Regional German: Austria, Switzerland and the Dialects

Regional German: one language, three standards and many dialects

German is a pluricentric language: Germany, Austria and Switzerland each have their own correct standard. None is a dialect of the others.

Short answer: the three national standards differ mostly in vocabulary, with some grammar and spelling differences. Underneath them are the dialects: local spoken varieties that can be hard even for other Germans. Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch) is the strongest case: it is spoken in everyday life, while Standard German is used for writing.

Everyday words that change at the border

Choose a topic. Press a word to hear it.

English	Germany	Austria	Switzerland
bread roll	das BRÖT-khun	dee ZEM-ul	das VEG-lee
potato	dee kar-TOF-ul	dair AIRT-ap-ful	dee kar-TOF-ul / HAIR-döp-ful
tomato	dee toh-MAH-tuh	dair pah-rah-DY-zuh	dee toh-MAH-tuh
whipped cream	dee ZAH-nuh	das SHLAHK-oh-bus	dair RAHM
apricot	dee ah-pree-KOH-zuh	dee mah-RIL-uh	dee ah-pree-KOH-zuh
minced meat	das HAK-flysh	das fah-SHEER-tuh	das HAK-flysh
cauliflower	dair BLOO-mun-kohl	dair kar-fee-OHL	dair BLOO-mun-kohl

Grammar and spelling differences

Perfect with sein

Verbs of position (sitzen, stehen, liegen) take sein in the south.

No ß in Switzerland

Swiss Standard German has written ss instead of ß since the 1930s.

Gender

A few nouns differ in gender: in Germany both are feminine; in the south both can be neuter.

Past tense in speech

The south uses the perfect almost exclusively, even for sein.

Diminutives

-chen in the north; -l, -erl in Austria and Bavaria; -li in Switzerland.

Swiss German: a spoken language beside the written one

In German-speaking Switzerland, people speak Schweizerdeutsch in almost every situation, including at work and on local TV, and write in Swiss Standard German. The two are different enough that Germans often need subtitles. As a learner, you speak Standard German and the Swiss will switch for you; understanding some Swiss German is a C2 skill.

Grüezi mitenand!GRÜ-uh-tsee MIT-uh-nant Guten Tag zusammen! Hello everyone!

Wie gaht’s?vee GAHTS Wie geht’s? How are you?

Ich ha kei Ziit.ikh hah ky TSEET Ich habe keine Zeit. I have no time.

Chunsch au?KHOONSH ow Kommst du auch? Are you coming too?

Das isch guet.das ISH GOO-ut Das ist gut. That’s good.

Swiss German has no single spelling; the forms above are common in Zurich. Audio is not offered because text-to-speech voices speak Standard German.

The dialect regions, north to south

German dialects are traditionally grouped into three bands. One sound change divides them: in the south, the old sounds p, t, k shifted to pf, ss/tz, ch (Apfel, Wasser, machen), while the north kept the older sounds (Appel, Water, maken), close to English and Dutch.

Standard German took the southern forms, which is why many German words look like English with one consonant changed. Spotting the shift helps you guess meanings: Pfeffer is pepper, Zunge is tongue.

Low GermanNiederdeutsch, Plattdeutsch The north: Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony. Officially a regional language. Ik mak dat. (Ich mache das.)ik MAHK dat
Central GermanMitteldeutsch A broad band across the middle: Rhineland, Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia, Berlin. Isch mach dat. (Rhineland)ish MAKH dat
Upper GermanOberdeutsch The south: Bavarian, Swabian, Alemannic, Austrian and Swiss German. I mog di. (Ich mag dich.)ee MOHK dee

Grüß Gott, Servus, Jänner: Austrian German

Austrian German is a standard of its own, with official words that differ from Germany’s. These appear in Austrian newspapers, schools and on menus.

Greeting

GrüßgreetGott!God

GRÜS GOT · “Hello! (formal, south)”Why: Standard in Austria and Bavaria. Servus is the informal hi and bye.

January

iminJännerJanuary

im YE-ner · “in January”Why: Austria’s official word; Germany says Januar.

Potatoes

Erdäpfelearth-apples

AIRT-ep-fel · “potatoes”Why: Germany: Kartoffeln.

Tomatoes

Paradeiserparadise-apples

pa-ra-DAI-zer · “tomatoes”Why: Germany: Tomaten.