time as allies, and in some periods even as a single state. In one and in another country, you can often find residents of a neighboring state, which becomes the reason for the existence and spread of German and Hungarian in these territories.

About a quarter of the Austrian population speaks Slovenian. This was also the result of the territorial location of states and their close relationships. On the streets of Vienna and other cities you can hear Polish, Czech and even Gypsy and Slovak. In some parts of the country you can hear Turkish speech. All these languages are considered national and are highly respected both by the government and by ordinary people.

Summarizing, The national languages in Austria are:

It is also worth mentioning that, in addition to their Austrian language, every resident of this country understands and speaks English quite well. This comes as a pleasant surprise for travel lovers, as it almost completely eliminates the possibility of getting lost in an unfamiliar country. In addition, there are almost no people in Vienna who do not speak English.

Russian-speaking part of Austria

It is very rare to meet a Russian-speaking person on Austrian territory.. It is spoken by only 4% of the population, but this is not a big problem, since this number is growing every year. The Austrian state is becoming more popular for Russian-speaking peoples, attracting people with the beauty of its culture and accepted values.

The state government makes every effort to ensure that even foreign residents have a good time, so very often you can find special linguistic quarters where representatives of the same language group live. The Russian language also has a place, so if you wish, you can live in one of these areas.

Speaking of Vienna, then the likelihood of meeting a Russian person here is much greater than in other cities and towns.