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German · Culture · A2 to C1

The regions of Germany: 16 Bundesländer, Nord and Süd, Ost and West

A tile map: each square is one state, placed roughly where it lies, north at the top. Three are city-states: Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.
Flächenland · territorial state Bayern BAI-ern · capital: München · people: die Bayern The largest state by area: the Alps, Oktoberfest and a strong regional identity.
IchIkommecomeaus Bayern.from Bavaria
ikh KO-me aus BAI-ern · “I’m from Bavaria.”

Short answer: Germany is a federal country of 16 states, die Bundesländer, each with its own government, school system and public holidays. Bavaria is the largest by area, North Rhine-Westphalia the largest by population. Say where you are from with Ich komme aus… + dative. People are named after their city with -er: ein Berliner, eine Hamburgerin. The big cultural divides are north and south, and east and west, the old border between the GDR and West Germany until 1990.

City names as adjectives

Der Kölner Dom, die Berliner Mauer

Add -er to a city name and you get both the people and an adjective. As an adjective it is written with a capital letter and never changes its ending, whatever the gender or case.

North, south, east, west

Fischbrötchen or Weißwurst? Ossi or Wessi?

Germans talk about their country in halves. The jokes and stereotypes are affectionate, but the differences in dialect, food and history are real.

Der NordenFlat land, the sea, a reserved manner and very few words: Moin is a whole conversation.MoinFischbrötchenPlattdeutsch
Der SüdenMountains, Catholic holidays, beer gardens and dialects northerners struggle with.ServusWeißwurstDirndl
Der WestenThe old Federal Republic: the Rhine, industry, Karneval and Bonn, the capital until 1990.KarnevalRuhrpottWessi
Der OstenThe former GDR (DDR): rebuilt city centres, the Ampelmännchen and memories of the Wende.Ampelmännchendie WendeOssi
Südlichsouthvomof-theWeißwurstäquatorwhite-sausage-equator……
ZÜT-likh fom VAIS-vurst-e-kva-tor · “South of the “white sausage equator” …”A joking name for the line, roughly the river Main, where southern Germany begins.
Erheistisein Ossi.an Easterner
air ist ain O-see · “He’s from the East.”Ossi and Wessi are informal and can sound condescending; use them only with care.
Nachafterder Wendethe turn……
nakh dair VEN-de · “After reunification …”Die Wende (“the turn”) is the everyday word for the fall of the Wall and reunification, 1989–90.
The German-speaking countries

Deutschland, Österreich, die Schweiz

German is an official language in several countries. The three largest are known together as DACH, from their car codes D, A and CH.

CountryCapitalIch komme aus…Local hello
DeutschlandGermanyBerlinaus DeutschlandHallo / Moin / Servus
ÖsterreichAustriaWienaus ÖsterreichGrüß Gott / Servus
die SchweizSwitzerlandBernaus der SchweizGrüezi
LiechtensteinLiechtensteinVaduzaus LiechtensteinHoi
LuxemburgLuxembourgLuxemburgaus LuxemburgMoien

Feminine and plural country names keep their article: aus der Schweiz, aus den USA. Most others have none: aus Österreich.

Keep going

Related guides

PlattdeutschRegional German →The dialects of each region.zum BahnhofCity vocabulary →Getting around once you arrive.WeißwurstFood culture →Each region’s dishes.die FahrkarteTravel →Trains between the regions.